Tag: #SoCS

#SoCS – Cozy Comforts

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Tense hands,
Rookie’s mistake,
Stitches need relaxed grip
Yarn makes for gorgeous scarf
Cashmere perfect
Pleasure

Badger’s Hexastitch

I think I missed Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday prompt deadline for the synonyms for loose and tight. I used relaxed and tense to describe various tension levels of how I hold the hook. I learned about a new type of poem called the Badger’s Hexastitch! What a interesting name! It is a fun variation of the Crapsey Cinquain invented by out own Badger. It simply expands the cinquain to another line and 2 more syllables.
Badger’s Hexastitch is:

  • a poem in 6 lines.
  • syllabic, 2-4-6-6-4-2.
  • unrhymed, optional rising and falling end-words.

(Reference: https://poetscollective.org/poetryforms/?s=hexastitch)

Testing my Nerves

Oh boy! 44 total students have now RSVP’d for this crochet class! Need to cap it NOW and split up the group and split into multiple days to effectively manage a virtual crowd.

Linda G Hill – Nerve

Plexus Nerve

Last year, a friend reached out to me to share Plexus products and share some testimonials. Impressed with her demo I decided to check it out and do more research. Interested in improving my health during the pandemic, I started to use the Triplex combo which has helped me curb a lot of sicknesses that I get from allergies, colds, and the flu.

There is another Plexus product called Nerve:

Plexus Worldwide

FEATURED INGREDIENTS

Acetyl L-Carnitine Found in most cells of our bodies
Quercetin A powerful flavonoid found in many plants and foods
Horse Chestnut Extract An extract derived from Aesculus hippocastanum tree bark

Nerve’s Ingredient Glossary

References

Soczynska JK, Kennedy SH, Chow CS, et al. Acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha-lipoic acid … Expert Opinion Investing Drugs. 2008 Jun;17(6):827-43.

Stough C, Scholey A, Lloyd J, et al. The effect of 90 day administration of a high dose vitamin B-complex on work stress. Hum Psychopharmacology. 2011 Oct;26(7):470-6.

#SoCs- Ornamental Tales

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Linda G Hill: SoCs – List

Hello!

It’s been such a busy season for me. I have an ever growing list of all sorts of to-do lists. School, career, relationships, books, movies, recipes, some crafty creations. When I face some stress during the school season, Aristotle’s quotes remind me of a reason why I put myself through it all:

Education is an ornament in prosperity and a refuge in adversity.

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.

Aristotle

A friend shared with me that last one a long while ago. It stood with me ever since!

One day, you think I would have more sense, and cut back. Give myself more breathing room. Maybe I can burn some of those lists and send those ashes flying away on a windy day. 🙂 Experts say that people can optimally focus on 4 or 5 things at a time.

The present is such a gift. Right now, heart-warming stories of ornaments are on my mind.

When we were kids, my parents decorated our Christmas tree with greeting cards friends gave us, bookmarks, ornaments we made as kids. Glittery paper rings, popsicle stick frames, ornaments made out of yarn or dried noodles. I was always touched by my parents’ sentimentality and wondered why they never bought any ornaments or threw any of our creations away.

For them, the ornaments are more than just a pretty fashion accessory for the tree. There’s a story behind each of the ornaments. How happy we were to make these ornaments for our parents. How happy my parents were to receive a card from our neighbors and friends. How it brought us all together. A tree brimming with true joy and happiness.

When I was a student officer for the Guild of Geeks, I loved painting ornaments on the windows of the school with my fellow club members for a holiday contest for Christmas. We also painted Beamo, Dr. Who’s time machine, among other well known pop culture references. We won 2nd place which scored our club to have lunch with the university president on her balcony! We actually had some folks trained in light saber fights. What an amazing, albeit nerdy memory!

I remembered when one of my friends who was running for office extended an olive branch to his opposition by creating a Christmas ornaments with his opposition’s son. Despite things getting ugly during election time, I wonder what memories his son will choose to take with him. Hopefully, remember the spirit of the season in spite of politics.

I want to create a new memory. My mom and dad collected some pine cones on their nature walks. I took some back with me during Thanksgiving. I’ve been wanting to create a pine cone wreath. Give some out as Christmas gifts. I found so many inspirational ideas!

