Today I read a new book called "Martha Speaks: Thanksgiving Reunion.'' One day, a dog named Martha found out that she had brothers and sisters. Martha's friend named Skits helped to find them. First, they stopped at the pound. No luck.
But a man named Kazuo told Martha that she got lost and was found washed up on the road. It was finally Thanksgiving. The brothers and sisters have come. At the last moment, Skits told Martha he had found her mom. Martha was happy again. Ashleigh
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Polar bears live at the coldest place on Earth. It is called the north pole. Polar bears are predators like the other bears. It is to cold for any other animals, so the polar bear just eats fish. This kind of bear has a lair of fat that protects it from the cold.
They also have a lot of fur that also protects it from the cold. When a mom has cubs the dad and mom hath to look after it. Especially the dad. If you want to die go to the north pole. If you don't STAY AWAY! Ashleigh Today I read a new book called ''Magic Tree House: Lions at Lunchtime''. One day Jack and Annie were sent to Africa by Morgan LeFey. Before they went to Africa, Morgan gave them a scroll, It said
I am the color of gold and sweet as can be. But beware of the danger that is all around me. what am I? Well, they where looking for the gold thing and Annie got stuck in a mud bath. She was then cleaned by an elephant's trunk. They finally found out the gold thing was a beehive. It was gold, and dangerous, and the honey inside was sweet. Ashleigh Today I read a new book called '' The case of the stolen baseball cards''. One day at school jigsaw's friend named Eddie lost his baseball cards. So Eddie made a deal with jigsaw. The deal was to find the cards by tomorrow. After a little detective work he new where they were.
The next day was in a hurry to get to school. When he got there he told everyone he didn't lose them. He faked it all the time. Ashleigh If you think horses are fast you're right! They can run up to 30 miles an hour. Horses eat carrots, apples, and grass. When a female horse gives birth to a baby called a foal she gives it milk from her body. There are many kinds of horses, There are hairy horses, fat horses, and skinny horses.
All horses have manes and tails. Some even have hair near their hooves. They also have little ears that hear a lot. Horses grow a lot. They eat 7 to 11 kilograms a day. I like horses. Ashleigh The quote above actually comes from George Orwell, the author of the book 1984. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the quote I'm using for today's post comes from that book! In any case, I love quotes that take concepts that are widely accepted by everyone and water them down as just perceptions of the human mind. I find these quotes so fascinating because usually, when put under a microscope they are quite honest. Today, I'd like to share my interpretation of this quote.
Though not as questioned as beauty, reality is a concept that most people accept as the plain truth- whatever everyone's living outside the fantasies that play out in their heads. This is a wide-spread concept, and honestly I'm not sure why, since many arguments in the world are based on differences in opinion, and differences in perception right along with that. You'd think by now that someone would've stopped to consider that maybe, reality isn't as real as it's often thought and that everyone's definition of reality and the reality they're living depends on who they are. For example (and a far-fetched example at that), a schizophrenic likely isn't seeing the exact same reality that you are, because of their mental illness. While the entirety of the population isn't mentally ill... what goes on in our minds from the time we're born determines how we will inevitably end up seeing reality. Opinions are formed and standards set as we all grow in different cultures, settings, beliefs, around different people... yet this concept of "reality" is something that we're taught to accept. For the most part, we're taught that reality is to be trusted, and thus we get off assuming that everyone else shares our beliefs. It is my own personal belief that this concept of reality is what causes so much of the world's issues. We're all taught to believe that we're the only ones grounded in reality when people begin to disagree with us, having been taught that we were always right all along. This is why I appreciate logic so much. It's very easy to ground yourself in what is the truth by using it. Reality is by all means a concept in the minds of many- so I won't say that. But the truth, the undeniable truth, can always be found and is quite hard to logically disprove. - Maddie Today I read a new book called ''The case of the Double Trouble Detectives.'' One day Jigsaw Jones's mom got mad at his dad because he forgot about their anniversary. While Jigsaw was trying to figure out how to help, he found out that his friend named Reginald was a secret agent. The next day at school the teacher taught them about homophones. Jigsaw came up with good ones like ''hear, and here, son, and sun and stake and steak.''
