Blogging

Chicks and Lambs Live in Denial – So Should We

Blossom the Lamb
~ debsthoughts

If the leader of the free world keeps repeating, “The enemy of the people is the media,” the goal can only be one thing — to convince the people to believe all news is fake news and believe only what he says. Unless of course the media reports flattering news about him, then it’s right on. But here’s the thing:Chicks Pix

The Chicks Don’t Care

We all know he lies blatantly and chronically, sometimes about the most ridiculous things. His form of ‘negotiating’ is to bully and create conspiracy theories about his ‘enemies.’ An enemy equates to anyone who disagrees with him or those who refuse to be bullied, or those who investigate and report facts. These facts can be something he said on camera or tweeted. The most dangerous thing about his lying is it feels normal and acceptable. We read reports that have tried to track the number of his lies and we aren’t surprised, because we all know he lies, but the chicks don’t care. Continue reading →

Winter – No Sissies Allowed

~ debsthoughts ~ 2 Comments

There’s no denying winter is brutal. A month ago there was a chill in the air. Today that air has been treated with an arctic blast of frigid cold that can be downright dangerous to living things. At fifteen degrees Fahrenheit, now is not the time to be outside prepping for the cold weather, so I’m happy to report we took care of it back in November. I’m filled with gratitude, to be sure. Along with the extreme chill we have also been gifted with far more than a foot of snow on the ground and covering every horizontal surface. It is a stunning wintery painting everywhere one looks.

Folks who have never had the opportunity to live in a cold climate, on a farm, might be interested to see what it takes to get through a long, cold and snowy Michigan winter. So here are some highlights of our fall preparation: Continue reading →

Unmade Bed

unmade bed
~ debsthoughts

Sometimes I don’t make the bed. I don’t see the point in making it pretty every darned day for literally no one to see. Many days I don’t even see it myself until I pull the covers down to climb back into it.

Man I miss this bedroom. It’s my old bedroom from my last house and it was spacious, soothing, quiet, with just the right amount of natural light coming in. I am reminded by this picture of many years where my hubby traveled and I slept alone in this big bed. Making it was simple – pull up the covers on my side and walk away. Continue reading →

Beauty All Around

purple tulip
~ debsthoughts

Beauty is everywhere if we will only notice it. Some days it’s harder than others to see it.

Yesterday the theme of my blog post was the word indivisible and I thought about the Pledge of Allegiance and the meaning behind it. I said I didn’t have a solution for this problem our country is facing – the divide, the dissent, the anger between individuals and lawmakers. Actually I do.  Continue reading →

A Closer Look

~ debsthoughts ~ 2 Comments

Have you ever looked at a blueberry? I mean, really LOOKED at a blueberry up close before popping it in your mouth? I hadn’t either until I took this macro shot a few years ago. This close up view of a common fruit reminds me of a certain mega-businessman-turned-politician. After all, we don’t truly understand his motives or his actions, no matter how closely we examine them.

Almost everyone agrees it’s difficult to know for sure what Donald Trump’s thought processes are. What could he possibly be thinking (if he’s thinking at all) when he tweets threatening things about former presidents or warns the FBI Director that he better hope there are no tapes of conversations between them. These things are now considered permanent written records that can be used against him. Yet he continues.
Continue reading →

It’s a Balancing Act

~ debsthoughts

Republican lawmakers targeted by a lone gunman a little after 7 a.m. while practicing for a charity baseball game is not what you expect to see happening before your first sip of coffee on a Wednesday morning.

The gunman died in an angry attempt to express his political feelings. What drives someone to do that? A loss of balanced and rational thinking? I do wonder what his tipping point was but of course, we’ll probably never know. What we do know is the angry divide must be addressed somehow.

Respectfully, as it should be, news from the nation’s capital is not about collusion or obstruction of justice today. This morning’s events are likely a wake-up call to politicians on both sides. I can imagine the horribly frightening moments for those at the ball field this morning.

My guess is many who weren’t there are also imagining what if . . . it could have been me. With a sense of relief many of these folks are probably sharing a lot of loving thoughts with their families this afternoon, perhaps with newfound perspective for what really matters most and a desire to find a sense of balance. Continue reading →

Exit, Stage Left

Bird Exiting Stage Left
~ debsthoughts

So much is happening moment to moment these days. It’s thrilling. It’s entertaining. It’s disturbing. Some people tell me they are able to push it all away, not watch the news (it’s all fake news anyway, if you believe it is), and carry on in complete denial, pretending that we do not have a very big problem on our patriotic hands. I am not one of those people. I truly believe it is my civic duty to not sit back quietly and pretend that very soon our president will learn and do better.

Yesterday the most disturbing thing happened yet as presidential cabinet members each took turns praising the president . . . on queue. As is always the case with Donald Trump, the timing of this is relevant to better understanding the purpose of his distraction efforts. Continue reading →

No Lie

Writing Pen
~ debsthoughts

There’s been a lot of talk lately about liars. So much in fact, that new phrases have become popular and acceptable, like fake news and alternative facts. People are arguing that ‘all politicians lie,’ as though, if true, it somehow makes it acceptable which causes one to ask, does truth-telling matter? I suppose a blog called The Other Side of Denial should at least address the dilemma.

Interestingly, the basic definition of denial is: the action of declaring something to be untrue.

Well, holy moly, this blog is referencing the act of lying! I’ve been living in denial about my blog about living in denial. No lie. Continue reading →

Flexibility, Freedom, and Testing the Waters

~ debsthoughts ~ 3 Comments

MomYesterday was my mother’s birthday. She would have been 88. I wonder when I’ll stop doing that—calculating how old she would be if she were still alive today. It’s good to be remembered. I hope some of my loved ones will do that for me long after I’m gone from this world. In the meantime, I blog–or at least I pretend to blog, when I find time . . . and let me just say, this is not an effective way to blog.

My business keeps me far busier than I’d like to be, and it seems to me that this being busy thing prevents me from doing what it is that truly brings joy to my heart and fulfills me. Please don’t get me wrong, I enjoy making soap, and I am passionate about growing my business, but some days I find myself forgetting my why. Continue reading →