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Showing posts from August, 2017

Trip of a Lifetime/Diana

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Trip of a Lifetime/Diana Part One-Trip of A Lifetime I have always been attracted to British pop culture-movies, literature, television, and primarily, music. Anyone that knows we would describe me as an anglophile. An “anglophile” is a person who is fond of or admires Great Britain or England.   My love affair with England began with the assassination of John Lennon in 1980. I began to listen to music of The Beatles with fervor. As I entered high school, there was a second British Invasion of music of British bands into the U.S.: Queen, Duran Duran, Human League, Culture Club, Genesis, Tears for Fears, Eurythmics, Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox, Phil Collins, the late George Michael. As I am an avid fan of music, I love movies as well. I have been a fan of many British films over the years, including: “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, “Notting Hill”, “Shaun of the Dead”, “Made in Dagenham”, “The Imitation Game”, as well as the “Harry Potter” series. In the last two mont

Eclipse 2017

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"Eclipse 2017" or "Ionically Charged" A month ago, I was on a vacation from work. I stayed at home on my vacation, working on improvement projects around my home. On my second day of vacation, the forecast called for rain and thunderstorms. I looked forward to the rain; the ground needed a thorough soaking. That morning the rains came.  My cats, Jazz and Blues, ran to escape the storm, retreating to their cubby holes for safety, much as humans run to a storm cellar when there is an impending tornado. I went about my work in the home, noting the hours of continual rain. At one point, I noticed the difference in the day. As the rain continued to fall, I noticed the change in the air, and how my body was reacting to it. The air was charged, and I felt it. Somehow, I was feeling the outside atmosphere while inside my home, within my body.  I remember feeling a great deal of stress that day. I was ready for my vacation. Yet as the rain continued that day

Engaging in Conversation

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Engaging in Conversation- or-The Writer's Voice Today is National Book Lovers Day. One of the crucial elements to being a writer is reading. As author Stephen King remarked: “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” I have taken many online classes of late; my free time has been spent reading class material. However, I feel it is important to continue my reading for leisure. To that end, I just finished reading “Believe Me: A Memoir of Love, Death, and Jazz Chickens” by actor/comedian/writer/activist Eddie Izzard.   https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Me-Memoir-Death-Chickens/dp/0399175830 An interesting phenomenon occurred while I read Mr. Izzard’s book: as I read his words, I heard his voice. I have seen some of his stand-up comedy specials and interviews, and have seen him in a few major motion pictures. I am familiar with his voice, its tone, inflection, English accent, and cadence of sp

The Sturgeon Moon

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In continuing the Moons of the Year series, here is the installment for August, “The Sturgeon Moon.” The name for the full moon of the month of August is the Sturgeon Moon. A sturgeon is a fish that is found in North America in abundance during the month of August. The August has many other names for its full moon, which differs between indigenous tribes. Other names include the Wheat Moon, the Green Corn Moon, and the Blueberry Moon. The website Evolve and Ascend has some information regarding the Sturgeon Moon: “This particular Moon will be residing in the sign Aquarius, which is known for the energies of altruism, freethinking, free will and friendship. Aquarius governs one’s hopes and ideals, but also confronts anything paradoxical in nature that we may be looking to reconcile….Each Full Moon illuminates our intentions, and magnifies their power, as our senses are intensified, and the ‘spiritual’ veil lifts – calling our soul’s desires to the surface. If we take t