When it was recess Mila and Jigsaw saw Reginald in a tree. They didn't know what he was doing up there. Then Reginald realized he was not cut to be a secret agent. Then he told Jigsaw that his mom lost Pearl earrings. He knew where they were, so he gave it to him. Ashleigh “Beauty is no quality in things themselves: It exists merely in the mind which contemplates them; and each mind perceives a different beauty.”
This is quite possibly the best quote I've read in a long time, and it comes from another figure of the enlightenment- David Hume. While this quote was spoken long ago, I think that it remains relevant within today's society and that it's something everyone should take time to analyze and understand. Today, many people suffer from self-esteem problems- some so severe that they stem into and become severe mental illnesses and disorders that can take lives, such as anorexia and bulimia. A desire to look appealing and to be beautiful by the standards of society is something that has poisoned every generation, but I truly believe none more than my own. Mainstream media is at its peak, and if you haven't noticed, so are the statistics for mental illness. Coincidence? I don't think so. Younger people are influenced by the media far more often than should be admitted, and the results it has are sad. Discrimination within public schools and even in online communities because people have bad eyebrows, or have a little extra weight, or choose to dress differently- it's awful, and it's this discrimination that fuels people to alter themselves not for their own greater good, but to conform to a society that hates them for who they actually are. The quote referenced at the beginning of this post is simple and beautiful- beauty is a concept based on the appreciator, not some norm that can be consistently met and filled. Everyone has a different perception of beauty, and though you may be able to largely appeal to a particular group or culture, you'll never be able to seem beautiful in the eyes of all due to multiple cultural and social norms. Trying to achieve such a thing is foolish. Sunset and thunderstorms can be equally beautiful, yet they are entirely different. The same applies to humans. Be yourself. - Maddie Recently in my World History class, I was learning about the earlier 20th century and some of the advances of the time- and these studies brought to light an important figure in the world of psychology, Sigmund Freud. I'd learned about him previously both in my sociology course and one of my psychology courses, but since I haven't studied psychology in a little bit he had faded to the back of my mind. For those of you who don't know, Freud was a neurologist in the early 20th century and the founder of psychoanalysis- essentially, today's talk therapy.
As far as his theories about the human mind go, with time, they've been disproven by science- however, without his innovations, we may not be where we are today with our studies of the human mind. I think that as a person, he was quite interesting- and thus, I want to share a few quotes from him that I liked when researching him. I hope you enjoy. "One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful." "We are never so defenseless against suffering as when we love." "Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are frightened of responsibility." "The madman is a dreamer awake." "He does not believe who does not live according to his belief." “Neurotics complain of their illness, but they make the most of it, and when it comes to taking it away from them they will defend it like a lioness her young.” “A religion, even if it calls itself a religion of love, must be hard and unloving to those who do not belong to it.” Last week, I decided to try out a new recipe with the family as I move forward from older recipes that everyone is slowly getting sick of. After scouring the internet for low-carb tasty meal options that would suit everyone, I found a good compromise- a low-carb pizza recipe that substitutes ground chicken and mozzarella cheese for a crust and is topped with BBQ sauce, lots of cheese, and some onions to taste.
