Friday, July 31, 2009

The End of the Month Blues

Istiqlál (Independence), 19 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Friday, July 31, 2009 about 7:16 AM Pacific Time

I haven't heard of anyone talking about "The End of the Month Blues", but I do know that it occurs because I experience it periodically. Today is the end of July, tomorrow August begins. It's half past 2009, time to look at my goals and decided what I'm going to do about those I haven't accomplished.

Today is also the end of Kalimat, this evening around sunset Kamal begins. I still have a couple of 19-day months before it's half past 166 BE. I actually don't have to start reevaluating my goals until then, however, there's no using waiting until the last minute, especially if there is a chance to accomplish a goal or get started working on an idea.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Give me five more minutes

Istijlál (Majesty), 18 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Thursday, July 30, 2009 about 1:14 PM Pacific Time

If you had 5 extra minutes added to each day, what would you do with them?
I heard a country song one that ask for "five minutes more", I think it was a love song. I'm not sure when I heard the song. Any way, lately I've needed five minutes more plus a few more hours. I'm behind again. I know it's because I get too focused on one thing and let everything else go.
I know exactly what I would do with an extra five minutes. I would catch up on something. I'm not sure what I would catch up on probably writing or reviewing on writing.com. I would find something interesting to do in that five minutes. I could also add some meditation time to one day.

Monday, July 27, 2009

I still have a hospital bed in my dining room

Kamál (Perfection), 15 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Monday, July 27, 2009 about 2:44 PM Pacific Time

I still have a hospital bed in my dining room. It and the wheel chair were supposed to be pick up and taken away today. It's still here setting in my dining room, the only difference between today and yesterday is now the bed is setting in the middle of the floor and unplugged. I'm not going to plug it back into the electricity or move it close to the wall.

I want my dining room back. I want my dining room table out of my living room and back where it belongs. The only thing that we accomplished this morning was sweeping where the bed used to be. I haven't mopped yet, but I'll do that either Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon. I'll mop the floor if the bed is gone.

In order to mop, I have to move the bed around when I mop the floor. True, the bed is on rollers, so it isn't that difficult to roll and it doesn't seem exceptionally heavy. Of course, I've only moved it so my mother can sweep the floor; I haven't moved it while I'm in the middle of mopping the floor.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

The last thing that made me laugh

I have laughed more today then I have laughed in a long time. The last thing that made me laugh was a poem entitled GETTIN' OLD IS NOT FOR SISSIES! I joined the Senior Center on writing.com and the present contests is poems with that title. I wrote a poem using that title and then I reviewed three or four, I enjoyed the reviewing the poems and laughing. It's nice to laugh again.

I saw a nightingale this morning

Jamál (Beauty), 14 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Sunday, July 26, 2009 about 8:39 PM Pacific Time

I saw a nightingale this morning. At least, I think it was a nightingale. I know we have nightingales in the neighborhood because I hear them singing. The bird was walking in the sun around the area where I had the pine tree removed month or so ago. I don't know what the bird was looking for, probably something to eat or nesting material.

Who knows what kind of insects are in my yard? I'm more interested in making sure there aren't any six-legged or eight-legged creatures in my house then I'm interested in what type of insects, bugs or whatever is in my yard. We have birds in the neighborhood, so they can deal with creepy crawlers in my yard.

The birds are welcome to any thing the find to eat in my yard. The more insects, bugs or spiders they catch in the yard, the fewer I have to worry about getting into the house. I like having birds in my yard and trees, besides catching insects, bugs, and spiders they sing beautifully. I enjoy hearing birds sing especially nightingales and mourning doves, both of which we have in this neighborhood.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Passing time

Daily Writing Practice Prompt for Monday, July 20, 2009: “Write about passing time.”

I do a lot of this with a telephone line connection to the Internet. I need to get DSL, which is going to happen in the coming month. It's taking too long to download e-mail, it's taking too long to make blog entries, it's just taking too long. I'm a patient person under most circumstances, but my patience is wearing thin. I spent most of the morning writing blog ads and posting them to one of my other blogs. I did only two ads and I'm tired.

I still have another post to make to that blog. I can accept three ads a day, but I have to have at least one regular post between the ads. I'm just too tired at this point to focus on another prompt or writing another ad. I have to pay my next Internet connection bill by August 11, I think I'm going to go to the office and discuss getting DSL.

I could go for a cable modem, but I'd have to change providers. I don't want to change providers, I just want a faster connection. I don't even care about freeing the phone line, I just want a faster connection. I want to be able to download my e-mail without worrying that I'm going to time out before all the messages enter my box.

