Category: Uncategorized

Snow Day

Monday, March 17, 2025

Happy St. Pat’s Day!

I yielded to internal pressure and bought a corned beef roast for the pressure cooker (because it was cheap, the way prices trend with special days on the horizon). Honestly, I’m no “corned” fan–too spicy–except when biting into a Ruben Sandwich–the best, always.

Yesterday, it snowed, snowed, and snowed. At least I was at home all day.

By evening, heavy snow forced me to make it down to the barn by creating a path. I had to kick through fluff rising as high as 8″ from one day’s snowing. Then, and no surprise, I had to overcome snow-caused challenges while feeding my horses. I had to cope by wading through muck galore and deep water puddles, fighting huge flakes falling into my face, and then, there were the horses–eager, hungry, pushy as all get out.

Oh, also Pimmy! She brays, making the saddest imaginable sounds–long and loud with shifting keys. Ya gotta be a witness to grasp my description. Her braying works–gets me hurrying to take care of her needs.

Just before nightfall, guess what. The sun came out! Briefly, but there it was: Sunshine!

Dear Friends: March tiptoed in like a lamb; now it’s roaring like a you-know-what. Diana

Discipline

Sunday, March 16, 2025

Today is a rare, lazy morning. Outside, it’s raining, and I’m off from work. I’m still thinking about poets, styles, and blogging. I am also reflecting on nearly fifteen years of daily blogging—capturing my morning thoughts and ideas, shaping them into paragraphs for sharing with a community of readers. That invites a question: How much has the practice influenced and shaped my core interests and thinking?

Daily writing has been more than a routine; it is a continuous dialogue with myself. Writing requires discipline to articulate thoughts, and regularly doing so has influenced my perceptions of the world around me.

The blogging years have defined my key interests. Routine blogging repeats explorations and reflections. It becomes a mirror reflecting perspectives and their evolutions. Consistent blogging is a challenge requiring me to reconsider and refine viewpoints.

Blogging posts spark an interactive aspect—responses from readers and outside conversations—that stretches my thinking and deepens my self-awareness. Feedback makes me reconsider connections or insights I might be overlooking; it reinforces or gently reshapes my thoughts and ideas.

The daily commitment of thoughtfully expressing myself has helped to define me. The need to convert abstract ideas into coherent narratives has honed my analytical skills, boosted my curiosity, and enhanced my ability to grasp subtleties in complex issues.

Blogging has strengthened my personal voice and increased my authenticity in navigating the daily-shifting landscapes. It’s been a journey that’s shaped many personal interests, thoughts, and even some of my identity. Its evolution often influences how I engage with daily challenges and discoveries.

Dear Friends: Daily blogging has proved to be a transformative discipline. Diana

In Style

Saturday, March 15, 2025

Thanks to my readers who responded yesterday with the author’s name and book title I had struggled to recall. Shortly after my blog post went live, I stumbled on a clue and solved the mystery; if you’re curious, the book title and author I sought were Days of Blue and Flame, by Sarah Yerkes.

That’s her sole volume of poetry—excellent, in my opinion. Remarkably, Yerkes wrote her poems and published the book while celebrating her 100th birthday. Her story directly relates to my growing interest in the intersection of aging and personal style.

While tracking down Yerkes’ book, I discovered another poetry collection, and also, by a 100-year-old; this time, a gentleman—Yerkes’ friend from their shared poetry class in a nursing home. I have ordered his book.

I will share more about these and other inspiring individuals.

I am attracted to the “aging and style” themes and am exploring the intersection of self-expression, personal dignity, and creativity. Identity continuously evolves while growing older, and today it challenges societal stereotypes. Aging does not diminish individuality or one’s zest for life but may enhance individuals with lifetimes of resilience and wisdom.

Aging with style embraces maturity with flair and is an authentic presence. It demonstrates that personal style—whether expressed through fashion, interests, or behaviors—can defy cultural expectations and empower individuals in any life stage.

Aging today is inspirational–encouraging richness beyond decline and loss. An individual’s style can highlight profound potential by suggesting self-confidence, a sense of renewal, and feelings of authenticity.

Dear Friends, While working part-time, I enjoy observing people. Diana

Mental Mysteries

Friday, March 14, 2025

Yesterday, while clerking at my part-time job, I met a woman who had published a book of poetry. She was confident, articulate, and proud of having created something meaningful. Our conversation made me think about the persistence of creativity; it finds us wherever in life we may be.

