May 2026 – Page 3 – Site Title

LOL!

This one got a laugh out of me this morning. What can I say but that’s Trump for you and low IQ? You’re looking at it!

So DONALD Trump

GOES TO THE VATICAN to

Meet the Pope.

He later said: “I met with Pope Francis today. He’s a really great Pope – great, great Pope. You know he’s the leader of the Catholic Church – big church. I couldn’t believe it when he told me how many Catholics there are. Way more than I thought. They have churches all over the world — Some are very, very close to my hotels and golf courses.

He tells me he’s elected for life, probably copying that Xi guy in China. Fantastic idea, though. Fantastic. It turns out the Pope is a lot like me, you never see him with his wife. He told me he’s infallible. I said that’s great, you’ll never have to worry about breaking a hip.

He told me about a Mary Magdalene, beautiful girl, beautiful. Apparently a hooker. I asked him for her number. Didn’t catch his answer. I’m told he said it in Latin. I give the guy credit because he doesn’t look Latino.

He took me into the Sistine Chapel. Beautiful ceiling. Not the usual white stucco stuff. I don’t think too many people even know about this place. The paintings are great, I’m telling you. Lots of colours. The Pope (great guy, by the way, knows more about the Bible than almost anybody. We got along great, I think he really likes me) told me the whole thing was painted by this young Italian. I think his name is Mike Langelo. At least that’s what Francis (we’re great friends) called him, I think.

Trust me, we’re going to hear more about this guy. He’s really artistic, and everybody tells me I have the greatest eye for the best art. It’s natural, just like my incredible understanding of science. All the renowned scientists say they can’t believe it.

I told Frank I’d like to buy some of Mike’s art. I asked if Mike’s done anything on velvet. He’ll check. I’ll hang his stuff at Mar-a-Lago or Trump Tower. This Mike guy needs more exposure. He’s too much with the churches. He could paint my presidential portrait on the Capitol Dome. Or maybe a mural on my big, beautiful border wall; but just on our side.

When we left, the Pope gave me a bible. Huge book. (Huge.) I told him I have the full set. You get one for free every time you take a porn star to a motel room.

Unbelievable. Just heard. The mainstream media are at it again. Fake news. (Fake news.) I just saw something on TV. They claim Mike the painter died 450 years ago. Sad. I’ve already got people looking into this and you won’t believe what they’re finding

FOCUS

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It is one of the hardest things to do. You’ve got a plan in hand, all set to go, you take off and then you come to a screeching halt! What happened? Life did. Your focus is not on what you need to get done, the noise surrounding you is too loud, it is hard to concentrate and “giving up” is less work and easier to do. You are at a standstill not knowing which direction to take or worse still, you don’t have the energy to carry on.

“Starve your distractions, feed your focus.” Unknown

How do you starve your distractions? First, what are distractions? They are defined as, “things like technology (phones, social media, websites, YouTube, video games, Netflix), other people, or noises around you,” all vying for your attention and quite often they win.

“Stay focused on your goals and ignore the noise.” Unknown

Not easy to do, I know. I’ve let distractions get the better of me and what I could have achieved in a short amount of time took forever and a longer route to get there. You have a plan? If not, make one. You want to get somewhere? You’ve got to focus. Here’s the truth. If you don’t focus, you’re left by the wayside. Tony Robbins once said, “Your life is controlled by what you focus on.”

Focus on the good things and you get more of the same. Focus on doing better and you will. Focus on what’s in front of you and you’ll start moving forward.

FOCUS! FOCUS! FOCUS!

Oh, one more thing.

“You decide how to show up, and you’d better come correct: the way you look, what you say, how you act and react. No excuses! Get in front of the mirror and own what you see. You may have to drag your fabulousness out of hiding, but it’s there.” Alyssa Edwards

AND

“The more you focus on you, the better you become.” Unknown

Cut out the noise and the excuses. Zero in on what you want. You’re allowed to waver now and then but get back on track. FOCUS, and you’re halfway there, the rest needs work!

Have an amazing day.

