A Time to be Overcome 9.11.11 "Overcome" Live even now the world is bleedin' but feelin' just fine all numb in our castle where we're always free to choose never free enough to find i wish somethin' would break cuz we're runnin' out of time and i am overcome i am overcome holy water in my lungs i am overcome these women in the street pullin' out their hair my master's in the yard givin' light to the unaware this plastic little place is just a step amongst the stairs and i am overcome i am overcome baby holy water in my lungs i am overcome so drive me out out to that open field turn the ignition off and spin around your help is here but i'm parked in this open space blockin' the gates of love i am overcome i am overcome holy water in my lungs i am overcome beautiful drowning this beautiful drowning this holy water this holy water is in my lungs and i am overcome i am overcome i am overcome i am overcome Ten years ago on this day I was running late for school, this was not unusual. We are breathless. We are overcome.
Surviving Whole Foods | Kelly MacLean Whole Foods is like Vegas. You go there to feel good but you leave broke, disoriented, and with the newfound knowledge that you have a vaginal disease. Unlike Vegas, Whole Foods’ clientele are all about mindfulness and compassion... until they get to the parking lot. Then it’s war. As I pull up this morning, I see a pregnant lady on the crosswalk holding a baby and groceries. This driver swerves around her and honks. As the great, sliding glass doors part I am immediately smacked in the face by a wall of cool, moist air that smells of strawberries and orchids. The first thing I see is the great wall of kombucha — 42 different kinds of rotten tea. Next I see the gluten-free section filled with crackers and bread made from various wheat-substitutes such as cardboard and sawdust. Next I approach the beauty aisle. I grab a handful of peanut butter pretzels on my way out of this stupid aisle. Next I come to the vitamin aisle which is a danger zone for any broke hypochondriac.
Your New Year’s Resolutions Guide When you find yourself counting down on New Year’s Eve and welcoming 2014, what do you feel? Do you feel excitement? Anxiety? Dullness? Celebrate the Past One of the first aspects of the new year that teachers overlook is that they fail to perceive it as a chance to celebrate the end of the previous year. It’s important to examine three critical areas when looking back over the course of a year. As you continue down your own path of connectedness, consider some of these... Anti-bullying activist Jodee Blanco shares her 10-step guide for teachers to... As teachers, we’re all at least vaguely aware of the four “C’s” of education—... Use these Halloween creative writing prompts for a quick Halloween activity or... Here are a few fun classroom ideas to help you celebrate Family History Month. The second area is your failures: what did you screw up? If you can take some time to think about each of these three areas, then you will truly have something to celebrate about 2013. Celebrate the Future
Invasive Species Alert: ZOMBIES! Welcome to this special Fresh Afield blog post. Be warned of our state’s newest invasive species threat – ZOMBIES! While zombie management is largely left to the police, military, and health agencies, conservation plays a role in protecting Missouri's fish, forest and wildlife resources – and Missourians – from this invasive species. Hunters, campers and others in the outdoors and on conservation areas should know there is always the chance they may encounter a zombie while out in the field. Good preparation helps you know what to do if you encounter this newest invasive species in Missouri. The zombie invasion is like the feral hog problem in parts of Missouri, and its management is similar. Zombie Identification Some indications that you have a zombie in view: Zombie Hunger and Habitat Zombies require meat and brains. While zombies are primarily found in populated areas, there are zombies in undeveloped rural areas, far from cities and towns. Cold weather slows down zombies. Note to Anglers
2013: Leaving Bullshit Behind | Count My Stars It looks like it’s going to be a blog-heavy week to start the new year. Over the past few weeks I’ve had a lot of time to think and a lot of things to wrap my brain around, and I feel like putting it all out there, in the interest of “out with the old and in with the new”. Tomorrow I’ll do my general year-in-review post, but today I want to talk about one of the most important things I learned in 2012 and what I’ll be leaving behind as 2013 begins. As a member of many online communities over the years, I’ve developed a great appreciation for how the Internet brings like-minded people together and helps seemingly different people find common ground. But online communities are just as likely as their face-to-face counterparts to fall prey to pettiness, cliquishness, bullying and any other dysfunctional human dynamics you care to think of. And at times, it can feel a hell of a lot like high school. So, in 2013 I’m done with all that crap. Like this: Like Loading...
What are the three ways to train your brain to be happy? You can train your mind to be unhappy and you can train it to be happy. Training your mind to look for errors and problems (as happens in careers like accounting and law) can lead you toward a pervasive pessimism that carries over into your personal life. Via One Day University Presents: Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness (Harvard’s Most Popular Course):1 I discovered the tax auditors who are the most successful sometimes are the ones that for eight to 14 hours a day were looking at tax forms, looking for mistakes and errors. Why are lawyers 3.6 times more likely to suffer from depression and more likely to end up divorced? Martin Seligman, psychology professor at UPenn and author of Authentic Happiness, explains they have trained their minds to seek out the bad in life because pessimists excel at law: Pessimism is seen as a plus among lawyers, because seeing troubles as pervasive and permanent is a component of what the law profession deems prudence. Here’s how. Three Blessings
LAVENDER |The Garden of Eaden Lavender is without doubt one of the most popular of all hardy shrubs, and why not? Tolerant of drought, heat, poor soils and most pests and diseases, not only does will lavender flower its heart out, it is a fantastic source of nectar for pollinating insects! However, you can't just plant lavender anywhere and they can easily be killed by too much kindness. So, just how do you successfully plant lavender? Lavender is a genus of 39 species of flowering plants that are native to Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India. Lavenders flourish best in dry, well-drained, sandy or gravelly soils in full sun. If the flowers are used for drying, pick the blooms when they are showing colour but before they are fully open. Pruning Remove the dead flower stems as they arise and cut back hard straggly plants in August as this will encourage new growth from the base. Pests
50 Things to Let Go of Before Your Next Birthday Email When the pain of holding on is worse than the pain of letting go, it is time to let go. In the fall of 2002, after a stressful day at work, I snapped at Marc and locked myself in our home office to work on a web application I had been coding on the side. Marc’s grandmother, who was living with us at the time, knocked on the office door a few minutes later. “What?” Boy was she right. Truth be told, today is the oldest you’ve ever been and the youngest you will ever be again. Before your next birthday… Let go of what isn’t helping your soul smile and grow. – Life is to be enjoyed, not endured. (Note: Obviously, if your birthday is tomorrow, or next week, pick a couple points to work on now, and make it a goal to complete the list by your next birthday.) Afterthoughts Sometimes the hardest part isn’t letting go, but rather learning to start over in certain areas of your life. It doesn’t have to be this way though. Your turn… Photo by: Camdiluv
How Minimalism Is Going to Get Me What I Want Out of Life There’s something you should know about me: I consider minimalism to be a big part of my life. I’m not the kind of minimalist who counts her possessions, but I’m aware of how much I own, and I regularly go through my belongings to get rid of stuff I no longer use or want. Public Domain Image via Pixabay Some people refer to this as simple living, due to minimalism’s reputation for stark white walls or people who live out of backpacks. I have definitely not mastered the process: I’ve held onto certain items way longer than I should have, just in case I might need them someday. The Minimalists have a recommendation for the just-in-case scenario: if the item you’re not sure you should give away costs less than $20 to replace, you should get rid of it. One of the items I recently donated was a cupcake carrier which could transport up to 24 cupcakes at a time (I used to take them to family gatherings and friends’ parties on a regular basis). (This is my collection of recently-donated items.