That event stirred my memory of another recent poet—a woman who was nearly 100 years old and living in a nursing home, who took a poetry class on a whim. A year later, she published a remarkable book of poetry. I read it more than once; her words distilled wisdom and reflected an elegant mastery of structure. I was impressed by her book and even sent copies to friends. And yet, today, I can’t locate a copy of her book, can’t recall its title, and am coming up empty on remembering her name.

It’s frustrating that my mind sometimes works well and sometimes barely. I remember much about her: she had once been a landscape designer, later a sculptor, and after her husband’s death, she retired to a Florida nursing home, where she discovered poetry. The details of her life are vivid and intact in my head, but her name eludes me.

This morning, I’ve been combing through online articles, literary sites, and book lists, trying different combinations of words in search engines, looking for the correct phrase to trigger a good clue. So far, nothing.

However, searching emphasises how greatly we rely on memory to anchor our experiences. Still, we sometimes “lose things”—not just names and details but moments, ideas, and sometimes even parts of ourselves.

I am feeling a sort of loss–a “misplaced connection” to something important I once held with certainty. My active searching, however, is reaffirming its importance, and I will keep looking.

Although I have not rediscovered her name, I remember clearly what she stood for. Her personal story and her book were triple-striking. They emphasize the resilience of creativity, the refusal to fade quietly, and the courage to begin something new at an age when society often stops paying attention.

Dear Friends: Some names and stories deserve to be remembered. Diana

A Freebie

Thursday, March 13, 2025

I’m restarting my daily stretching routine after unintentionally drifting away from it a few months ago. Lately, my mind has been tangled in politics and the stock market, leaving me staring at a blank page, waiting for inspiration to strike. Some mornings, the harder I try to think, the more stuck I feel.

This mental gridlock often hits when searching for blog topics—I’m frustrated, restless, and creatively cramped. But I’ve discovered a simple fix: stretching. And just like that—bingo!—something shifts. Not just in my body, but in my thinking.

It’s a reminder of the deep link between movement and creativity. I’ve always assumed that naturally athletic people might be more creative, and there’s logic to it—physical activity boosts circulation, delivers oxygen to the brain, and enhances cognitive function.

Just a few minutes of stretching cuts through the mental fog. It sharpens my focus, sparks problem-solving, and melts away tension.

Another key lesson from months without stretching is that my body naturally compensates for weaker areas while I’m moving. Over time, those muscles become underused and less engaged. Stretching helps reawaken and strengthen them, assisting with balance and mobility.

Dear Friends: We don’t need cash or special equipment for this “feel good.” Diana

Stepping Foward

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Today, I’m off from my part-time job. I will start working on my short story, “Little Miss Merry,” and consider using AI to illustrate it.

Yesterday, I re-read the story after years of not seeing it. I liked it well enough, but my writing style has changed over the years, and now, the story’s flow could use improvements.

I’ve played around with AI’s editing capabilities. On a lengthy document, it’s not helpful enough. I’ll practice more with AI, maybe achieving better results by feeding the story in small sections for editing instead of the entire document at once.

If I can’t get AI to edit adequately, I’ll have to roll up my sleeves and work harder. I trust that my ongoing writing experience has given me gains in self-editing skills over those of my past.

Stepping ahead, completing the story, filling in the blanks, editing, and illustrating will be one thing. Following all that, another biggie will be to learn the ins and outs of self-publishing.

I feel motivated and energized this time to do the necessary work on a good story draft.

Dear Friends: I won’t let “Miss Merry” fade away again. Diana

Merrily Onward

The “Real Deal”

Monday, March 10, 2025

I have found how to keep my thoughts busy and away from continuing assaults on and insults to our nation’s democracy.

Yesterday, I found a complete draft of my short story, “Little Miss Merry,” after not having seen it for years and eventually not thinking much about it. I first wrote “Merry” in 2012, after my adorable young Welsh Pony, Merry Leggs, suffered a severe colic attack and died. The story was a tribute to her, and writing it was essential to me as a way of working through my deep sadness of intertwining loss, grief, and guilt.

For weeks, while writing that story, I discovered it was impossible to self-edit effectively. “Merry” needed an outside editor and also an illustrator. I knew no capable editors and artists and couldn’t afford to hire those talents. Eventually, I set “Merry” aside; she finally wound up “lost” among my long-stored papers.