At the end of a long week

Jalál (Glory), 13 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Saturday, July 25, 2009 about 10:52 AM Pacific Time

At the end of a long week,
clouds still decorate the sky
so I did laundry.

At the end of a long week,
after days of clouds
without a single raindrop
in my neighborhood
I wonder why
I roll up my car windows at night;
perhaps because I lock the doors
and leaving the car windows down
with the doors locked
doesn't make any sense.

Friday, July 24, 2009

My denture adhesive doesn’t hold all day

Istiqlál (Independence), 12 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Friday, July 24, 2009 about 5:08 Pacific Time

All right, everyone is probably getting tired of reading about my problems with my dentures. If they are I hope they are taking better care of their teeth and gums then I did. A person's natural teeth are always better to eat with and after the permanent teeth come in there isn't any getting used to them.

The denture adhesive I use works find with my upper plate. It's the lower plate that gives me problems. Perhaps I need another adjustment or maybe I'm not applying the adhesive properly. I'll have to read the instructions again.

I don't like using the adhesive, but I don't know any other way to hold my plate in place. I'll decide next Wednesday if I have to go to the dentist for another adjustment. After the last adjustment, my gums aren't sore and I can eat most foods. The problem is I'm having trouble with sandwiches. So it could be just learning to deal with the lower plate.

The Door to Happiness

"When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us."
~Helen Keller

Until I read that quote by Helen Keller, I never thought of happiness as being a door. For me happiness was a state of mind, something that occurred when you weren't actually looking for it. I like the picture of happiness as a door because a door is something I can walk through into a new room or a new phase of my life.

I think a person's concept of happiness changes with maturity and wisdom. I know when I was younger the things that made me happy were different then the things that make me happy today. There was a time when I didn't think happiness was a spiritual concept, however that changed. I now realize that happiness has more to do with the condition of my soul then with the material things in my life.

With age and wisdom
the door to happiness became
prayer,
meditation,
a bar of chocolate,
and the scent of roses.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

I bought an electric percolator

Istijlál (Majesty), 11 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Thursday, July 23, 2009 about 6:07 AM Pacific Time

I bought an electric percolator yesterday. It makes a maximum of 12 cups of coffee and you use between 8 to 12 tablespoons of coffee grounds to brew the coffee. Yesterday I make a pot of coffee using 8 tablespoons, but it wasn't strong enough. This morning I used 10 tablespoons and it still isn't strong enough, so the next time I make it I'll use 12 tablespoons.

I haven't had a percolator in the house for two or three years, so I have to experiment with the amount of grounds until I get the coffee to the desired strength. I like my coffee strong. I learned to drink coffee from my grandfather and he made "cowboy coffee" in an electric percolator. Grandpa's coffee was strong enough to walk under its own power.

I didn't know how much I missed the sound of a percolator until I made coffee yesterday. I just stood beside the coffee pot listening to it perk. That is one of the most beautiful sounds in the universe. I think that the sound of a percolator is comforting.

Coffee made in a percolator seems hotter then when I make it in a drip coffee maker. However, I think that is because the percolator keeps the coffee hotter then sitting the pot on a heating element to keep it warm.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

I have a coupon for a Jalapeno Burger

‘Idál (Justice), 10 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Wednesday, July 22, 2009 about 4:56 AM Pacific Time

I have a coupon for a Jalapeno burger from Carl's Jr. It's a two for one coupon, so Mom and I can both have one. My lower dentures work well most of the time; I haven't had a sandwich like this since I received my lower plate. This is a milestone; I will see how well my plate stays in place when I eat the sandwich.

The goop I use to hold the plate in works most of the time. Since I don't see any reason to baby myself any more, I'm going to go to Carl's Jr. and buy the Jalapeno burger. The main problem the last few weeks the last adjustment took care of. Once I have the burger then I'll know if I need to have the lower plate adjusted again.

My grandmother had a full set of dentures and she ate almost anything she wanted to without any problems. I remember watching her eat hamburgers and other sandwiches with her dentures without her bottom plate slipping. Actually, the only thing Grandma didn't eat with her dentures was whole apples. She had to peel the apples and cut them up because she couldn't handle the apple's peeling. The peeling got stuck in her throat and she would choke. I have to do the same way for the same reason, so I don't think peeling an apple to eat counts when it comes t getting used to dentures.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

A 20% chance of Rain in Las Vegas

It rained last night, when I got up this morning there was a puddle of rain water in my driveway. There was a 20% chance of rain today. I washed a load of laundry anyway. I hung them out this morning and brought the last time in a few minutes ago. I washed a total of four items and it took all day for them to dry.

