In France, June 6th will mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day landings during World War II. I imagine young soldiers with so much life ahead of them, facing the battle straight on, fighting for their countries to protect the citizens, not thinking about themselves but focused on their commitment to serving and protecting. How can we ever repay the soldiers who died fighting, how can we make their families whole again, what about the children left without fathers? We can’t repay them for their courageous acts, every single one, down to the last soldier on the ships and ground.
We can acknowledge, and celebrate their lives and thank them for their sacrifices. Without our allies and their military capabilities we would live in a very different world and one I hope to never see. My heart overflows with sadness, joy, and forever gratefulness.
All the countries that fought to abolish Hitler and his unspeakable crimes saved so many Jews and ultimately many other lives who now live in freedom. The concentration camps, the torture, and the sheer evil are a reminder to all that there is evil out there and we must fight to protect the innocent and for freedom for all.
Let’s come together. Put our political and religious differences aside to celebrate and give thanks to those who gave all and those who survived to tell their stories. The story of each individual is important, as is the reason for the war. Never forget the reason behind each war, learn from it, celebrate our heritage, accept one another, and above all else help each other heal.
I celebrate my Gramps for his commitment to our country during WWII, like most who experience wartime trauma, he didn’t share much but I saw the pride in his eyes. He was a proud man and I’m blessed to have had him in my life. He was so young in this photo, and he was decorated with many medals over his career including a Bronze Star which he kept in his dirty toolbox. It was not the medals that made him the man he was. He didn’t want a military funeral but I couldn’t agree, he deserved the respect. I’m so thankful that during a time of war, Fort Hood in Texas found enough soldiers to send him home properly.
I picked this song because these women keep the spirit alive.
Wartime choir The D-Day Darlings DAZZLE the Judges! | Auditions | BGT 2018
An interesting twist on a search I requested from Copilot. I’m so addicted now!!!!!
Flora 🌿
Wildflowers: Sprinkled across the meadow, wildflowers add bursts of color to the otherwise green canvas. Imagine delicate buttercups, vibrant daisies, and perhaps a few shy violets. Their petals sway in harmony with the breeze, creating a soft symphony of hues.\
Tall Grasses: The grasses here are not mere blades; they’re tall and graceful. Their feathery heads catch the sunlight, turning golden as the day progresses. When the wind dances through, the grasses ripple like waves on a tranquil sea.
Ancient Oaks: A few ancient oak trees stand sentinel. Their gnarled trunks tell stories of centuries gone by. Their leaves, a rich emerald, provide dappled shade for our contemplative woman. Perhaps a squirrel or two scampers along their branches, gathering acorns.
Whispering Willows: Down by the water’s edge, willow trees lean gracefully. Their long, slender branches dip into the pond, their leaves trailing like veils. When the wind rustles through, it’s as if the willows murmur secrets to the water.
Ferns and Moss: In the shaded nooks, ferns unfurl their delicate fronds. Their greenery is lush and inviting. Moss clings to rocks and fallen logs, creating a velvety carpet. Tiny insects—nature’s architects—flit about, weaving their own stories.
Fauna 🦋
Butterflies: Butterflies, those ephemeral creatures, flit from flower to flower. Their wings carry patterns of iridescent blue, orange, and black. They sip nectar, their delicate feet barely disturbing the petals.
Songbirds: Hidden among the branches, songbirds serenade the landscape. Robins, sparrows, and finches create a melodic chorus. Their notes blend seamlessly with the rustling leaves and the distant babble of the brook.
Dragonflies: These jewel-toned insects zip through the air, their gossamer wings catching the light.
My first go-round with Copilot image creation. I’m so impressed with the product. I’m working on an avatar but not there yet, it’s so hard to create the image and felling you want to represent.
I was 5 years old when this song came out and my father was a huge Elvis fan. He would play the albums over and over and we would dance and sing until we were exhausted. It’s a cherished memory of my father for which I don’t have many.
Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock (’68 Comeback Special)
Daniel and I have known each other since 2012-2013 and he was a co-founder of Survivors Blog Here. I’ve never met a man as talented at writing, his imagination is expansive. He’s a deep thinker, life lover, husband, a father and I’m so glad to call him a friend. This post is deep, it took a minute to soak in but I find truth in it. Thank you, my friend. You would be remiss if you didn’t check out his blog.