Needless to say, when I made this recipe it was a smashing success that everyone enjoyed, and I've been asked to make it again. It's a tasty alternative to carb-laden regular pizza, and while I stuck to onions the first time I made it, everyone agreed that experimenting with toppings is definitely something that can be done due to the versatility of this recipe. Since everyone enjoyed it so much, I decided to share it with our readers. If you choose to make it, please leave me a comment letting me know your thoughts! INGREDIENTS: 1 lb. ground chicken 1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella 1 tsp. garlic powder kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1/4 c. barbecue sauce 1 c. shredded gouda 1/3 c. sliced red onion 2 tbsp. Sliced green onions Ranch, for drizzling DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, stir together ground chicken, 1/2 cup mozzarella, and garlic powder and season with salt and pepper. Spray prepared baking sheet and your hands with cooking spray. Form chicken mixture into pizza "crusts". Bake until chicken is cooked through and golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove from oven and heat broiler. Spread a thin layer of barbecue sauce on pizza crusts and top with remaining 1 cup mozzarella and gouda. Top with red and green onions and drizzle with more barbecue sauce. Broil until cheese is melted, 3 minutes. Drizzle with ranch and serve. ***I would like to make some edits here. Above is the original recipe- when I made it, I left out the ranch because I thought it'd make everything soupy and gross. I made a double batch, and it served 4 people- however, I took the chicken dough and spread it out across a rectangular cookie sheet as opposed to making smaller individual crusts. I think everyone got more out of it, in the end. - Maddie "Change your thoughts, and you change your world." This is a quote by Norman Vincent Peale. If you have nothing to do, you should read about him sometime. He was an interesting character. Mr. Peale was best known as the author of "The Power of Positive Thinking", although he was also the pastor of Marble Collegiate Church in New York City for over sixty years.
His book was panned by Psychiatrists as being incorrect on many fronts and in some circumstances, downright harmful. I have read the book and found it simplistic, yet helpful in its own way. I do not think that he wrote the book for people who need psychiatric care, but for people who are in a rut and just need a bit of encouragement to get back on the right track. I found it worth the time it took me to read it. To get back to his quote, I find it one of the key underpinnings of his book. Peale believes that how you think will be how you act. If you think that you are a failure at something, you will find it harder to make progress in any endeavor that involves that thing that you feel you are a failure at. Regardless of the science of the matter, I think there is some truth to his way of thinking. I know when I tell myself that I can't do something (for whatever reason), I often find that I am right. Meanwhile, I find that once my thinking changes to something like, "that shouldn't be too tough" or "I should be able to accomplish that" then I find that I nearly always can accomplish it... even if it is the same thing that I had already failed at! Our minds are very powerful, and the way we think can and does influence how we act. Sometimes, we may not even realize that we are thinking ourselves out of happiness or good fortune. Looking back on my life, I see a number of things that I talked myself out of just because of little things that I was telling myself in my head. In fact, I have found that some of the most important things that have ever happened to me (on a positive basis), have happened after I had a sudden change in my thinking. And yet, I am sad to say that I constantly have to stay vigilant about what I am thinking, lest I fall back to pessimism as a way of life. I can tell you, negative thoughts have never helped me to accomplish anything in my life. Yet I needlessly worry nonetheless. Here is a little test for you to try. For one week, block out all negative thoughts in your life. Do not watch the news, read face book or read the newspaper. Do not worry about your diet, or looming bill payments, or any number of little annoyances that you put up with on a daily basis. Instead, focus on the positive things that are happening around you. Look for ways to compliment the people who you meet throughout the day at least three times a day. Don't force it! Look for little ways that you appreciate people. It might be by saying "thanks for bagging" to the bag boy at the super market, or "Hey, nice earrings" to the girl who serves you coffee at Mc Donalds. Whatever it is that you say, just make sure its genuine. Secondly, instead of focusing on your problems, focus on ways you can make them less troublesome. Will waking up five minutes earlier help ypu get some of your chores done before work rather than afterwork? Will avoiding a particularly grumpy family member keep you in a better state of mind? I don't know what you need to feel happier, but find little ways to make it so. In the end, our lives are our own. Only we can make ourselves happier. We all have responsibilities that need to be taken care of. Even so, we can be happier. Changing the way you think about your life IS the first step in actually changing your life. Change the way you think, and you will change your life! Today I read a new book called ''The Case of the Ghostwriter." One day a boy named Jigsaw was handed a riddle from his friend Mila. When he was just about to finish it his mom yelled JIGSAW! That is when he realized that she had found his book called Green Wet Slime. The next day he gave Mila a Green Wet Slime.