Charlotte’s Web

Do I think it is overrated? I don’t think it is overrated but in some aspects I do agree with the critics that it is a difficult plot to comprehend compared to modern day children’s books. The pace is slow-moving and at times boring. Add to that the somber theme of the death of a character and it is definitely different from normal children’s books.

However, when I first picked it up and stepped into it, it drew me in like a magnet. I found that the characters, Wilbur, Charlotte, and Templeton were relatable and the fact that they spoke was right down my alley! Most of the stories I write are about animals that speak and so I didn’t find it surprising at all. The story did cover some complex themes but it was done in such a masterful way that I hardly paid any attention to it. Life, death, and friendship were woven into the fabric of the story and although some people objected to the subject matter, especially of death, I found it fascinating.

This book has remained a favorite for young readers even though it was released decades ago. I think it is the timeless quality it embraces, one of dream-like characters and the gentle quality of a well-told story.

Overrated? I don’t think so but maybe in some aspects.

A Sleepless Night

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I haven’t been doing much writing lately, not because I don’t want to but because I’ve been overwhelmed with things that life throws at you when you least expect it.

The day is done but my mind refuses to accept that little fact. It is going and going and no matter what I do, it refuses to quiet down and call it a night. I’ve tried meditation, deep breathing, yoga, listening to the sounds outside and even listening to Chachi’s soft snoring but nothing is helping.

Here I am, feeling like an owl with the hoot missing! The unexpected things that showed up and needed my attention were irritating to say the least. My car needed a headlight replaced. It should have been an easy thing to do but it turned out to be a major hassle. The replacement part was hard to get and add to that the cost of 2,500 euros plus the time it took to get the part and I had a major headache and a half going. I got that done about two weeks ago. That was one thing done. Then I find myself staring at something else.

The washing machine was next. It just up and died on me! Well, actually it made a loud noise, there was the smell of something burning and that was it. I pulled the plug from the socket and wondered what now? Easy enough to fix, right? All I had to do was to go to the place where I get all my gadgets and have it replaced. Nope, it wasn’t going to be that easy. Little did I know that my trusted place was no longer in operation! What do I do now? There were other places but all quite a distance away. So, I went online. It was unbelievable. I did everything online, picked one out, placed the order, paid, and got it delivered the next day. It is up and running now. Problem number two down.

What’s the next thing? There is a superstition that goes something like this. Things happen in threes and it was about to hit me. I went to the garden shed to get something and noticed that there was a puddle of water on the floor. Looking up at the roof, I noticed that there were several dark stains indicating a leak. I asked the gardener to take a look and he confirmed that the roof had a major leak and needed fixing! Bummer!!! So, now, I have to find someone to fix it and if that wasn’t enough, we have rain in the forecast for the next couple of days.

No wonder my mind doesn’t want to settle down. It is on the alert for the next thing to happen. What next thing?!! That was number three, however, life has a tendency to skip a beat and throw something else in! I’m superstitious so I’m going to try this old wife’s remedy for bad luck. Get up at the break of dawn, pick seven different varieties of flowers, and pour them over your head! It’s supposed to chase bad luck away. Worth a try? Why not? I’ll give it a try.

Now that I’ve got my frustrations out, I’ll go give sleep another try. My mind says, “Good luck with that!”

Goodnight and don’t let the bedbugs bite.

What bed bugs? Is that the next problem?

Lord, have mercy!

Another Hard Question

I haven’t really paid much attention to underrated people in history but since you asked I did go looking and found a whole slew of them! I’ve narrowed it down to three here.

Rosalind Franklin

She is the silent genius whose work with “x-ray diffraction images of DNA was pivotal in understanding its structure.” James Watson an American biologist and Francis Crick were credited with the discovery of DNA but the truth is, they relied heavily on Franklin’s data to get the job done. Her contribution was overshadowed in a male dominated society at the time. However, her story is a powerful reminder of how women contributed to science but were not given the recognition they deserved. Things have changed since then and let’s hope it doesn’t go backwards again because of you know who.