I love the song and it’s a bit of an anthem for me but now that I know the backstory I’m happy he sang the lyrics that Paul Ankna personally wrote for him, Frank asked his good friend Paul to write a song for his retirement. It was deeply personal for both and it revived Franks’s career.
It’s a shame, Frank stopped liking after so many years of singing and getting demands for the song. I think it was his best song. Many went on to record his version or changed versions of the song. The Elvis version is great, I’m a huge Elvis fan and believe he sang it properly even though Paul Anka didn’t want Elvis to record it, they were close friends as well.
The story is quite interesting in musical history,
Here are my two favorite videos, one of Frank Sinatra and the other from Elvis.
Frank Sinatra – My Way (Live At Caesars Palace/1978)
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight the blog Mitch Teemley The Power of Story.
I’m a storyteller (writer, filmmaker, composer, public speaker) with the audacity to believe others might actually want to read, watch or hear the things I come up with. I live in Cincinnati, Ohio with my wise and gorgeous wife Trudy. Together we’ve created our magnum opi: two adorable, wildly creative daughters. More? Well, if you insist: there are mini-bios on me at Wikipedia and IMDb.
Mitch’s post is a ray of sunshine and a dose of reality. He has an incredible storytelling ability. You must check his blog out!
The family cookbook contains recipes my Granny & Gramps used often and is the type of food I grew up on. Many with veggies and tomatoes from the garden. Good ole Southern food like my Gramps dumplings, to Grannies pecan pie.
The recipe comes from my husband’s Aunt on his Father’s side.
Hi, I’m glad you stopped by and I look forward to seeing you soon.
The quest to create a cozy home doesn’t need to be limited to your indoor space. No matter what size your outdoor space may be, you can add special touches to make it feel extra homey and inviting.
What’s the one thing you can do to make your backyard, balcony, or porch a little cozier?
I’ve followed Muslim Life for a while now and love the common sense posts, they are great reminders of how to live our life. I respect Muslims, their religious practices are different than my own, and that’s cool with me.
Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe in God, and I embrace them.
I know without a doubt that being a Muslim does not make them terrorists, and shame those who think that way.
Here are a few products I’m loving right now. I hope you find a product to add to your household or self-care routine. The list may give you ideas for friends, and family. Most products are found on Amazon except for the candles.
Double-duty self-care products are extra special when they require you to rest and enjoy the benefits.
Grace & Stella
Gold Eye Mask
Royal Nectar Face Mask
Shield Mask with Bee Venom & Manuka Honey
Soon Skincare
Shea Butter Hand Mask for Dry Hands, Moisturizing Gloves, Hand Moisturizer for Cracked Hands Repair, Hand Mask Gloves with Green Tea and Tea Tree Skincare
Lip Masks for Soft Lips, Masks for Lip Care, Korean Skin Care Lip Treatment, Collagen Masks for Lip Hydration, Lip Masks with Aloe Vera
cleo+coco
Natural Dry Shampoo Powder – For Body & Hair – For Women – Absorb Odor & Sweat – Essential Oils & Arrowroot Powder – Free of Talc & Parabens – PCR – Made in USA – Grapefruit Bergamot – 4oz
I’ve also purchased the Figuier (Fig Tree) – Home Fragrance Diffuser Behind the Faceted Glass, a summer landscape, it smells awesome. I only used 3 reeds so the fragrance isn’t overwhelming.
Most candles are made in France
*Korean skincare products like Soon Skincare are awesome. Korea takes skin care seriously and can be less expensive and more effective.
The family cookbook contains recipes, my Granny’s & Gramps used often and is the type of food I grew up on. Many with veggies and tomatoes from the garden. Good ole Southern food like my Gramps dumplings, to Grannies pecan pie.
This recipe is from my husband’s Aunt, all of her recipes are written on cards and her spelling can be hard to cipher.
Ingredients
1 1/4 flour
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 cup Crisco cold *I don’t know what cold product you can substitute with.”
3-4 TSP cold water
9-inch pie shell
Cooking Instructions
Mix and roll
Pick up from the bottom and sides with a fork to stop air bubbles
Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes
A good pie crust recipe can make all the difference in the overall pie.
I’m glad you joined me this week for another edition of Weekend Music Share.
Have a great weekend!
Melinda
Welcome back to Weekend Music Share, the place where everyone can share their favorite music.
Feel free to use the Weekend Music Share banner in your post, and use the hashtag #WeekendMusicShare on social media so other participants can find your post.