I was also curious about some other random stuff like The History of Ornaments and What kind of Christmas ornament are you? Quiz.

Fresh Beginnings & Letting Go

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Greetings! Happy belated Thanksgiving and happy December!

Image by 이룬 봉 from Pixabay
Feeling in the mood for a Stream of Consciousness today.

Just got back from spending time with family after not visiting them for this past year. It was a joyous occasion. It felt so good. I’m grateful to have seen them in person.

Instead of taking the bus like I normally do, I decided to avoid the station, a hotspot for the virus. My brother and dad picked me up to head back to my home town. My dad, ever the story teller, shared a few tales along the way home: How the cat found happiness, the one-eyed woman, Roses on Mother’s day … He also cracked open philosophical questions that had me thinking about what’s important.

I helped my parents de-clutter their home to help them prepare for retirement. Channeling my inner “Marie Kondo”, I used her Konmari method to clean out my parent’s home. Sorting through years of memories, donating books & clothes, throwing away broken items was a cathartic experience. My mom and siblings were happy, and Dad …adapted to the new Feng Shui of his home. 😉

I also loved organizing my mother’s beauty products with the lovely drawer from Sorbus Beauty for my mom’s present. That’s typically been my trademark. Organizing my mom’s little messes.

We celebrated my mom’s and sister’s birthday with delicious cake from Mozart Cafe Bakery. My sister showed me her chickens that she has been raising with her boyfriend. My brothers chatted to me about their latest investments. Mom enjoyed giving all of us a new hair-do. We took some family photos in a beautiful park.

A joyous reunion indeed.

Image by Business Yab

Featured Photo by James Besser on Unsplash

#SoCs – What’s Beside Me Right Now? – A Lesson from a Cloud

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“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

Rabindranath Tagore
#SoCs – Beside you

Hello there!
Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness from Linda G. Hill is: “…write about whatever is beside you when you read this prompt. Not when you sit down to write, but whatever is beside you right now. Take note of it if you think you might forget. Enjoy!”

So, I read this prompt while jogging in a deserted field area this afternoon. Em from Earthly Brain shared a prompt as well: “ If I could learn a lesson from the clouds, it would be …“. An impromptu poem materialized in my head. Enjoy!

Nubivagant

Puffy cotton balls reflecting brilliant light
Today I greet the day as it comes
Drifting along with the wind

It’s somewhat difficult for me
to play hide-and-go seek
as I often gleam behind nature

No matter though, Sunny and I
Our friendship is billions of years old
Together on the best and worst of days

A generous spirit today
Frolicking among you
Revealing a wondrous site

#SoCS- Figure Skating

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Linda’s #SoCS prompt – Figure
Badge Photo Credit – Shelley

Figure skating has been a joy for me to watch over the years. Seeing these athletes gracefully landing loops and pirouettes to the rhythm of their chosen music is lovely.

Image Credit: Pixabay

I love their elegance, choice in outfits, reflecting what they want to express to their audience. Balancing on ice while keeping the rest in mind!

I figure that’s what inspired me to skate. Mom bought me my first set of rollerblades from the Toys R’ Us for my birthday. Cute set too – Magenta buckles/wheels and white boots! My neighborhood friends and I would create little routines.

The fun one to practice was what we called the Figure 8. We used the indented cracks in the driveway to guide our paths. Dramatically, we held each other as we intersected paths on the infinity.

There were friendships in that neighborhood that I wanted to last for infinity. People grow and change, go off in their own directions though.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Little ducklings growing into beautiful swans. I’m reminded of a glass figurine of a swan my aunt gave me. I turn the dial and it plays a tune. Spinning around. Not knowing what direction it will face once the melody fades away.

Will the swans be united again after swimming in such different directions for so long? ⛸

Image Credit: Pixabay

Whoosh! Feeling a blast of cold air as I’m ice skating wakes me up and makes me feel alive while skating with friends. Then comes the inevitable….

*CRASH* Ahh!

My skate gets caught in someone else’s deep indentation in the ice, and I flip over and slide, stomach-flat, across the arena at an incredible speed. I’m disoriented, and everything looks like a blinding set of stars.

Yes, sometimes the cracks in life can make you more than stumble. All I can do is get up, and try again once I get my bearings straight! 😀

Word of the Day Challenge: everything