Claudette Colvin

She was someone who at just 15 years of age courageously challenged racial segregation. Rosa Parks is a well-known name but Colvin? It seems that the incident with Claudette Colvin happened nine months before the Rosa Parks incident. Claudette refused to relinquish her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white woman. Her brave stance at a time when unjust laws were the norm was truly courageous even though she didn’t get the recognition she deserved.

Katharine Johnson

She was a pioneer of sorts. Ms. Johnson shattered racial and gender barriers by working at NASA during segregation. More importantly, she “calculated the flight trajectory for John Glenn’s historic orbit and helped ensure the success of the Apollo II moon landing. A brilliant mind but her contributions only came to light at a much later time through the film Hidden Figures.

Let’s get some easier questions please!

Daily writing prompt

Who are some underrated people in history?

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Benefits of Minimalist Living

Now, that I’m learning to live with less and removing clutter as much as I can, I find that I have less dust catchers and more room to breathe! I never realized how much I have collected all in the name of wanting to dress better, having a nicer place and to just add to the mayhem!

I’m not all the way there, mind you, but I am working on it. One of the benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle and perhaps the biggest one is that I can find stuff. When once they were lost between other stuff that I didn’t need but loved looking at, now I can reach for something and know exactly where it is at.

The next benefit is that I spend less money. I no longer buy things just for the sake of buying or because it catches my eye. It is now about whether I need it, will I put it to good use, and should I be throwing money out the window simply on a whim.

Additional benefits include less time spent cleaning, no more impulsive spending, my focus is clearer and on things that matter, for example my personal growth. My living space is not as minimalist as I would like it to be but it is getting there. Mental clarity is taking over and it is not so much about material possessions anymore. Best of all, I don’t have to spend a lot of time cleaning.

I think I like this minimalist way of living, however, it is going to take time to get all the way there. The other thing is I don’t know if I am cut out for this kind of living but who knows, I might just come to love it or I might say, let’s move on to the next trend. Only time will tell.

Daily writing prompt

What are the biggest benefits of minimalist living?

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Let It Go (Archives)

Letting go is one of the hardest lessons to learn in life. Holding on is somehow innately built into the human system and we are wired to hold on when things go wrong. At least, that is the case with me. If only I had the ability to “let go” when I knew that there was no point in holding on. Life would be so much easier right? Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier. I am an overthinker, an overachiever and a hold on with a death grip type of person. At times I am well aware that the ship has set sail and is out of sight but I keep looking longingly out to sea hoping it would return and everything would be alright but most times, it never does and still I refuse to let go.

“One of the hardest lessons in life is letting go. Whether it’s guilt, anger, love, loss or betrayal. Change is never easy. We fight to hold on and we fight to let go.” Unknown

The hard thing about letting go is the fear factor. The unknown is always scary. We tend to fixate on what was instead of realizing that it is done with, a thing of the past and it’s time to move on. The pieces remain of what once was, be it a lesson learned or pieces to build a future with but only if we stop looking at that closed door and turn towards the one that is open BUT going through that door is like leading a horse to water but making it drink is another story altogether.

Shannon Alder says:

“Forget what hurt you but NEVER forget what it taught you.”

If only it was that easy. Speaking from experience and being the proverbial holder on, I know that there were times when I dug in my heels and refused to budge because it was what was behind that closed door that I wanted. It didn’t matter that it was bad for me and it didn’t matter that it was gone, water under the bridge so to speak and still I held on for dear life. I cried a waterfall when I could have saved those tears if only I had taken the first step to go through that open door. Freedom comes in letting go which in turn gives you the ability to fly because nothing is weighing you down anymore. I am learning not to stay in one place too long, to look back and to gather the lessons I have learned and when the time is right to keep moving forward. Life is for living, not just existing and being stuck in one place is an absolute no go. It is in moving forward that you learn the power of letting go, the power of living again.

“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.” Oprah Winfrey

LET GO!

Have an amazing day.

Fairies, Elves & Little People!