Many if not most prescribed medications require a ramp-up period called efficacy, this is the time it takes for the medication to reach a therapeutic level.
For example:
I started Trintellex several weeks ago for my ongoing depression. The Prozac wasn’t working any longer which is common when you take a drug for a long time. The efficacy of Trintellix is 6-8 weeks, during this period you can experience common side effects and they often subside once the drug reaches efficacy. It’s important to track these symptoms but it’s not always time to call your doctor. Never stop taking medication before talking to your doctor, stopping medication abruptly can send your brain into a tailspin. If you can’t wait to hear back from your doctor, go to your nearest ER for help ASAP. It may save your life.
The most important side effects to be aware of are adverse side effects, which are the worst side effects that can be deadly and require immediate attention. It’s easy to forget the side effects after reading the prescribing instructions the first time so I keep them handy.
The past week I was overcome by nausea and vomiting and thought I was getting sick. After reading the prescribing instructions again I was reminded that those are common side effects, not ones to be alarmed about. I have experienced sparks in the brain as the medication reaches efficacy, like crying, returned energy, improved cognition, and feeling better overall.
All medications including over-the-counter items still have side effects, especially for children.
Always call your doctor if you are concerned about anything, not just medication side effects.
It’s really sad to say, but to a degree self-care has become a buzzword frequently portrayed in media and online as indulgent bubble baths, retail therapy, and the occasional junk food binge. Not just in shows, or in advertisements triyng to sell you stuff, but even on social media by the people you know, and of course by content creators too.
While yes, buying indulges and buying things that you love can actually be a really nice way to show yourself some life, you have to keep in mind that these also only offer temporary relief, and so true self-care is far more profound and personal. It’s about nurturing your mental, emotional, and physical well-being in ways that genuinely enrich Dr your life. So, with that said, it’s best to explore what self-care really means and how you can embrace it in a more meaningful way.
Understanding True Self-Care
Self-care is often misunderstood as a quick fix or an escape from reality. However, true self-care involves intentional actions that support your overall health and happiness. It’s about listening to your body and mind, understanding your needs, and taking steps to meet those needs in healthy and sustainable ways. This might mean setting boundaries, saying no to commitments that drain you, or seeking help when you need it.
Mindful Self-Practices
Basically, the less love and care you show yourself, the higher the chances of stress and even the potential of forming anxiety. Actually, true self-care is often found in the small, mindful practices that help you stay grounded and connected to yourself. This might include a daily walk in nature, practicing yoga, or spending time on a hobby that you love. It’s about finding joy and peace in the everyday moments.
But this isn’t always the case; mindful practices will vary from person to person. While one person might feel relaxed walking out on a trail in nature, there might be someone else who feels more at ease and relaxed if you’re at home and using delta-8 THC gummies since these offer a more calming and gentle effect. But overall, mindful practices help prevent chronic anxiety from forming, and again, the best way to go about it really varies from person to person.
The Illusion of Instant Gratification
The media often promotes self-care as something that provides instant gratification—like a shopping spree or indulging in comfort food. By all means, yes, while these activities can offer momentary pleasure, they don’t address the deeper issues that may be affecting your well-being.
In fact, relying on these quick fixes can sometimes lead to feelings of guilt or regret afterward. So, you have to understand that true self-care involves making choices that contribute to your long-term well-being, even if they don’t provide immediate pleasure.
You Have to Think About Emotional Health
Just think of it this way: You’re spending money on things that give you small bits of gratification immediately, like junk food, but at the end of the day, you’re going to feel bad for the money you spent, and you might feel physically bad too because, well, it’s junk food. The same goes for shopping sprees too. Now, emotional health usually gets overlooked in mainstream portrayals. You need to understand your thoughts and gain clarity on what you need to feel balanced and fulfilled.
We all experience stress. That’s a normal part of life. However, there are different levels of stress, and, for some people, it can be much more than they may be equipped to deal with, alone.
If you have experienced some form of trauma in the past, and you have begun to experience nightmares, mood swings, and flashbacks, and you’re having difficulty controlling your emotions and reactions to things, such as becoming much more easily startled, then you might be experiencing PTSD. Here, we’re going to look at what you can do to start to heal from it, and how you can begin to feel like yourself again.
First of all, it’s worth noting that PTSD is well beyond the average person’s ability to deal with it on their own. A lot of people are reluctant to seek help because of the lingering stigma associated with mental health, but at some point, you have to put your wellness in front of how you fear you might be perceived. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, has been noted as being particularly helpful, allowing individuals to reframe negative thoughts and develop healthier thought patterns. Talk to your doctor about the help available to you.
