Staying Positive in a Negative World

Welcome to Poppy’s Blog!

These days I spend most of my time writing and gardening. My granddaughter Sophia loves water like grandma, so we swim almost every day. In the evenings we  ride our bikes or go for hikes. While hiking, I try to identify wildflowers and birds for Sophia. She loves learning about nature.

I did edit a chapter in the “Polona” book. I added a twist on Cimino Kid. He has a run in with a dust storm while riding his horse into town.  His foot gets stuck in the stirrup and the horse drags him. He hits his head on a rock and the young cowboy Tripp finds his bloody body near the trail and takes him into town.  Cimino Kid has substantial head injuries. The doctor announces to the family “only time will tell if he will recover.” Poppy stays with him day and night taking care of him. Cimino Kid survives because of the love that surrounds him.

Now, let’s talk about the things happening in the world. It’s getting difficult to stay positive in a negative world. Negativity spreads faster than love and causes damage to self-esteem. I am a firm believer in choosing your circle of friends wisely. To be able to stay positive is essential to have influences in your life that support you and lift you up instead of dragging you down. Let’s remember our body is our temple so feed it healthy food, exercise and think positive. Remember to limit your time on social media and television.  Plus, don't let things build up inside of you.This will affect you mentally and physically. Take deep breathes and do not make a mountain out of a molehill. Always SMILE.

If anyone criticizes you stay positive because most of the time it is about their unhappiness. These kinds of people are usually insecure and it’s easier for them to do for others what they cannot do for themselves. There are plenty of them out there. Make your own decisions. Again, smile and let it slide off your back. Take it with a grain of salt.

I will end with this quote:  “Be with someone who constantly makes you roll your eyes, but makes you smile right after.”

Now let’s go out and spread positive vibes!

Poppy

If you like my blog, click on the "FOLLOW" blue button on the bottom left side of the page.  Merci!

Sentimental Fool

Welcome to Poppy's Blog!

Today Poppy is a sentimental fool. We all need a little LOVE in our lives.

When we are born, we are a daughter and maybe a sister.  When we marry, we become a wife, then maybe a mother and then a grandmother.  At times, these lines become blurred but our LOVE never changes.

Growing up as a child I have fond memories of living on a farm with my brothers and sisters. We all shared a strong bond between each other. We had ears that listened and hearts that LOVED. As we grew older, we still listened with our ears and LOVED with our hearts. We as siblings made our own choices in life, we respected those choices and cheered each other on. That is what family does. 

As of today, I have lost a loved one every year since 2017.  First it was my mother, my ex-husband, then husband and now my little brother Gary Thomas.  Every death that I was dealt brings a flood of memories and a question, why am I still here?  

Let me take you back to when I was married. I was happily married for 16 years. They said I had an old soul and I married a man that was 30 years older than me. He was everything I wanted. He was old fashion, affectionate, clever, kind, gentle and good looking. We had a solid marriage because we cared enough about each other to work through our problems, find solutions to them, and loved each other more than ourselves. We never went to bed angry or held grudges. We always kissed and said “I love you” before bedtime.

Let us get back to the question, ‘Why am I still here?” I have answered it. “I am here on earth to teach people what LOVE really means.  I have lived, loved, and lost. I came from a loving family. My mother was a sweetheart and loved us unconditionally. Love is the most difficult emotion to explain. Love is a feeling; Love is an action and Love is attachment.  “Love is like a painting in the beginning it is only an idea, but over time it is built up through errors and corrections till you have a breath-taking work of art for all to see.” Our time on earth is so very precious, so do not waste it with drama.

I have slowly put myself back together and I am a new version of me.  I have learned to brighten my own light.  I no longer need anyone to make me happy.  I stopped being “too nice” and hold kind boundaries while being loving, attractive and phenomenal myself. I have come to realize if someone wants you in their life, they will make room for you. If not, you have either taught them a lesson or they have taught you a lesson. Align yourself with people that you can learn from, people who want more out of life, people who are stretching and searching and seeking some higher ground in life.