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As a little girl I was fascinated with a world I didn’t understand. Story books would bring them to life and I walked right into a world that was fascinating, hard to comprehend, and one that got my creative juices running on a maximum high! Yes, even as a young girl.

The forest behind my house was a perfect playground for a girl who viewed everything with different eyes. I saw little people under mushrooms where there was none, I saw beauty in the deep, dark, rows of trees, and I saw fairies flying around everywhere I looked. Of course, I pretended to be one as well!

It was an obsession I couldn’t shake off. The ducks became my friends as I jumped in the dirty water puddles with them and “quacked” happily. I was one with nature and I have remained one with nature through the years. Only now, it is on a more sedate level. I walk, I take in the beauty that nature has to offer BUT once in a while, I think I see them! It is all in my imagination and I have plenty of that going around. It helps to keep my world a wonderful place to be in.

No more jumping in water puddles, not that I don’t want to but because I am a grown-up now and I do the “adult” stuff. BORING! I can still do the other thing in my mind and that is where I go to when I want to escape into a realm where magic is possible and a wondrous world awaits.

Daily writing prompt

What’s a thing you were completely obsessed with as a kid?

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The Most Interesting Local Custom

I would say it was how the Chinese looked at death and how they celebrated someone’s passing. I was in Singapore at the time and I found the burial rituals of the Chinese people fascinating and at the same time bizarre.

My two friends from Kansas were visiting at the time and one day they took off on their own to do some sightseeing. They came back all excited because they had taken part in a colorful parade of some sort. According to them, there was a long procession and they joined in taking pictures as they went along. There were two men on stilts with brightly colored faces and at the front of the procession a car all dressed up as well. Turned out it was a funeral procession!

The other custom according to a Chinese friend is the belief that the dead do come back to visit after seven days. Hair-raising? Absolutely. Anyway, she told me about her father who had passed away and on the 7th day they prepared all his favorite dishes, set the table, laid new sheets on his bed and made sure all was ready for his spirit to visit. Later in the evening she described how there was a floral scent that permeated the whole house and even though the food looked like it was untouched, the bed looked like it had been slept in!

One other thing I recall is the wake. It is usually accompanied by a band, loud music, alcohol consumption, and laughter. If the person was wealthy, it would last for seven days. Something to do with the number 7? I don’t know but this custom was bizarre to say the least. Along with the merry-making, lots of paper money, paper houses, paper servants would be burned so that the departed soul would have plenty in the afterlife.

There are plenty more customs but the ones I’ve mentioned definitely do take the cake as far as “interesting local customs” are concerned. At least in my book.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the most interesting local custom you’ve encountered?

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My Ideal Life

Good question but the answer is hard to come by. I would say first and foremost a peaceful existence. One where stress is nowhere to be seen AND with a good man by my side. Yes, I’m still looking but it looks like the guy has lost his way and is not asking for directions!

Anyway, I was talking to a friend this past weekend and our conversation turned to life and love. We hadn’t seen each other for a long time ever since we broke up. However, we still keep in touch and there is a strong bond there. We were sitting outside in the garden when the conversation eventually turned to us and what went wrong there. He said, “I haven’t forgotten about you. You are on my mind a lot.”

There is this certain something that pulls at us and neither one of us can put a finger on it. There is certainly love there, he is down-to-earth, and we just click on so many levels. It was my turn and this is what I said, “I’m not looking for spectacular or perfect. Just someone quiet, someone who meets me halfway, and when I look at him, it feels like HOME. Is that too much to ask for?”

HIM: “Definitely not.”

He is in Turkey now on business and we have decided to go to lunch when he gets back. I did ask him to think about what he wants, really wants. We’ve done this breaking up and getting back together several times now and I need to know what this is about.

Coming back to the question in hand, my ideal life would run on an even keel. No nasty surprises, no problems, no ups and downs, no breakups, no falling down and getting back up again, and no losers! I want love to find me and when it does or rather when he does, it will feel like HOME!

Too much to ask? I don’t think so.

Daily writing prompt

If you had to describe your ideal life, what would it look like?

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