Now I know why my grandmother never did laundry when there were a lot of clouds in the sky. It takes too long for the cloths to dry. Of course, in Oklahoma clouds and a 20% chance of rain indicated that it would rain. In Las Vegas, even during monsoon season, a 20% chance of rain means there is an 80% chance that it will not rain. It did not rain and the sheets eventually dried, I am happy.

: Thinking about Spring in Summer

Fidál (Grace), 9 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Tuesday, July 21, 2009 about 4:51 AM Pacific Time

It was cooler yesterday. There were severe storm warnings and flash flood warnings for Clark County Nevada. All this caused me to think about spring and the things I like about that beautiful season.
10 Things I love about spring

  1. Spring is nature's New Year when multicolor blossoms burst into bloom
  2. Spring brings back memories of growing up in Oklahoma
  3. Spring is cool and the heat of the desert summer is a distant thought
  4. Snow still decorates the tops of mountains in the Rockies
  5. I can turn off the heat and don't have to worry about turning on the cool air
  6. Spring is when I celebrate a New Year at Naw-Ruz
  7. Nightingales greet the rising sun
  8. Birds build nests and prepare to raise their young
  9. I can sit on my patio all day without worrying about the heat
  10. Mourning doves call to each other

Monday, July 20, 2009

Forty years ago today man walked on the moon

Kamál (Perfection), 8 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Monday, July 20, 2009 about 6:25 AM Pacific Time

On July 20, 1969, an astronaut left size 91/2 footprints on the moon. I remember watching the moon land on T.V. I remember holding my breath as Astronaut Neil Armstrong descended the lunar module and stepped upon the moon. When Mr. Armstrong placed his foot on the lunar surface, I breathed again.

I remember hearing Neil Armstrong say "That's one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind." I remember crying because my world and the world of everyone had changed that day. The world changed because it became smaller, we (humanity) had gone to the moon. A human being had left is footprints on the moon.

I am now 62 it is forty years later. I am living on a planet in the middle of transformation. I am living in a world that sees the moon landing as an achievement for humanity and not simply as an achievement for the United States, the nation that provided the technology.

Astronauts made it to the moon safely and returned home safely. Humanity will make it through the present crisis, we just have to have faith.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

I had blueberry bagels for breakfast

Jamál (Beauty), 7 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Sunday, July 19, 2009 about 7:14 PM Pacific Time

I'm getting used to my lower plate. It's getting easier to eat with the teeth in my mouth. The last dental adjustment seemed to do the trick. This morning for breakfast I ate a blueberry bagel. I cut the bagel in half and toasted it. Then I cut each half into four pieces and put butter on each piece.

It wasn't easy, but I did eat the entire bagel. I even managed to bite one of the pieces in half. I'm improving. I'm getting used to my dentures. I'm learning to eat again. Right now, I'm eating crackers. The crackers seem a bit easier to deal with because I break them into small pieces and eat one piece at a time. I can even bite a piece off the cracker if I want.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

What I like about Explorer 8

Jalál (Glory), 6 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Saturday, July 18, 2009 about 1:13 PM Pacific Time

I have found one thing I really like about Internet Explore 8. The address window changes colors when I go to a secure website. I noticed this the first time I used it after upgrading. I like that because it tells me immediately I am accessing a secure website. It is comforting to know that the website is secure, especially when I access my bank account or my PayPal account.

After I have used Explore 8 for a while, I will probably find other things I like about it. Right now, I am still learning its capabilities. It will take me a while to get know its attributes a little better. Then I can determine other things I like or dislike about Explorer 8.

Friday, July 17, 2009

An Excessive Heat Warning

I just received an e-mail in about an excessive heat warning the Weather Service has issued. The warning is for Clark and Nye counties in Nevada plus Mojave County in Arizona. I live in Las Vegas, which is in Clark county Nevada.

July and August are the hottest months in Las Vegas, so an excessive heat warning isn't unusual. The problem right now is that I'm not sure my central air unit is working properly. In the afternoons from about 3:00 PM to sunset, the temperature in the house gets up over 90 degrees. The air runs all the time until the temperature gets down to the desired number. Eventually the unit goes off, but not for several hours.

The problem is one of two things or a combination there of. First, the cover to my attic is broken so there is no cover on the attic entrance, which means I could be losing heat through the attic. That may be the problem or part of the problem. There is also the possibility that the unit isn't working properly. Since I can't call anyone to check the unit until Wednesday, I'm just going to have to deal with the problem and the results.

