day 2 of 40

 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all- how will he not also, along with hime, graciously give us all things?  Romans 8:32

Evidently nothing is off the table.

Day 1 of 40

 John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  

Thank you so much for your sacrifice.  I would never have been able to save myself.

Polar Opposites... or is it?

 June was all about nature and computers.  Well, technology.  What I discovered that surprised me was that humans and animals are not at all different.  Whenever I would watch something on males in the wild it would remind me so much of all the guys at work.  I also have found that being in the trees is very good for stress.  Technology isn't so much, but it could lead to so much if not taken advantage of or over used.

The books I read were Only Good Indians (wonderful), The Only Woman in the Room (though about Hedi Lamar it's not about tech much), and I tried to read Walden.  But mostly it is about an ego driven man telling people what to do.  For instance he recommends people sleep in tool boxes.  What's up with that?  Just drill air holes, he says. 

 In Great Courses I watched: Sharks & Rays; Zoology: Reproduction; Is Privacy Dead (probably).  In Curious Streaming:  Iberian: Breed Season; Nature's Cutest; Technology; Fight Club (animals); Digital Transcendence.  I also watched Obama's National Parks show on Netflix.  Highly recommend.  

Audio:  there really isn't much to listen to on these topics.  It's a hard one to listen.  Unashamed: Jase's take on Technology; Life is short- Justin Long and Jeff Corwine; and Elon Musk.  He's pretty fascinating.  Not sure I buy into the whole get-Elon thing, but he probably pissed someone in media off and they are looking to benefit.  

I did a lot of meditation outside or with nature sounds.  I didn't focus much on computers.  Kinda boring really.  I did a 5K to round out my May PE focus.  It was through the woods.  

Next month:  Poland and Politics.  Not Polish politics, but politics in general. 

Vikings in the PE Class

 May was PE/Health and Baltic Sea.  I have done enough history and genealogy to know that just about everyone has some Viking in them, especially a France, South Irish, Poland combo like me.  I also needed to lose some weight, therefore the PE.  For the month, one of the things I wanted to do was once a week do something I wouldn't normally do for exercise.  I also joined a weight loss support group and a gym.  For the Baltic Sea ancestry I did the usual study methods.

So for my weekly exploration I did bowling, trampoline workout (that is very hard), and hauled brush.  I joined Faithful Finish Lines, which is a weight loss group online, and I did Baltic meditation.  Some of the meditation was doable some was amazing.  Completely depended on the mood I think.  

I read "Fierce" by Olympian Aly Raisman.  I watched on Curious Streaming: Fit in 6; How to not get Cancer;  and Viking Origins.  On Great Courses I watched:  Diet for Happiness; Science of Weight; Exercise, Fitness & Activity.  On Youtube:  Vikings of the Baltic and Viking Ancestry.  

I listened to: Austin AF Women in Sports; Bee Goddess & Dragons; Sugar is not Evil; Koshas,Chakras & Yoga Living; Good Carbs, Bad Carbs; Vikings' Global Connection; Simply Healthy; Back on Track; Listen to your Body; Youth, Inc with Shawn Johnson.  One night we had a Baltic meal which consisted of pork steak, potato pancake, and mushrooms.  

What I learned:  That I had more Baltic blood than I thought, that there was more than just 'Vikings", there were many clans and tribes.  I learned that I feel better when I work out and watch my diet.  I learned trampoline jumping is harder than it looks.  I discovered high intensity interval training.  

I will continue my workout regimen and keep looking for new ways to be physical other than the walks and videos.  I also learned that there is more to weight management than just physical.  It's mostly mental. 

A Little Soul in more Ways than One.

 April was a thinker.   The year's theme is discovery: of both the world and myself.  Now for the world I had decided to do religion for April.  I picked two of the big 5 because they were the most removed from what I know.  I picked Hindu and Buddhism.  I read Diwali, a children's book, because I figured it was as basic as you can get.  It was and I knew none of it.  I also read Letter to a Hindu and Dinner with Buddha.  For videos I watched on Great Courses: Hindu and the Vedas; Nationalization of Hindu; Three Baskets of Buddha; Pure land Buddha & Zen; Death, Rebirth, and Resurrection.  On Curious Stream I watched Ancient Genius: Buddha.  For audio I listened to:  Hinduism 101; Modern Buddhism; and Awakening of Buddha.  