She though she would hate it until she read it. She loved it. A few days later in Jigsaw's tree house his friend Stringbean told them that a person is coming to room 201 in school. The next day a guy named Frank took them to the new guy's house. They soon found out that the new guy was a girl. After that they had a party at school. Ashleigh Before I start my post, I just wanted to apologize for my long absence. My Mom was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in late January and I became her primary care giver. With all of the trips to the doctor, taking care of her and retaking over all of the chores, I did not have a lot of time left to me after taking into consideration that I was also keeping up with my full-time job. Thank God I work from home!
At any rate, my Mom died on the morning of May 6th. She died at home surrounded by those she loved. At the time of her death, my sister was holding one of her hands, I was holding the other, and my eldest daughter Maddie was stroking her head... And that brings me around to today's post. I originally started writing this post on May 9th. Unfortunately, I have been very busy, and when not busy, very, very tired and/or sick. Today I have some time, so I thought I would try to finish my thoughts. While my Mom was alive in those last few weeks, I watched her get weaker and weaker. So much so, that I sometimes thought that the next time I came into the room, she would not be alive My Mom wanted to die at home, so I wasn't really worrying about her dying. I was more worried about how she felt when she died, and how I could make sure that she knew she was loved. I started thinking that if our roles were reversed, what would I want the final thing I consciously heard to be. After thinking about it for a few minutes, I came to the conclusion that the last thing I would want to hear would be my daughters telling me that they loved me. My wife passed away about four years ago now, so I know it won't be her telling me that. After fifty years, and the loss of a number of people that I love, I can only tell you that all that really matters to me anymore are my daughters. House, money, cars, none of it matters. The only thing that matters to me are the people that have made it into my heart. To get back to my Mom, I wanted her to feel loved right up to the moment of her death... and, if it was possible, I wanted the last thing she heard was someone close to her telling her that they loved her. Immediately, I started telling her I loved her whenever I was leaving the room. I made sure that it was the last thing I said to her... in case she died while I was downstairs or sleeping. When she could, she said it back to me as well. I told my daughters what I was trying to do for Neema, and they both joined along and made sure "I love you Grandma" was the last thing they said to her whenever they left the room. Near the end of her life, when she was fading fast, I called my sister Michelle to come up to New Hampshire so that she would have some time to speak with my Mom as well. I told her what the girls and I were trying to do and she quickly started the practice as well. If we were lucky, we wanted her last memory to be that of someone who loved her telling her that they loved her. In the end, I think we accomplished our goal. I think the last thing she consciously heard was my sister or I telling her that we loved her. Once she slipped into a coma, she may have been able to hear any of us say the same thing because Maddie Michelle and I would still speak to her and finish by telling her we loved her. My one worry is that after a person dies, their brain can stay active for up to ten minutes. I hope that after she passed away, it didn't frighten her when I announced to my sister and daughter that she had no pulse, and that there was no respiration. I hope her final memories were of us, all telling her we loved her in our own way. In the end, I can't think of a more beautiful way to die... surrounded by those you loved and who loved you back. I have now witnessed the death of two people I loved very much... my wife died in my arms four years ago. And now my Mom died while I held her hand. That is more grief than any one person should experience in a lifetime and I am hoping that the remaining people I love stay very healthy and do not die until well after I have turned to dust. During my life, I have continually searched for the meaning of life. I must confess that I haven't found one that works for everybody. For me, my daughters bring my life meaning. Without them, I think everything I have done would, in the end, be meaningless. Everyone needs something to cling to. Something that brings meaning to their life. What is it for you? For my Mom, I suspected it was the love she had for her family. I wanted the last word she heard to celebrate that meaning. I hope that it did! Today I read a new book called Heidi.'' Heidi was a little girl that had to live with her Aunt because her parents died. One day Heidi's Aunt took Heidi to her grandfather's house. On the way there, she met a boy named Peter who was very nice. When they were at Heidi's Grandfather's house he was very cranky. Then, once he got used to Heidi, he started to enjoy her company.