The power bill for this month's bill won't be due until September 6. I get that bill around August 6 when last month's power bill is due. I know how much Mom and I need to have by August 6, that's $182.82. I'll worry about the present bill when it comes in, in the mean time I'm going to call the Rebel Refrigeration next Wednesday and have a tecnictian come out to check the unit. I'd rather pay someone service call to find out if the unit is working properly.

I also need to get some duct tape and a piece of cardboard to cover the attic entrance. That will take care of any air I'm losing through the attic until I can get a cover to go over the entrance.

A No Cost Gift to Humanity

Journal Challenge #3: “If you could give any one thing (anything at all) at no cost to yourself, to any one person (any person at all) what would you give and to whom, and why?”

If I were to give anything to anyone
at no cost to myself,
it would be the concept of the oneness of humanity.

Baha'u'llah
has already given this concept to humanity,
so the only thing I can do is proclaim
this concept
and my acceptance of it.

Humanity
is a single species -
this is the way I explain the concept
when someone ask me.

Why do I believe
humanity is a single species?
Because all the evidence
available points to the truth of this concept.

Persistence pays off

Istiqlál (Independence), 5 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Friday, July 17, 2009 about 8:14 AM Pacific Time



Persistence pays off! I spent the entire morning attempting to make post to my blogs. The connection is slow this morning and when I went to save a draft or publish the post it didn't work. I think the problem is a combination of the weather and a telephone hook-up to my Internet provider. I'm going to have to get DSL there is just no getting around it.



It took me two hours to make one entry to another blog and it appears I'm going to have the same difficulty making this entry. That's all right, eventually I will get the entry posted I just have to be persistent. I can't let difficulty with my connect stop me from making a post.



This experience is a transformative experience. Transformation is the reason a person encounters tests and difficulties. If it weren't for tests and difficulties neither human beings nor civilazation would advance.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Midweek reflections on Dentures

It's Wednesday, hump day and time for midweek reflections. It's time to look back over the past three days and evaluate the happenings. I could reflect on many things because it's been an eventful week. However, I'm going to reflect on my dentures.

Dentures are necessary because without teeth eating is difficult. In fact, if you don't have teeth you can eat only soft things like milk toast and applesauce. I like both, but not as a study diet, I also like prime rib and French toast.

I'm thankful that I have my dentures. True having all my teeth pulled and the dentures put in was a test. Another test is getting used to the dentures and learning to eat with them. I'm still learning to use the lower dentures. I'm having difficulty eating with the lower plate in my mouth.

I'm going to the dentist Thursday morning at 8:00 AM to for another adjustment on my lower plate. I'm going to learn to eat with the lower dentures. Once the dentures are adjusted to my satisfaction, then I will go to one of the local restaurants and have prime rib.

My grandmother wore dentures and ate almost anything she wanted. True Grandma did peel and slice her apples, but I have to do that myself. If Grandma could learn to use dentures and enjoy her food then I can.

I Miss Watching Television

‘Idál (Justice), 3 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Wednesday, July 15, 2009 about 12:26 PM Pacific Time

I never thought I would say or write this, but "I miss watching television!" It's my own fault that I didn't get the converter box for digital. It's my own fault that I have a television setting in my house that's only use is for a paper weight.

I grew up with T.V. I remember watching a black and white T.V. in the living room of my parents and grandparents house. I remember the first color T.V. my grandfather bought. Grandpa always had the latest technology. We always had a working television set in the house. I miss watching T.V.

It's not that I watched a lot of T.V. I watched PBS on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the week, I watched the news and Dr. Phil. I watched the news more often then Dr. Phil. Still, I miss watching television.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Applesauce for Breakfast

My mother can't eat applesauce and we have several cans in our house. Since Mom can't eat it, I'm going to have applesauce for everyday breakfast for the next few weeks. I put the cans in the fridge so they are cold when I eat the contents. I like applesauce, I just don't like to eat it if it isn't cold.

Today I'm just having a can of applesauce. Yes, the entire can of applesauce, which is 3.5 servings. Tomorrow I think I will have the applesauce over my cereal instead of milk. There are several different ways a person can eat applesauce. I'm going to find them all. Perhaps I'll try the applesauce with just milk, that sounds good.

A person is supposed to have a variety of foods. We do have a variety of foods in the house, but I'm the only one that can eat applesauce without a problem. My problem with apples comes with the whole fruit. I have to peel and cut up a whole apple before I can eat it. My grandmother had the same problem; she couldn't eat whole apples without peeling and cutting them into sections.

