Posts

GRIEF TAKES TIME

Image
IN MEMORIAM There are seven remarkable people that have left earth recently. The most recent one is a colleague from the Sweetwater Valley Toastmasters Club 3225. This is the video I created to celebrate the life of Joseph Paul Mogan: His genius application of Math was mostly in federal service to the US Navy at San Diego Naval Base. His generous friendship manifested in everyone he helped along the way. The last time I enjoyed his company was at the Spring Conference hosted by District 5 at the Sheraton Bay Tower .  Christine del Carmen and Malcolm Pusey also had the pleasure of his company over lunch that beautiful day in Harbor Island. I will mostly miss his zeal for storytelling. I remember a speech about his relocating from Alameda County to San Diego on a motorcycle. The man may have traveled light, but he's made an impact to me. Jackie Evancho sang both of his favorite songs on this video — namely, Both Sides Now and Ave Maria . What Truly Matters The most important thing ...
3 comments
Read more

THE BEAUTY OF FLIGHT

Image
Nelly Furtado released this I'm Like A Bird song within the Whoa, Nelly! album that hit Top-10 platinum in 2001. Born in Canada to Portuguese immigrant parents, Nelly is an artist diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Well, I was a wee bit peckish driving along the coast looking for lunch when I encountered the Cliffhanger Café and Bar . Their Turkey California sandwich, the Tajin Watermelon margarita and the awesome view did not disappoint! Having lived here since 2001, I had not previously encountered Torrey Pines Gliderport  (TPG) at the sea cliffs off La Jolla.  Paragliding is an adventure sport to try. TPG has offered up this surprise everyday for the past century--- that is IF and ONLY IF the weather is flyable! VideoMasters on YouTube I just uploaded my Video #2 - Improve Audio project, so here's Torrey Pines Gliderport . This time, I resurrected an older copy of TechSmith Camtasia v. 6.0.2 and connected a Fifine USB desktop microphone. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Another April Fool?

Image
Video Novice Where did I draw courage yesterday to share a video edited in the Windows 11 free Clipchamp video editing software? Both Monday being a rainy one and Tuesday enabling one to be an April fool!   ðŸŒ¹ I just joined the  VideoMasters , a specialty club within the international non-profit  Toastmasters International .  As a six-year experienced Toastmaster, I enjoy receiving feedback from my friends and colleagues. Here are some highlights: 👀 Roger R on the good : Great to have found a free editor to start with on this project. Glad to see you use their AI auto-captioning feature. 👀 Roger R on the bad : You are self-critical enough to point out the filler lip smack. You may choose to blur the rather plain background for speaker focus.  👀 Roger R on the ugly : You did not have much gestures but spent a lot of time looking away as if speaking to someone off-camera. 👀 Cindy E: Very professional video, Regina!!  Really impressive. You obvio...
Post a Comment
Read more

COMMON PURSUITS

Image
It seems like not much brings us together nowadays, so today is a revelation!  Solar Eclipse 2024 The Los Angeles Times called it The Great Eclipse of 2024 . The solar eclipse gripped our collective imagination so much so that we enjoyed the eclipse together. We even wondered whether our pet Fido or the Cincinnati, Ohio wildlife would be affected. NASA's live broadcast from Niagara Falls gave best capture of the full totality and the communal experience. Economy Woes Well, we needed reprieve from tightening our grocery-spending purse strings. The surprising news from Walmart is given receipts for having purchased weighed meats and bagged citrus , you may be reimbursed up to $500.00. I'm patting my back for two things:      (1) Having kept receipts since 19 October 2018, and       (2) Hearing this news report today instead of April Fools Day!  See? A class action lawsuit settlement offers another common pursuit benefit. Social Media Activism...
Post a Comment
Read more