Considering medication
There are also medication options that can help manage the symptoms that are associated with PTSD. For instance, you might want to consider antidepressants such as SSRIs that can help you regulate your moods to some degree. Anti-anxiety medications are also typically prescribed on a short-term basis to help people avoid the more extreme symptoms of anxiety disorders, such as panic attacks. Talk to your doctor about the medical options available to you, but do be aware that therapy and medication together tend to provide the best odds of success, rather than choosing just one.
Find the right therapeutic relief
While direct therapy is going to do a lot of heavy lifting in helping you process the thoughts and emotions associated with PTSD, some treatments can help you find comfort, improve your mood, and heal, such as service dogs for PTSD. Service dogs are very effective, and forming a relationship with one can also provide a sense of purpose and motivation when it might feel like life is otherwise directionless. Service animals can even sense when their human partner is experiencing a stressful or anxious episode to provide comfort when it’s needed.
Finding a support group that understands
While talking to loved ones can help you, and a therapist can give you many of the tools to work through your emotions, there is a specific benefit to spending time with people who understand your experience that’s well worth seeking. Consider finding a PTSD support group, allowing you to connect with others who have similar experiences, and providing a sense of community and understanding. Peer support can be incredibly validating and can help reduce feelings of isolation. You can also get some practical tips from others who have been on the same journey as you.
Be mindful of your psychological triggers
While it is likely to be, in part, a subject of part of your therapy sessions, it’s worth starting to become aware of the concept of psychological triggers. Triggers are stimuli, whether they’re sights, sounds, smells, emotions, people, places, or otherwise, that can elicit a strong emotional or stress response from you. A lot of people who have experienced trauma in the past can develop these triggers in association with them that, even when you’re safe and comfortable, can suddenly rise up to completely change your emotional state. Becoming aware of your triggers is the first step to dealing with them.
Taking care of yourself
Your mental and physical states are intrinsically linked. By putting care into yourself, physically, it can help you mentally, as well. For one, exercise can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and enhance overall well-being. A balanced diet can be vital to good mental health, and good sleep hygiene is crucial, as poor sleep can exacerbate PTSD symptoms. Even taking the time to show yourself a little self-care can be good for your self-esteem, which can make your mood swings less severe.
There is no magic pill for PTSD. A lot of people who live with it will experience the symptoms for a long time, and some aspects might never go away entirely. However, there is always a way to get better and to heal. Keep that in mind and consider the tips above.
Clair’s post is about bloggers who play the game of follow and unfolllow to get followers. It’s tactics used by people who are driven by numbers only. The reason I reblogged is that I don’t appreciate these tactics. Who would want to follow a blogger who has no confidence in themselves and no desire to be a part of anyone’s community? I’ve already unfollowed. Older timers like me don’t care for games. Maybe you have a blogger treating you this way?
The family cookbook contains recipes, my Granny’s & Gramps used often and is the type of food I grew up on. Many with veggies and tomatoes from the garden. Good ole Southern food like my Gramps dumplings, to Grannies pecan pie.
This is from my husband’s Aunt Dorthy’s recipes who writes BEST at the top of the card.
Recipe
1 pkg yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and 1 TSP sugar
Let stand 5 minutes
Sift 4 cups flour, 4 TBS sugar and 3/4 TSP salt
Melt 1/2 TBS of butter
Add in 1 cup of canned milk
4 eggs yolks beaten
Pour over flour
Add yeast
Knead
Cover
Place in refrigerator overnight or for 5 hours
Divide into 4 sections on a lightly floured surface to approx 10″x13″
Size to fill
Roll up
Let rise
Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes
Filling
Beat 4 eggs whites with 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup ground walnuts
Okay, from here my guess is that you get an icing tube, add the filling insert into the roll, and by squeezing until you see the filling has spread in the roll.
This sounds great because I like walnuts, which are so good for you. This one I’ll have to try.
If you make the recipe, please provide feedback on your thoughts or what the recipe brings to mind.
Millions of candles are bought every year, but few share detailed instructions on how to care for your candles. Gone are the days of throwing candles away because they are caved in. I discovered a candle maker that provides step-by-step instructions, and they have served me well. I’m not sharing the in-depth instructions that come with each candle but what I’ve learned from them.
