Monday Morning, Whatever
Monday, sometimes considered the other first day of the week, when Sunday is the first! So who changed the second day of the week to the first and why? As you ponder this question consider the following, why does it matter? At one time, when we were forming a more civilized group of humanity, it must have been necessary to identify each day. In fact, as a young child, I remember the following, “As the saying goes it is: Monday: Wash Day ~ Tuesday: Ironing Day ~ Wednesday: Sewing Day ~ Thursday: Market Day ~ Friday: Cleaning Day ~ Saturday: Baking Day ~ Sunday: Day of Rest.”
The reality is I wash daily, or as needed. I rarely iron, but when I do it most likely is not on Tuesday. As for sewing, I may mend some things now and again, but I am not committed to doing this on a Wednesday. The market day depends on how often we eat at home or go out, and cleaning day in my house is every day, I cannot stand a mess or a disorder of any type. Can you say, OCD? If baking was left for Saturdays, I might never have the opportunity as most of my adult life, Saturday has been a workday. A rest day on Sunday sounds remarkable dull as I don’t know how to take time out of living life to the fullest.
Originally
Originally I was scheduled to work double shifts this weekend, but due to a migraine that came out of the woodwork, Rich was kind enough to step in so I could just work my single shift. The pain and blinding effects started to subside on Friday night but this morning I woke up to a dull feeling on the right side of my head which is a typical indicator of what is yet to come. The Amivig has been working but I am getting a breakthrough this month so I will need to monitor things.
As my friend and life coach shares in her bi-weekly podcast, it is all about being intentional in our thoughts and actions that will help us identify the fork in the road we travel. Candace Pollock has taught me a lot through the Intentionality GURUS! https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-intentionality-gurus-candace-2018-19 now heard on many platforms including Spotify, iHeart, iTunes, Google, and more.
Being Intentional has brought awareness of the beauty of life that surrounds us. I hear my voice when I speak and if I don’t think it sounds kind, in the manner in which I would like others to speak to me, I adjust my tone and take a deviation in the path I was traveling.
Happy Birthday A L E X
17 August 1990 at 9:31 am Alex Edwin Hale was born!
Somebody said that it couldn’t be done, but Rich and I didn’t listen!
It took numerous visits to the infertility clinic and many disappointments, including a miscarriage and just days before the invitro, I was molested by a doctor! I almost did not go through the procedure, but with Richard’s support and love and our desire to have a child together, I am so glad I did! The sticky sperm separated enough to fertilize the egg that would develop into Alex, our son.
Today 29 years later, I could not be happier with the young man he is. He too has had his battles from infancy to today, but he continues to get stronger with the adversity of life and is a joy to all who get to know him. Alex continues to amaze me with the knowledge he possesses and the kind heart that is very vulnerable. His talents are remarkable, and yet he does not boast or think he is above or beyond others.
Alex is always the first as well as the last one to care for another, and he lives his life-giving to others, that is his true happiness.
To say I love him to the Moon and Back is not enough to express my mother’s love and respect for him. Join me in wishing Alex (the sports genius with the melodic voice) a H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y!
I CAN’t SAY NO
I’m just a girl who can’t say “NO” when it comes to helping people I like, love and appreciate. Learning that my brother’s website was not being supported by GODADDY (since it was designed in an old program) I offered to help him set up his new site using WordPress. Now, I use WordPress for this webpage and I have used it for various projects over the years and although it is somewhat user-friendly it is becoming less so as they add components without an explanation or example of what it will do. In fact, while trying to update his pages the circle of life continues to rotate, however, on mine, it is automatically updated! Can I say, WTF?
I am excited to help my big brother as I enjoy producing websites and designing a look that will get the attention it deserves. However, I am getting a migraine and I think I will be calling GODADDY as they combined his site to my WordPress account and I believe this is the issue for the lag in updates.