FOOD ADDITIVES

Image
  Scared of going into your pantry? It's full of highly-processed foodstuffs in there, you warn! Most packaged in plastic ... For Earth Day 2024, EARTHDAY.ORG is unwavering in our commitment to end plastics for the sake of human and planetary health, demanding a 60% reduction in the production of  ALL  plastics by 2040. Just this October though, we've finally woken up to food additives that wreak havoc on our intestinal tract--- namely, carrageenan and Red Dye no. 3 added to the usual migraine-causing suspects of Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 40. Halloween without Skittles and the cereal's Lucky Charms marshmallows  to indulge in became a civic responsibility, y'all. It is no longer the ghosts, vampires or zombies we need to protect our kids from. They have been surpassed by the worry over supply chain safety and the chemicals ingested in the food we eat. Time to choose wisely? Maybe revisit that whole-food, plant-based strategy?
Post a Comment
Read more

CONTACTING & INVITING

Image
  I might need therapy as the cognitive behavior-type actively seeking new relationships.  Linda Buscemi, Ph.D. wrote the book Innatious :  an Innovative Tool to Strengthen Your Emotional IQ .  Based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, she coined the term to mean an innate, instinctual desire to please ourselves even in the process of serving others --- the premise being our actions, reactions and behaviors are an innate, often unconscious desire to fulfill and gratify our inner needs. I quote: There's inauthenticity in our relationships. There are people who look for the "right" partner  based on an image they've adopted from their parents or society, only to realize that the relationship doesn't work for who they truly are underneath it all. Most people tend to attract the same kinds of relationships, whether personal or business, and that tendency is largely a result of their innatiousness . When these patterns create relationships that are out of balance, the...
Post a Comment
Read more

BRAVE NEW TRAVEL YEAR!

Image
OPTIMISM  Big overwhelming optimistic momentum (B.O.O.M.) is a lyrical miracle put forth by Clay Clark in his podcast . Clark featured Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech to inspire for developments ahead. Yes, and I wore a lipcolor labeled  Optimist at every Wednesday Sharp Toastmaster Club Zoom meeting these past six months. Yesterday, the VP of Education and I received our President's Distinguished Club award at a Morgan Run Resort breakfast.  Though we can chalk up this accomplishment, a re you, like me, still trying to dig out of your COViD blues?  I'd like to call out Simon Sinek's  a bit of optimism podcast featuring Brene Brown from six months ago... Was that not a ping-pong conversation requiring a full night's sleep to handle? Simon asked why negative emotion is more real to us than positivism. Double Doors to Throw Open I just booked three days in Kauai. It's time to experience some Hawaii Meats and again shoo chickens away from Costco grounds... ha ...
Post a Comment
Read more

SHARING RESILIENCE

Image
Apparently, a friend's Siri called me by mistake this morning which led to a phone conversation long-overdue. Just-in-time though, I was able to refer her crib set donation to Silent Voices . This social service organization started as a ministry by Horizon Christian Fellowship to serve those struggling with unplanned pregnancies with both durable goods and counseling.  Building resilience is important because it is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties.  The American Psychological Association (APA) defines it as " the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors." Strong Women I admire strong women and seek out their stories.  Sheryl Roush speaks out against abuse when introducing herself in public speeches. Her book "Heart of a Toastmaster" is an anthology of stories I enjoy.  Ann C...
1 comment
Read more

FOLLOW THE LEADER

Image
Despite California's recent return to purple-tier restrictions, I look forward to celebrating   Small Business Saturday  on November 28.  I woke up to entrepreneurship when Pasadena Community College started offering courses in 2008. I think small businesses like Teri Johnson's Keeping It Personal and Megan Kristel's  The Well Dressed Life  thrive because they operate on the founders' personal values. Dare to Lead On November 11, Jimmy Fallon interviewed my favorite researcher  Brene Brown . She believes skill sets that make the best leaders include: Being able to rumble with vulnerability Learning to behave to our values Building trust for team-building Resetting after disappointments More women become entrepreneurs out of a need for financial stability and community connection. Nothing unsettles us more than being handed a box to contain our belongings while being ushered out of corporate offices. We love referring others to our favorite plumbers, skinca...
5 comments
Read more

