Endings are always depressing

Fiḍál (Grace), 4 Ayyám-i-Há (The Days of Há), 173 BE - Tuesday, February 28, 2017 CE about 9:57 AM Pacific Standard Time 

Ending are always depressing, 

Saying good-bye 

To a month, 

A person 

Or anything 

Brings tears to my eyes. 

Today is the last day of Ayyám-i-Há for another year. It ends at sunset and the month of ‘Alá’ (Loftiness) begins which Is the month of the Fast. In addition a new Gregorian month begins. My mother was born on March 19 in 1921 this year she would have been 96 years old. This year March 20 is the vernal equinox which is Naw-Ruz. Naw-Ruz means New Day and it is the New Year I celebrate. 

As I think about saying good-bye to an old year, I wonder what other endings will occur in over the next nineteen days. I wonder if all the endings I encounter in March will be sad. I hope not because endings are usually beginnings and beginnings should not be sad. 

 

What's Wrong with Saying No: A Poem

Kamál (Perfection), 3 Ayyám-i-Há (The Days of Há), 173 BE - Monday, February 27, 2017 CE about 2:13 PM Pacific Standard Time 

If I ask you for something 

And it puts you in a bind 

Then say "No!" 

There is nothing wrong with saying no, 

I won't get angry with you 

Or stop talking to you 

Because you say no. 

If you're not going to say no 

Then don't get angry with me 

Because you can't say no. 

Procrastination and Gaps Solitaire

Jamál (Beauty), 2 Ayyám-i-Há (The Days of Há), 173 BE - Sunday, February 26, 2017 CE about 11:52 AM Pacific Standard Time 

I'm having some issues updating this blog on a regular basis. I think my main problem is procrastination. My procrastination is caused by worrying. Worrying encourages me to play Gaps Solitaire instead of writing or doing anything else. Now that I've stated my problems I can do something about it. 

Now that I've stated the problem what do I do about it? I think the best thing to do is simply to procrastinate playing the game. Make myself a handwritten To Do List and when I find myself wanting to play Gaps check the list. I've been making myself a To Do List in a document on the computer. However, since I don't have printer cartridges my printer doesn't work properly. I'll have to scrape up the money to get the printer cartridges in March. 

That last paragraph brought me to another issue which is living on a fixed income. My fixed income needs fixing. Go ahead, laugh at that pun. At least I still have my sense of humor which is becoming weirder all the time.  I wish everyone a happy Sunday. 

Midweek Reflections on Coffee

'Idál (Justice), 16 Mulk (Dominion), 173 BE - Wednesday, February 22, 2017 CE about 3:06 PM 

Coffee 

Folgers black silk 

A morning full of joy 

Sip by sip I consume the day 

Success 

Creative Saturday: Raining on my Muse

Jalál (Glory), 12 Mulk (Dominion), 173 BE - Saturday, February 18, 2017 CE about 12:55 PM Pacific Standard Time 

Rainy Saturday 

Creative meditations 

Falling on my muse 

It's a cloudy creative Saturday here in Las Vegas. The temperature is about 51 degrees with cold wet drops falling onto the tarmac in front of my apartment. The cars passing in front of the building sound as if they are moving through water. The street is wet but not flooded. I know that some of the other streets have standing water. I haven't driven the car today; however, this isn't necessary to know what the streets are like. I've lived in Las Vegas long enough to know how the water stands in the streets and the way it affects traffic. 

Friday At Last

Istiqlál (Independence), 11 Mulk (Dominion), 173 BE - Friday, February 17, 2017  CE about 9:374 AM Pacific Standard Time 

Friday at last 

The week seemed to pass fast 

Almost the end of the month 

It's cloudy and rainy here in Las Vegas. I'm not sure how much rain we received in my section of town, but I know we received a litter because raindrop woke me up early this morning. At least, I think it was raindrops; however, I didn't get up to look out the window. Looking out the window before for dawn doesn't do much good because it's still dark outside. 

I have a lot to do today. I  have reviews on writing.com. I have two chapters to edit. I have to keep busy today to avoid worrying about something I can't do anything about. I waiting for money to hit my PayPal account. It should come soon, at least I hope it comes soon because I need the money. The only thing that keeps me from worrying is prayer, writing, editing and doing surveys. There is something to be said for procrastination when it procrastinating worrying. 

Thankful Thursday: Thoughts and Gratitude List

Istijlál (Majesty), 10 Mulk (Dominion), 173 BE - Thursday, February 16, 2017 CE about 12:04 PM Pacific Standard Time 

I decided to make a few changes that I hope will give me more time to write and to exercise. I need to walk twenty minutes a day which means once in the morning and once in the evening. I haven't did a good job of walking for the past few months. The last time I went to the doctor I had lost another pound. Since I go to a doctor every couple of months that is less than a pound a month. I think I can do better. I'll see when I go to my doctor again on February 27. 