Recently, I began playing with AI’s editing and illustrating capabilities and suddenly remembered “Little Miss Merry” and that story’s needs. I also didn’t know where to find the story draft or even if one was still around—until yesterday, when I discovered a hard copy.

After quickly scanning the story onto my computer, I purchased a Word Platform subscription (which transformed the draft into an editable document). This morning, I re-read my original draft for the first time in years and enjoyed it. I discovered a gap in the story’s flow and will write a “bridging section.”

Afterward, I’ll test AI editing and illustration capabilities. Hopefully, the editing will strengthen my story’s flow and understandability, and maybe AI can accommodate my sense of Merry in its image creations.

Dear Friends: Pure creativity is all-embracing, a condition of rush. Diana

Zooming In

Sunday, March 09, 2025

I’ve begun to explore zombie companies—businesses that generate just enough revenue to keep operating and can service their debt but lack enough profitability to invest in growth or fully pay off their obligations. I’m learning that these companies may survive because of favorable economic conditions, like low interest rates.

I see some publicly traded companies labeled as potential zombies because they have persistent financial struggles (many of which trace back to economic disruptions in the COVID-19 era). Some “zombies” are Peloton, Beyond Meat, Carvana, and AMC Entertainment. Their futures are uncertain, however, as restructuring efforts or shifts in market conditions could turn things around.

I work part-time in a retail department store and see firsthand the mounting pressures on the retail sector, from shifting consumer behavior to evolving business needs. Many zombie retail companies might be teetering even more on the edge in today’s volatile political and economic climate.

I often think of this as a chainsaw environment—a ruthless, high-stakes reality shaped by national leadership. It threatens the broader retail industry and deepens consumers’ personal financial anxieties.

This chainsaw environment—defined by high interest rates, tightened credit conditions, and changing consumer habits—poses a grave risk to zombie companies, particularly in retail. While some large retailers survive in times of cheap debt, rising borrowing costs erode their ability to remain afloat.

Tight economic conditions affect everything. They may force a zombie business into bankruptcy, like Bed Bath & Beyond, or force one simply to disappear. Economics certainly influences our personal comfort as consumers.

My retail experience teaches about a brutal industry. A retail company’s survival depends on its adaptability, capital availability, and market confidence. Unless economic conditions shift favorably—or they secure an external bailout—today’s struggling retail businesses may run out of time.

Dear Friends: Witnessing chaos reduces spending, and we worry about our jobs. Diana

Pimmy’s Check-Up

Saturday, March 08, 2025

Yesterday, to my surprise, Pimmy loaded herself into the horse trailer. She’s teaching me more about donkeys now than when she was constantly among the horses. These days, separated from the horses (for dietary needs), Pimmy seems more like my big dog than an equine.

This time, while encouraging her to load into the trailer, I allowed her to resist loading. I gave her plenty of time to think things over, and suddenly, she voluntarily popped into the trailer.

That’s the thing about a donkey. It doesn’t just follow orders and isn’t just stubborn; it needs to evaluate the possibilities before deciding on an action. It’s taken me over a dozen years with Pimmy to learn this, and yesterday, I felt proud of myself for finally being a bit smarter.

The header photo shows Pimmy getting a physical yesterday. The doc says Pimmy’s vital signs are fine, and her weight is lower. Those are good. The most quickly assessable bloodwork was excellent. We must wait for more bloodwork results to learn if her Cushing’s Disease remains under control and if her glucose level is corrected.

Yesterday, too, she received routine inoculations, and the veterinarian floated Pimmy’s teeth. Then, the slightly drunk donkey needed time to recover from the floating anesthetic, so I left to fill my rig’s tank at a gas station. By the time I returned, Pimmy was awake enough to hear me calling and came to me. She loaded into the trailer relatively quickly, and we left for home.

If her glucose has reached a normal range, I will reduce her meds from twice daily to once daily–a welcome relief. Pimmy’s doctor has ordered an additional ingredient, Vitamin E, for the regimen.

Pimmy is a sweet, smart, and delightful being. Through these months, I’ve not enjoyed treating her illness or separating her from her beloved horses. By now, however, knowing this donkey more personally, I much better appreciate her.

Dear Friends: The horses will get floats and inoculations in two weeks. Diana