Candlemaking is an art that includes consideration of the container, wick, wax, and the right mix of fragrance, not to mention the shape of the candle itself.
A few things I’ve learned
Before lighting the candle the first time, trim the wick leaving enough to light easily.
The flame should not crackle but instead burn a steady flame. When the flame flickers it’s time to trim the wick once it has cooled, making sure to put the wick back in the center while the wax is still melted but don’t cut the wick back at this time.
Trim the wick before lighting each time.
Diffuse the flame by using a candle tool, and put the wick back in the center of the candle.
Keep spent matches and candle tools safe by using a fireproof tray.
Use oversized matches to prevent burns.
Keep the candle away from drafts.
Cover candles to keep the dust away or lightly brush the dust away before lighting.
Candles are relaxing and a big part part of my self-care routine but it’s also a hobby that fascinates me. It doesn’t matter how inexpensive the candle is, it’s important to know how to care for it if you want it to last the longest.
I’ve included the Byers Guide lists of its recommended candles.
Here’s what I’ve learned, it may not be the only way to view those stats but the stats are telling even if you don’t look at your traffic numbers. The stats are directly tied to each post, the links inside of the post, and the percentage of click-through rate.
I can look at my Home stats to see what posts are getting the most traffic however I find the information Email Stats more useful although they are not completely accurate.
I’m looking at the Traffic stats for the post, Baked Potato Wedges Recipe By Guest Blogger Stay… and I then click on Highlights to see the big picture. It’s not a measurement tool for me to focus on but the stats give you insight into the reading community.
The click-thru percentage was interesting because it tells me how many people clicked on a link within your posts. That’s information to have, for nothing else than to see what your community is responding to. Which is most important to me. It’s not how many, it’s the quality of the engagement.
When you click on Email Opens you see a bigger picture of the stats on each post. The percentage of opens reflects how many people read your post through email who actually opened the email. The Email Clicks reflect how many clicked on a link within the page. In the case of this post, it had a 23% open rate which is good. From the answers I received from Copilot, it sounds like an average open rate is 8%. That’s critical information to me.
These stats are a great way to see what posts have high open rates, which to me say the post topic was a success. If you want to drill down on the behavior of your email community, that’s a journey I’m not taking. Good luck.
I write as a hobby and love it but for me, it’s not about how many followers but the engagement of the community. I’m happy in my corner in the blogging world and it’s cool to be a small fish. I don’t write to make money, although there have been times when I’ve been paid, my blog is not a money-making business, it’s not a business at all, it’s a personal blog. I’ve worked hard to leave my competitive nature out of blogging because it doesn’t suit me well.
I love learning, it opens my mind to ideas and opens the world to me. That natural curiosity helped me achieve many goals including being successful in my career, traveling, learning how to scuba, and hiking off-trail, but most importantly my confidence grew exponentially.
Now, I have the pleasure of being at home and have since gotten in touch with what makes me happy. Having interactions with people worldwide hit my button is one of them.
The weird twist on the post is that it started out technical in nature and turned into an affirmation. That can happen as your body adjusts to new medication which I’m going through now.
Thank you for all the great feedback on the Blogger Highlight series, I’ve enjoyed meeting each blogger and sharing their site with you. This week we highlight the blog The Sifted Field.
The family cookbook contains recipes, my Granny’s & Gramps used often and is the type of food I grew up on. Many with veggies and tomatoes from the garden. Good ole Southern food like my Gramps dumplings, to Grannies pecan pie.
This is a recipe my Granny cut out of the newspaper and it became a regular holiday dessert. I don’t know who to give credit for this most outstanding recipe.
What you need to make the cake
Four eggs
2 cups sugar
Two sticks of melted butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups sifted flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 TSP vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pecans
1 small jar of marshmallow cream
How to make
Beat together eggs and sugar
In a separate bowl combine butter, flour, cocoa, vanilla, coconut, and sugar mixture
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Add marshmallow cream to hot cake
Frosting
1 stick melted butter
6 TBS milk
1/3 cup cocoa
1/3 TSP vanilla
1 cup pecans
1 box powdered sugar
Combine ingredients and frost the cake.
This is a keeper! If I remember correctly this dessert can be made a day or two before mealtime. Use your gut.
When buying quality wooden spoons, how to take care of them is very important to how long they last. I appreciate the step-by-step instructions on how to keep wooden spoons their best.
Looking for the Light 