TALKING TO STRANGERS

Image
A homemade bookmark turned out to be an artist's business card, so I ended up on Annie Clavel's website. Her digital watercolors on  yupo  paper muse on consciousness, dreaming, and mathematics. Her Glances of Women  body of work touched me as I seek connection, self-care, and gratitude.  What drives you? What first three words do you see? I See You Women typically act as the financial conscience of the family. We scrimp and save, then dig deep for the unexpected emergencies and baby shower gifts. Is it no wonder that necessity is the mother of invention? Is this why we sign up for Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University ? Is this why Elizabeth Warren teaches the 50-30-20 budget rule ? Is this why we rely on the grace of God and additional smart work to even afford an annual vacation?  Is this why women choose to create additional income from their home-based businesses?  Or alternatively, like artist Annie Clavel, utilize her talents and set up her own sh...
5 comments
Read more

TIME & ATTENTION

Image
On this morning's local news program, Jason Mraz performed Hearing  Double . He sang each lyric twice and the song included the phrase... Tell tell me me what what you're you're thinkin' thinkin' with with no no delay delay (delay, delay, delay, delay) Continually professing his love for a girl, he asks for a response. Similarly, I ask my family members for their thoughts. On my end, I compete against wireless earbuds and endless entertainment from their Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify, and TikTok accounts. My choice words that secure reaction are "Breakfast (lunch or dinner) is ready!" Connection is Tricky The big "C" is a two-way street. I started writing this blog out of a need to share this moment in time, then for my family to reference when I'm gone. Joshua Becker published his  Busyness is Lazyness article in the recent  The Epoch Times ' sample edition. He had bumped into a friend battling cancer, regretting not having checked in w...
2 comments
Read more

PERSONAL CARE

Halfway through our half-decade courtship, I watched my now husband clean the shower stall in my rental apartment. It had never sparkled until after he donned his yellow gloves and face mask and proceeded to scrub the living daylights out of that bathroom. The unfortunate thing is this room connected the bedroom to the kitchen-living areas and the apartment quickly filled with cough-inducing, eye-watering fumes!  I have to marry this man; he cleans whenever I avoid the chore. I just need to get him better product!   Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) At the start of Autumn, I enjoy a 31-day Clutter Cleanse habit in our home. I start by getting rid of expired medications, foodstuffs, and body care products from our cupboards and drawers.  CPG for self-care includes everything that touches your skin from toothpaste, soap bars, body wash, shampoo, conditioner, facial cleanser, toner, moisturizer, lotion, foundation, color cosmetics, mascara, nutritional supplements, protein sha...
2 comments
Read more

30 LESSONS TO SHARE

Image
WHY ATTEMPT SUSTAINABILITY? In a YouTube video, Simon Sinek teaches "Start with Why?" in motivating ourselves before starting a project.  My Sentinel >  Consul (ESFJ)  personality is the observant and judging type. I am practical and focused on order, security, and stability. These are what drive me towards minimalism.  I read Elaine St. James' book  Inner Simplicity  where she wrote: the decision to do fewer things and have less stuff is not from self-denial but from the wisdom that comes by taking the time to figure out what is important to us, and in letting go of all the rest Blogging One's Thoughts General design layout.   A simple frame allowed me to highlight quotes, to post images, to embed videos from YouTube , to insert web links and tables. Web host .  Google hosted my content for free. Smore  and Wix can support likewise. Brainstorm ideas.   Similar to mind-mapping our ideas for a Toastmaster speech, online tools li...
4 comments
Read more

OVER-DRESSED

Image
Clothing Excess I keep hearing Jennifer Garner tout Capital One 's corporate slogan "What's in your wallet?" Beyond the brand, I admit I like having cash leftover in mine . Known for her frugality, I recall my mom's financial advice, "It's not what you make, it's what you keep." Spending less may mean no more retail therapy and window shopping for fast fashion. The decluttering inspiration started from binge-watching Marie Kondo's  Tidying Up Netflix  television series,   then reading her  book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up .  Having reduced my book collection to half, it was time for the clothing category.  Her  Konmari method suggests   we question joy as we hold, hang, or fold each item. In her book Overdressed , Elizabeth L. Cline lamented "I have enough clothing to open a store." Revealing middle-class  hyperconsumerism , my overflowing bedroom closet  created this embarrassing mountain of clothes. Goodness truth, Eli...
3 comments
Read more