When it was time for bed, Heidi found a ladder which led to a small hay loft with a round window. This is where she slept. The next morning she was sent to school by her Aunt. She did not like this. Though she did get to meet a girl named Klara. At bedtime there was the same window except it was higher up. Then when it was time to go Heidi was sad about leaving Klara, But happy that she was going home. Ashleigh "That's because the light is coming from you. You can't see it, but everyone else can."
The above quote- yes, that's one quote broken into two pieces- comes from author and poet Lang Leav. I've written about some of her poetry in the past, as she's one of my favorite poets along with Rupi Kaur and Robert Frost. In any case, I believe the above quote is a metaphor for depression, and a rather beautiful one at that. I'd like to go a bit into detail and explain why. First off, there's a centered belief about people who are depressed- that they always try to make others happy, because they'd never want anyone else to feel the way they do. While this has been true in my experience with people who are depressed and regarding my own depression, this definitely doesn't stand for everyone who suffers. A few of my friends have been through extremely emotionally abusive relationships, where the person who was hurting them justified the pain they inflicted onto their partner by saying that they were depressed and couldn't help it. There is no justification for being an asshole; that's all I'll say. I believe that this quote is reflecting on the brighter, happier belief- that those who are hurting and most "in the dark" radiate the brightest light for those around them. I remember even throughout my depression, I'd be up with my friends helping them through their struggles. I could never bring myself to abandon someone, a negatively positive trait of mine that goes hand in hand with my extreme forgiveness. Even though this did put slightly more stress on me, I wanted my friends to be okay. More than anything, I wanted them to recover with me- reflecting back, a few of them actually have and I couldn't be prouder. The problem with giving so much of yourself away is that you can't pour from an empty glass. Until you take care of yourself, you really can't help anyone else... you have to have enough light to support yourself as well. That's not the point of this quote, but this is where I believe the quote gets things wrong. You can be a beacon of light, of hope, for others. But you cannot be this beacon consistently. It's unhealthy and un-natural, particularly if you never see the light yourself. You can't put a hold on your own recovery for the world around you. You won't go anywhere. I think the most important thing at the end of the day is to put yourself first. Before trying to heal anyone else, heal yourself. I was lucky enough to have a supportive group of friends who in turn helped me heal, and I was also lucky enough to be smart and focus on myself, too. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Don't feel guilty for healing yourself first. - Maddie Red foxes live around the world in many diverse habitats including forests, grasslands, mountains, and deserts. They also adapt well to human environments such as farms, suburban areas, and even large communities. Red foxes are solitary hunters who eat rabbits, birds, and other small animals. Their diet can be as flexible as their home habitat. If a living human comes near a fox they won't be living for long.
Foxes also eat humans. Like loins Foxes are predator's. They also eat rats, and mice. I bet they eat other stuff too. STAY AWAY! Ashleigh It's late right now, and my last post inspired me to go searching for more of one of my favorite author's quotes online. I found a collection of them that I liked, but I only chose to write on the one in my previous post. Nevertheless, I do want to share some of my other favorite quotes with you (and compile a list for future blog ideas). So, seeing as I haven't published a post dedicated to quotes in awhile, I figured today is as good as any to make a new addition to the "Quotes" section of this blog. Here are some of my favorite quotes from Rupi Kaur.
"Do not look for healing at the feet of those who broke you." “Most importantly, love like it's the only thing you know how. At the end of the day all this means nothing: this page, where you're sitting, your degree, your job, the money- nothing even matters except love and human connection... who you loved and how deeply you loved them, how you touched the people around you and how much you gave them.” "People go, but how they left always stays." "How you love yourself is how you teach others to love you." "How cruel I was to myself. Giving you credit for my warmth simply because you had felt it. Thinking it was you who gave me strength. Wit. Beauty. Simply because you recognized it. As if I was already not these things before I met you. As if I did not remain all these things after you left." "Do not bother holding onto the thing that does not want you- you cannot make it stay." "The thing about having an alcoholic parent is that an alcoholic parent does not exist- simply an alcoholic who could not stay sober long enough to raise their kids." "Let it go, let it leave, let it happen. Nothing in this world was promised or belonged to you anyway." "The thing worth holding onto would not have let go." This quote comes from author and poet Rupi Kaur. I recently purchased one of her most popular poetry books, 'milk and honey'. I must say, it was an excellent read- in fact, this quote comes from that book. I love this quote a lot because it made me stop and analyze it- why loneliness would mean you'd need yourself. I came to the following conclusion in my thoughts, and I'd like to share it with you all.