There was a lot more of Buddha then Hindu.  Hindu is a more exclusive religion that has been politicized to the point where you can't really figure out why anyone would stay unless forced.  Buddhism is a religion that has branched off of Hindu.  Which I had no idea of.  It's a lot more relaxed and people oriented rather than controlling.  Kind of like a Jewish/Christianity relationship.  Connected and together, yet completely separate.  It was a fascinating discovery.  I loved learning about both.  Both religions are heavily reliant on meditation, which is something I discovered a couple of years ago.  I love mediation.  As an activity I did Vedic mediation and a couple of different Buddhist style meditations, as well as Buddhist mindful eating.  Great stuff really.  The more I did it the more I wanted to.  I will definitely be incorporating these styles into my practice. 

For discovery of self I wanted to study history of Passing for White.  While doing genealogy I discovered that a branch of my family had been going by either Negro or Mulatto as recently as my great-great grandparents.  So I wanted to learn more about the experience of people who had made the transition.  I read Sweeter the Juice and The Vanishing Half.  I watched Passing (the documentary, not movie); Netflix's Fredrick Douglass; and Hulu's Clotilda.  I listened to No Dogs, No Blacks, No Irish; Girl Trek's Harriet Tubman and Bishop Tutu and Alice Walker; and Go(o)d Morning with Curlynikki.  

For my experience I dug out some of my grandmother's recipe's and made a "soulfood" supper.  I'm sure she wouldn't have called it that, but I wanted to connect with her.  I don't really remember her much.  She had a walker and she lived in a nursing home.  She had kinky curly hair.  Her name was Lily.  Spelled like the flower.  I made fried chicken marinated in sweet tea.  It was good!  I shoulda made that before! 

This was a pretty eye opening month.  I feel like I really learned and connected with my past and the world.  I don't think May is going to be able to contend. 

There's a Place in France.....

 March was the  month of France and Art.  I didn't intend to pick the two together because they blended so much.  I mean, I was aware that France had a lot of art, but so does the rest of the world.  But, Paris is art and art is Paris.  Or so it is said.  For France I had a rule of no WWII and for art I stuck to the classics.  

I read " I Will Always Love You" which is about Mary Cassatt, an impressionist painter from the end of the 19th century and her relationship with art and Edgar Degas, a fellow Parisian painter.  I watched on Curious Streaming four videos:  Bon Appetite; Picasso; Mona Lisa; and The Secret Versailles.  On Great Courses I watched:  Normandy at Ease; Women and French Salons & English Coffeehouses; and Islamic Art.  I also watched "Under the Eiffel Tower" on Netflix.  I listened to podcasts Resurrecting Notre Dame and Artist Way.  The music I listened to was La Femme Pendu and Baroque.  These things taught me about the culture of France for the most part as well as the classics of the great painters.  I was introduced to not only the food of Paris, but how it is grown and the agriculture of the region.  I learned some history of France, specifically the 1770s as that was when my French ancestry came over and Marie Antoinette.  It was all very fascinating.  

For my art activities, I did an art journal called No Mistakes by Keiko Agena.  I also took a vacation to Santa Fe.  I had intended to go to the Georgia O'Keefe museum, but found out on arrival that you have to purchase tickets ahead of time!  But no fear, Santa Fe is swimming in art of all kinds.  So I got some experience in the culture of art.  

For self discovery this month I read two books:  Death of Innocence by Mamie Till and Recovery by Russell Brand.  I also had a vacation to the desert of the Southwest, made some donations, did some Spring Self-care challenges and Spring Hygge.  I did a meditation series on Commune with Koya Webb as well as listened to some podcasts by Jeff Kober, Joyce Meyer and Faith Hunt.  

I learned about France that they like to enjoy life.  Really enjoy it.  Art is beautiful.  The stuff I like anyway. It is wide and varied with something for everyone.  And though it is serious business when they do it, the world of galleries and museums do not get up early.  Not for anything. 

I Always Loved Your review

 "I Always Loved You" by Robin Oliveira is a novel that follows the life and work of two of the 19th centuries greatest artists: Mary Cassatt and Edgar Degas.  Cassatt is an American who went to Paris to paint and Degas was already there, famous, and full of opinions.  It starts at their meeting and follows them and their crowd full of artists throughout their lives until the death of Degas.

I really loved this book.  It "paints" the imagery and turns the novel into a work of art itself.  Cassatt is one of my favorites and this book brings her to life.  I recommend this novel to anyone who loves art, Paris, or color in their life.  

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.com.