Today I am thankful... 

1. ...that I am walking without my cane when  I go outside. This wasn't my idea, but I lost my cane when I went to the doctor last week. Since I haven't replaced it yet I have to walk to the mail box without any assistance. I think the only thing I really need the cane for is getting up and down on the curb. I'll find that out for sure when I leave the house to go to a funeral on Monday, February 20. 

2. ...for fresh brewed 100% Colombian coffee. I don't know what type of coffee I'm drinking since I didn't  purchase the last can. I know it isn't Folgers black silk which I usually drink. I know it's not my usual brand of coffee because it doesn't taste like it. However, that's alright because it's a bit of a change in my life and I need to make some changes this year. I'll go back to drinking my regular brand in March. 

3. ...that I was able to attend the Feast of Mulk this month. The fest was held last Saturday at the Baha'I Center in Las Vegas. I haven't been attending the Nineteen Day feast on a regular basis. That will change after Naw-Ruz, if not before. I have to figure a way to attend the Feast regularly and I've missed it. 

4. ...that I set up the book Bicentenary Proems and Prose. This book is in my writing.com port in the folder Snow's Library. Prosperous Snow is my writing.com handle. The new book will contain poem, and some prose, I will write to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the Birth of Baha'u'llah and the Bab. This year, 2017, is the bicentenary of Baha'u'llah's birth and 2019 will celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the Birth of the Bab. 

5. ...that my checking account is not overdrawn. I'm hoping to keep it that way because otherwise it's difficulty to pay bills. Alright, it's difficult to pay bills anyway. I'm attempting to survive on a fixed income and I sometimes find it difficult. It's difficult for a poor person to save money because as soon as I get it in the saving account I have to transfer it to checking to help pay bills. If it wasn't for the little amount I earn  doing surveys it would be more difficult to survive. 

6. ...that I have faith in God. I don't know how I would survive without faith. Daily prayer and meditation helps me to focus on what's important in life. I know that  whatever happens will turn out for the best because God loves me and wants the best for me. God wants the best for every human being on the planet. 

7. ...for the obligatory prayers revealed by Baha'u'llah. Saying one of the prayers each day keeps me focused on what is important. Stopping to recite the short obligatory prayer helps keep my mind active. I need to exercise my mind every day to keep my memory and my mind working. 

8. ...that I have a prayer book which contains a copy of the obligatory prayers. That way if I momentarily forget the words I can find the prayer in the prayer book. 

9. ...for writing.com because I have a port to keep my stories, essays and poems. I also receive review of my the items in my port. 

10. ...that I found ten things to be thankful for. It doesn't matter that the tenth item is gratitude for find ten things for my gratitude list. The only thing that really matters is that there are ten things on the list. 

It's Sunday: A Poem

Jamál (Beauty), 7 Mulk (Dominion), 173 BE - Sunday, February 12, 2017 CE about 9:09 AM Pacific Standard Time. 

It's Sunday, 

February 12, 2017, 

President Abraham Lincoln's 

208 birthday: 

Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln. 

It's Sunday, 

The first day of a new week, 

A day that brings back memories 

From my childhood. 

It's Sunday, 

A good day to 

Drink coffee 

And eat chocolate. 

It's Sunday, 

A beautiful day 

In Las Vegas. 

Midweek Reflections on Making Changes

'Idál (Justice), 3 Mulk (Dominion), 173 BE - Wednesday, February 8, 2017 CE about 11:34 AM Pacific Standard Time 

It's the second month of 2017 so it's about time I considered making some changes to my blog entries. I know that it seems strange to start considering this changes this late in 2017 and it would be for most people, but not for me. I celebrate Naw-Ruz as the New Year and it occurs on March 20 this year. Therefore, I've decided to make some changes in the way I make blog entries. 

The first change I'm making is in the date. Instead of using AD, which means Anno Domini (the year of our Lord), for the Gregorian date I'll be using CE (Common Era or Current Era). The second change I'm making is to the theme for the daily entries. I haven't been focusing on different themes for different weekdays. I think I started the daily themes several years ago, but I stopped for some reason. The daily themes helps me focus on subjects for the entries. 

I've decided on four themes for three different days. Thankful Thursday, Form Friday, Midweek Reflections (Wednesday) and Website Wednesday. The Wednesday prompts I plan to alternate during the month. I still have to decide on themes for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday. I will have those finalized by the end of February. I think that's all I have to write for now so I will close this entry and post it.