In addition to putting this together for Just 4 The Spell of It, I want to reach out to all of you that play Scrabble, Words with Friends, Boggle, as well as enjoy the challenges of Crossword Puzzles, and WordSwip. In reaching out I want to announce on August 24th my brother Gary will be bringing JFTSOI to a city near you as he heads out of Southern California driving North and East conducting WORD EVENTS. If you would like to host an event or know of a classroom that may enjoy having the word guru visit them, please feel free to contact:
Gary Moss
JFTSOI@aol.com
949-510-1673
3367 Punta Alta Laguna Woods, CA 92637
https://www.facebook.com/gary.moss
https://twitter.com/JFTSOI
Thank YOU Brian Melick
I have taken the liberty of copying this post from my dear friend Brian Melick
Wanted to share this information with everyone. On this past July, I had the absolute pleasure to meet and record for Nenad Bach, a Croatian- American musician, and rock star.
Nenad has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. We recorded a beautiful song entitled “I Love Ping Pong / If I Had Another Life” that Nenad wrote for the Anthem of the 1st Annual International Table Tennis Championship for people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease (PwP) under the auspices of the International Table Tennis Federation. Nenad and his organization are incredibly inspiring. I feel honored and blessed to have been lucky enough to meet and work with Nenad.
here is a link to Nenad’s Spotify Listing – please add it to your playlisthttps://open.spotify.com/search/results/nenad%20bach
Please take a few minutes and read below and explore some of the links to learn what amazing findings the medical world has found out through the physical activity of Ping Pong and those diagnosed with Parkinson’s.
Please share this – It was sent to me from Nenad Bach
Thank you – Brian
———————————————————————————
2019 ITTF Parkinson’s World Table Tennis Championship, October 11th – 13th at the Westchester Table Tennis Center 175 Tompkins Ave, Pleasantville, New York
We are Ping Pong Parkinson, a 501c3 located at 175, Tompkins Avenue, Pleasantville, NY. Established on March 1, 2017, with the goal of halting the progression of Parkinson’s Disease by utilizing ping pong as a form of physical therapy. Our model is based on the concept of neuroplasticity – the brain’s capacity to make new neurons and connections through challenging physical exercise. Although medication remains the focus in the treatment for Parkinson’s, there is compelling evidence for the need for a regular exercise program in managing this disease. The original idea behind this commitment to help Parkinson patients (“Pongers”) attain an improved quality of life through exercise was inspired by two men: John Pepper, a South African who developed a system of lifestyle changes and physical training to reverse his Parkinson’s Disease, and Nenad Bach, a Croatian- American musician and rock star. Nenad had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and noticed that his motor symptoms and mood were improved by playing ping pong. This non-pharmacological approach to his treatment was encouraged by his neurologists who confirmed his improved status. Nenad subsequently recruited several volunteers from the club, including Will Shortz, the crossword editor of the New York Times and the owner of the Westchester Table Tennis Club; Dr. Art Dubow, who together with Nenad created the PPP program. The group meets every Wednesday at 7:30
Program Description
The first international table tennis championship for people suffering from Parkinson’s Disease (PwP) under the auspices of the International Table Tennis Federation will be held at a state-of-the-art facility, Westchester Table Tennis Center, in Pleasantville, New York on October 11-13, 2019. (The ITTF is the governing body for all national table tennis associations, of which 226 members represent practically every country and every continent of the world.) Ping Pong Parkinson (3P), our 501c group which meets weekly, is pleased and proud to be a co-sponsor of this tournament especially, since up to now, PwP’s have been chiefly bypassed and disqualified from entering para-table tennis events, including the Paralympic Games. The main reason for this unfortunate exclusion relates to the heterogeneous nature of the disease itself. It has been said that no two Parkinson patients are alike in their symptom presentation, and this has resulted in extreme difficulty in rating players in a fair and evenhanded manner. With the help of our board, club members and in association and thanks to the assistance of several neurologists, we feel we have resolved this conundrum. (Without going into great detail, we will be having 3 separate tournaments based on severity level) The PD tournament was conceived not only as a competitive contest but also as a means of drawing together people diagnosed with PD in a 3-day setting in order to promote Parkinson’s support, camaraderie and education
SOME LINKS:
Official Website:
https://pingpongparkinson.com/
VIDEO- Ping Pong Parkinson promo Dave Steck ITTF Foundation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsUNkx75a94
International Table Tennis Federation -official site:
https://www.ittf.com/…/westchester-ready-entries-open-park…/
VIDEO by CBS New York:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hIWDNQe2HM
VIDEO- The official anthem for the 2019 ITTF Parkinson’s World TT Championships
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGlbR8gvPEI
Nenad Bach interview Butterfly 1 in Japanese
https://www.butterfly.co.jp/takurepo/interview/…/012985.html
Nenad Bach in German press
https://www.mytischtennis.de/…/medizin-tischtennis–ping-po…
VIDEO- Voice of America in Chinese
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_K-pZ6Coiw&feature=youtu.be
VIDEO- Press Conference during the World Tennis Championship (April 2019-Budapest, Hungary)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6iStOnwKCY&t=0s
Dominick Gagliano
Mario F Panzarino Jr.