Good morning planet Earth

Kamál (Perfection), 1 Kalimát (Words), 166 BE – Monday, July 13, 2009 about 6:34 AM Pacific Time

Good morning planet Earth. It's a beautiful day here in Las Vegas. I'm on my third cup of coffee. I have a load of wet cloths in the washer waiting for me to hang them out. When I went out to get my newspaper, I found an aluminum soda can laying at the foot of my driveway. I picked it up and put it in the trunk of my car.

Normally, I sell the aluminum cans for gas money. It's one way for me to recycle in the present economy. Sometimes I give the aluminum cans to someone else to sell. I'll decide whether to sell them myself or give them away when I get a trunk full of cans. I still have plenty of room in my trunk.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

I’ve decided to stop buying bottle water

I've decided to stop buying bottled water. It cost too much and I can't reuse the bottles. Therefore, I'm going to buy a couple of containers at one of the grocery or drug stores to put water in when we leave the house.

I use the water out of the facet to make ice so going from bottled water to tap water isn't going to be a big change. It will help us live within our budget. I put the plastic bottles in the recyclable bins. When I took the bins out a week or so ago, I noticed that there were a lot of plastic bottles in the bin. There were more plastic bottles then cans. Of course, I won't refuse a bottle of water is someone offers it to me; I'm just not going to buy it any more.

A partly cloudy summer day in Las Vegas

Jamál (Beauty), 19 Rahmat (Mercy), 166 BE – Sunday, July 12, 2009 about 7:47 AM Pacific Time

It's Sunday morning. It's a partly cloudy summer day in Las Vegas. When I look out my living room window, the cods appear dirty gray. Not deep charcoal like rain clouds, but a dirty gray like the wool of sheep after sheering and before it's washed.

A light summer shower would be nice. I'm not expecting it though because the clouds I see don't suggest rain. Actually, I would like to see a nice rain in Las Vegas. A gentle rain that last for more then a few minutes, a rain like that would refresh the city and the plants.

I haven't looked at my e-mail yet so I don't know if rain is forecast for today. It doesn't really matter because it can rain in one part of town and not in another. If it doesn't rain at McCarran Airport then the rain is unofficial.

I just heard something that sounded like thunder, but it was too distant to determine if it thundered. I could have heard anything. There are a lot of noises which sound like thunder from a distance.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

How to deal with a crisis

Jalál (Glory), 18 Rahmat (Mercy), 166 BE – Saturday, July 11, 2009 about 847 AM Pacific Time

"How to deal with a crisis" was the subject line of a piece of junk mail I received in my e-mail box a couple of days ago. While I didn't read the complete message, the subject line started me thinking about how different people deal with a crisis.

Some people panic when confronted with a crisis. Under most circumstances, I don't panic. Panicking in a crisis doesn't help and it only makes the crisis worse. I prefer to get my prayer book, turn to the section on "Tests and Difficulties" and intone the prayers aloud. Sometimes that isn't possible; however, I have memorized two prayers that always help in a crisis. One of them is short and I can recite it mentally without reading it aloud.

Once I have recited "The Remover of Difficulties" or another prayer, then I proceed to deal with the crisis at hand. Prayers always help in dealing with a crisis because they allow a person to focus on the solution rather then the problem which caused the crisis.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

I suffer from Psoriasis

‘Idál (Justice), 15 Rahmat (Mercy), 166 BE – Wednesday, July 8, 2009 about 4:21 PM Pacific Time

I suffer from Psoriasis. I am presently dealing with flare-up. The medication I use can only be applied for 14 days at a time. It is applied twice a day to the affected areas. Psoriasis is itchy and painful, I put the itchy first because that is the most difficult for me to deal with during a flare-up.

Today I received a book in the mail called Speaking Clearly: Living well in a world that doesn't understand psoriasis and is put out by Abbott. I forgot about requesting the book, probably because I have been under a lot of stress lately (which encourages psoriasis flare-ups). I am glad the book arrived today because it will help me deal with the disease.

The book has eight chapters
  • Chapter One - family, friends + support
  • Chapter Two - intimate relationships
  • Chapter Three - in public
  • Chapter Four - at work
  • Chapter Five - on the road
  • Chapter Six - look your best
  • Chapter Seven - feeling fantastic
  • Chapter Eight - comfortable in your own skin

I will begin reading the book this evening.