You need yourself most when you become lonely because loneliness, in essence, is the longing for someone else. As soon as you start longing for someone else, it means you aren't content with yourself... that you aren't enough for yourself. The moment you idealize the presence of others is the moment you should realize that there's a serious problem. Never should you be so discontent with yourself, that you need the presence and validation of someone else to make you satisfied or complete. Now, before anyone shuts me down by saying that human interaction is necessary- trust me, I know. Loneliness and missing people are two entirely different things. Missing a friend is usually due to a longing- a longing for fun, perhaps. Loneliness is the longing for someone to be there. Loneliness occurs not when you miss someone, but when you miss attention. And that is where the problem lies... you shouldn't miss the attention of anyone enough for it to make you sad. You should always love yourself enough to never need the attention and validation of anyone else to prove it. It is through these thoughts that I reached the conclusion that I strongly agree with this quote. Loneliness is something I think everyone feels at least once, if not more often, in their lifetime... and I think it's a warning sign that you need to love yourself more. It's a warning sign that you're losing touch with who you are... it's a warning sign that you're slipping away. "You must want to spend the rest of your life with yourself first." - rupi kaur - Maddie A few days ago, I was using Snapchat. For any of you who don't know what Snapchat is, it's a popular social platform centered around taking photos of yourself and your life and uploading them to your story feed for only 24 hours at a time before your story disappears. It's a different way of seeing into people's lives. That aside, Snapchat sometimes has different unique filters for photos you'll take, and one I saw recently said "Spread The Love: Say Something Nice" and the idea was to use the filter and compliment someone using it.
This has inspired me to "spread the love" in my own unique way- through this blog post. I challenge each of you to do a random act of kindness for someone at least once weekly, if not daily. I try to make sure to do something daily, even if it's paying a stranger a simple compliment. I've written entire posts about how the little things can make the most difference in people's lives, and paying compliments is my way of trying to make everyone's day a little brighter. That being said, I'd like to compliment three people below- and challenge them to pay forward their own kindness. Ashleigh - you are one of the most energetic, positive, and patient people I know. You always go out of your way to try and bring joy to people (even if it is in your own way) and I think that's an excellent quality to have. I appreciate your eccentric sense of humor that seldom fails to make me smile to myself and your random, perfectly timed outbursts that keep boredom far from near. Thank you for taking your time with me as we develop our sisterhood to become stronger. Dad - you're one of the most easy-going and care-free people I know, and in today's society that's an amazing quality. You're logical and caring, a combination rarely found so well put together- and I truly appreciate that you're trying to pass on those qualities to me and my sister. You work so hard so that you can raise my sister and I successfully, and thanks to you we are both blossoming at our full potential. Thank you for being so understanding, for always lending an ear, and for guiding me through some of the roughest patches of my life. You - you, the reader, are mindful and curious... that much I know from you getting this far in my post. I thank you for taking a chance on a small blog with a declining readership, run by a family who seldom has time to let their thoughts out anymore. Thank you for taking the time to read this. Thank you for the kind comments and support. Thank you for giving us a few reasons to smile. - maddie Today I read a new book called ''Horrible Harry's secret.'' One day a girl named Song Lee brought a toad named Bong. She ran and got some liver to feed him. After school a boy named Harry found a present for Song Lee. So he gave it to her.
It was a necklace. The next day Harry played in the snow. Then he bought donuts with his tooth fairy money. Ashleigh |
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