Just4theSpellofIt!
Just 4 the Spell of It is coming to a city near you!
If you like word games, Word with Friends or Scrabble this may be the year to invite the founder of Just 4 the Spell of It into your home, school, business, community center, church, synagogue, or Masque. Gary Moss, the founder of this organization, is hitting the road and traveling across the United States, bringing Scrabble Events to your community. For more information or to schedule an event, please contact Gary jftsoi.moss@gmail.com. This journey will begin in Southern California and will stop in Encino, Ca. as well as Las Vegas, Nevada. Many of his other stops include Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Ontario, Canada, as well as NewYork. He will also be in Tennessee, Colorado, and Arizona, and other parts of this great USA that his YARIS will take him to.
Newclevelandradio.net will podcast with JFTSOI as this journey begins on August 24th and will conclude approximately eight weeks later. If successful with your assistance, arranging Scrabble Club Nights, Word Seminars, and learning how to become a Word GURU, Gary may continue taking this fun experience on the road.
Scrabble is not only a fun and challenging game; it is a delightful learning tool for children of all ages.
https://www.facebook.com/Just4TheSpellOfIt/
Alone and Lonely or Content and Happy?
Alone and Lonely are not the same. Alone may or may not be a choice. Some people enjoy spending time independently whether reading, enjoying music, writing, or just observing the here and now. However, lonely identifies sadness, the feeling of being without companionship, love, or the resources to escape from that state of mind.
Have you ever been alone and lonely when in the company of other people? Were you with your family or friends who made you feel unwelcome, or did you create those thoughts in your mind?
Life is too short to live in an unhappy situation; at the same time, not every moment of every day is filled with excitement. The honeymoon does not last for a lifetime 24/7, but if you can experience moments of delight, you can build off of it to achieve happiness. To do this, you must find what is essential for you.
If you have been watching my morning segments on “Facebook Live” you may have noticed I have a reoccurring theme, do something positive for yourself, even if it is difficult, take one step at a time. If you slip and fall, brush yourself off and try again. This journey is not a contest; it’s living the one life you have with fewer regrets.
If I can help one person smile today, it will be an achievement from my heart and soul, and I too will have a smile on my lips
August 2 What it Means to Me!
August 2, 2016, I received a call from my brother Joel. Just shortly before he called me, he learned that our mother had suffered a stroke. That morning still stands out in my mind, as Rich left for work, I went out on our back patio and decided to dig up and transplant a spider plant. The plant was barely growing between two well-thriving hostas. As I freed this struggling plant and replaced it in front of my patio doors, I felt as if I had just completed a decisive action. With a feeling of satisfaction, I smiled, knowing that it was going to be a good day until I received the phone call. That plant today is growing and sprouting new baby shoots each year.
I remember feeling a sense of disbelief; my mom was a strong woman who was 96 ½ years young. My brother had to have his information wrong. However, after promising him, I would get myself together and drive to Michigan to be with mom, I followed up with the hospital to learn her condition was concerning. (Now what does that mean?)
After getting my family situated, Rich, Alex, and I set out for Detroit. All we knew at that time was she had suffered what appeared to be a stroke, was blind, and had no idea what happened, or if anything happened. She had no concept of being blind; she saw what she wanted *in her mind.