Tuesday, July 07, 2009

The 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11

July 20, 1969, forty years and another century ago a man left a human footprint on the moon. I remember seeing a picture of the Earth from the Moon. There were no human created boundaries marring the surface of the Earth. There were mountains, rivers, oceans and clouds. Earth was a beautiful blue-green planet, with white clouds, white snow peaked mountains and brown deserts. When I saw that picture of the Earth from the moon, I became a citizen of Earth and not just a citizen of a single country on the planet Earth.

I don't know if the photo of the Earth from the moon was taken at the same time as the Lunar Landing. I know I always associate the picture and the Lunar Landing in my mind. That's one of the interesting things about memory, each person remembers the same event in different way because we each see each event we witness from a personal point of view.

July 20, 1969 at 4:18 P.M. EDT, two men walked on the moon. Two human beings left human footprints on Luna and the world became smaller. The Lunar Landing changed the way many of my generation saw the world. As we watched the landing on television, our concepts of Earth and humanity expanded.

Summer in Las Vegas

It's summer in Las Vegas. I have the thermostat set at 79 degrees, which means the central air doesn't come on until the temperature reaches about 86 or 87 degrees. I haven't checked to see when the air comes on, I'm going to have to do that because I may have to set the thermostat slightly lower. I'll have to decide that after I see the next power bill.

The hottest temperatures in Las Vegas are in August. The bill will probably be high in July (which isn't due until August 6) and August (that is due September6). A year or so ago I have due date changed from the third week of the month to the first or second week (depending on when the 6th falls).

The power bill is now due a few days after the largest check hits the bank account. This helps; also, the past few bills have been under $200.00. Since I haven't see the next bill yet, I don't know how much it is, but I suspect it will be higher then the bill due on July 6. Fortunately, we're caught up on the power bill; therefore, I can put that out of my mind for a while and deal with other issues.

I upgraded to Explorer 8

Fidál (Grace), 14 Rahmat (Mercy), 166 BE – Tuesday, July 7, 2009 about 1:14 AM Pacific Time

I upgraded to Internet Explorer 8 yesterday. I think I am going to like it better then the earlier version. Of course, today is the first day I have used it, so I might want to wait until I have more experienced with this version. It is easier to tab browse and it fines the e-mail links I click on without any problems. I still have a telephone line connection to the Internet, all though I am planning to get DSL within the next couple of months.

Monday, July 06, 2009

I went four days without downloading mail into my Outlook box

‘Kamál (Perfection), 13 Rahmat (Mercy), 166 BE – Monday, July 6, 2009 about 4:19 PM Pacific Time

I did it again. I went four days without download my e-mail into the Outlook box and with my telephone connection that is a mistake. The problem with the phone line connection is the speed of the download. Sometimes the server times me out or my connection drops. The connection dropped twice.

After the last time, I called my provider's technical support and had them delete all my e-mail from the server. It felt good to make the decision to do that. Normally, I would be reluctant to do something like that because I might have an important message. I am no longer worried about that possibility. If I lost an important message, well too bad I last it. I'll never know anyway (unless it was from a family member and then someone will contact me at another e-mail address or by phone).

This is something new for me. It must be part of the process of spiritual transformation. I put the entire situation into God's hands and then made the decision to have the e-mail deleted from the server.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

The 4th of July 2009

Jalál (Glory), 11 Rahmat (Mercy), 166 BE – Saturday, July 4, 2009 about 8:04 AM Pacific Time

The 4th of July has arrived
with memories of yesterday,
memories of sparkling fireworks displays,
picnic and grandma's traditional potato salad.

Independence day,
a day to celebrate America's Independence
tell the story of freedom's struggle,
watch parades,
and eat at barbecues.

Thursday, July 02, 2009

I had my lower plate adjusted today

Istijlál (Majesty), 9 Rahmat (Mercy), 166 BE – Thursday, July 2, 2009 about 5:40 PM Pacific Time

I had my lower plate adjusted today. I haven't be able to eat with it very well, so I went to the dentist at 8:00 AM. After having it adjusted, we went out to eat breakfast. I had an easier time eating this morning, after the adjustment, then yesterday afternoon. I don't know if I'll have to have it adjusted again or not. I'll know that after Saturday.

I'm going to a 4th of July barbecue on Saturday. I'll see how eating goes that day. I think I'll put the dental adhesive on the plate before going to the barbecue. I don't use the adhesive on the upper plate anymore, but I do use it on the lower plate sometimes. Life is an adventure and learning to eat again with my false teeth is becoming an adventure.