Arriving hours later as I approached her hospital room, I feared the worst and hoped for the best. Mom was sleeping, as I slowly approached her and woke her up. She sounded like mom, although a bit confused as she began asking questions about why she was in the hospital. She said she felt fine and wanted to go home. I reassured she would be staying at the hospital for at least the night we had to identify what may have happened. Again, she still had no idea she was blind.
August 2, 2016, took us all on a journey we never expected or planned.
From August 2, through October 11, 2019, I was blessed to spend my mother’s last weeks with her. It was during this time I was able to talk to my mama in a manner I never thought I could. We went from what I depicted as a love/hate mother-daughter relationship to a loving, trusting, mother-daughter experience. I grew up during those weeks, even though I didn’t feel ready for the challenges I faced.
I have not felt the same since the transition from Summer to Fall in 2016. I have held on to the good memories from those weeks, the stories my mama told, some over and over again, while others were in fragments that I may never know the full meaning. During this period, I felt like I was in limbo just as much as my mom. Although there was no hope for her recovery, we also had no time table of her fate. Each day was a blessing and a miracle until she died.
I have been told by the rabbis and the scholarly Jewish community that my mother’s death on the Eve of Yom Kippur, October 11, 2016, was a mitzvah. My mother was absolved of all her sins in 2076, written into the book of life, and with 2077 on the horizon, she would leave this earthly world in the presence and acceptance of G-D. However, ever year, Yom Kippur rolls around as I pray for life,I now remember my mother’s life and the love she shared.
August the 2nd will always remind me of the opportunity I had to care for my mother and create a heartful of loving memories!
SEEDS by Terri-Lynn Pellegri
Seeds
I marvel at the idea of a seed. The power, the information, the possibility that lives inside a very tiny thing. It’s the beginning. It honestly makes me teary-eyed and shiver with delight. I get to use my imagination, trust and believe, dream of the future of what something, can possibly become. Whether this seed is one that is visible to me, that may grow into a plant or flower, or a seed of thought that has the ability to expand and become something more, to transform peoples beliefs, either way, the potential is there. A number of years ago, I was at the home of Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes preparing for a photoshoot with Bill and his mother Sandy Stewart for their CD “Something to Remember”. I was in the backyard where these beautiful delicate lilies were growing and was overcome by them. It was September, the time of year when some had gone to seed, Renee reached in and plucked some off and placed them in my hand. We transferred them into a little envelope and I took them home. That next year I planted them in small containers so I could identify them and care for them while they sprouted. At the end of the summer, they had grown big enough for me to transplant into the ground. It took a few years of watching them, watering them until I actually got a flower. Now seeing them grow in my backyard, I think about that day when Renee handed me those seeds. It gives me a lift, it all has to start somewhere, and sometimes it’s just a simple gesture. That thought is the fuel that powers this little engine… “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can”.
@reneerosnes #lily #seed #seeds #believe #backyardgarden
#1 Going Forward
Today is the day I begin my dream. Dreams are not just for sleep or zoning out in the middle of the day. Although that form of dreaming can be inspirational if we focus on what we want and set goals to reach it. If we don’t, we can be stranded in the what if’s of life. I refuse to be trapped in my thoughts as I have spent a large portion of my life dreaming, wishing, and wanting. I have ventured out into the what appears to be the cold dark world with doubters. This time, I will not be stopped by those who chose to impact me negatively.
When I elected to take this venture into writing, I began with blogging. I believe the best blogs I have written are based on self-reflection that others may associate with. When I receive feedback, I experience an overwhelming sense of wellbeing that I am not the oddity I thought I was. Blogging, journaling, or writing a book can give me/you a clear picture of the meaning of life. (Don’t worry I am not going to get deep and dark here.)
So, have you guessed my dream? It is writing a book based on my blogging journals that may not only be my story but yours as well. I am beginning the climb up the mountain, and I will continue forging ahead.
I am looking forward to the feelings of achievement that only I am capable of producing for myself. I hope you will join me on my climb while I reach for the apex
D5 Creation