Life is too short. So, LOVE the life you live.

Poppy

The place we loved to go. 

Frontier Village, Fastest Fun in the West

In memory of Gary Thomas

6/11/1961 - 7/6/2020 

If you like my blog, click on the "FOLLOW" blue button on the bottom left side of the page.  Merci!

Music is the strongest form of Magic

Welcome to Poppy’s Blog!

The weather has been beautiful and we have a nice breeze that comes through in the morning and afternoon. In the morning, I sit and have coffee on my balcony while the woodpecker family have their meetings.  I have been keeping myself busy working in the garden, writing, crocheting, reading, bicycle riding, going on hikes, making masks, and of course watching "BOSCH"  Julie T. said I should check it out.  It has become my favorite series on Amazon.  Thank you, Julie T.  I sometimes treat myself to the "New York Times" and my favorite sections are the Weekend Arts and the Business Section.  Occasionally, I will attempt the crossword puzzle. 

How have you been holding up since the coronavirus outbreak?  I don't mind being at home, I have become a home body.  I also know I must be careful because my immune system was compromised back in 2007 when I contracted "Valley Fever" in Paso Robles, CA.  If I need to go shopping I do it early morning, and if there are too many people in the store, I will not go in.  I changed a few things I do, always wear a mask, keep 6 feet away and if anyone gets too close, I let them know. 

I would like to share a story while growing up on the farm. In times like this we need to cultivate positivity in our lives.

While growing up, my mom listened to all kinds of music and each of us learned to play an instrument. I was in the 3^rd grade when I learned to play the flute and piccolo. I played in the school band and my music teacher was Mr. Mora. We had spring and winter concerts. We practiced a lot and my brothers gave me hell.  Our dogs would howl when we practiced. My big brother played the trumpet and trombone, my other brother played the drums and my little brother played the saxophone. One Mother’s Day we put on a concert for my mom. She was “tickled pink” and smiled all day.  Those were the days!

          Those were the days, my friend

We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way
La la la la...

My mom signed us up for talent shows. We played songs she picked out, and they were not bad. My big brother played the “Lonely Bull, by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass on his trumpet, I played “Greensleeves a folk ballad by Aafje Heynis” with my flute. When I went on stage, I put the music stand up high so that nobody could see my face. Then, Mr. Mora my music teacher would come on stage and fix the stand. In the beginning I was stage fright, then I got used to it.

I now understand what my mother would say about music.  Music touches our soul because it expresses at times what we cannot verbally express ourselves or that it expresses nearly exactly how we feel. Its universal and, therefore, brings us together. It starts with a beat; raindrops tapping against a window, the roar of the ocean as the waves break and rush towards the shore, the beating of our own heart. Music brings me closer to creativity, tranquility, and beauty. I thank my mom for instilling music in my soul. Did you grow up listening to music? If so, what kind?

I will end with this quote “And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”

See the beauty of everyday things

It is up to you to see the beauty of everyday things. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our day to day chores that we forget to see the beauty that surrounds us. In any given moment there is beauty all around us. Sometimes we find it in the details of a flower or in the eyes of our loved one. Never stop looking. 

Infuse your life with action

Infuse your life with action. Don’t wait for it to happen. Make it happen. Make your own future. Make your own hope. Make your own love. And whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen… yourself, right now, right down here on Earth. 

Make Happiness a Priority

Its been a while since I've blogged. I have so many good things happening in my life. I am loving the country and the garden has been keeping me busy.  I take evening hikes and spend time crocheting, riding my bike and writing. My granddaughter Sophia has been helping me in the garden. She is determined to grow a 500lb pumpkin and it looks like it is coming along quite nicely.

My “Polona” book is off again, and I am crossing my fingers its final. I had to do away with Cimino Kid and bring on a younger faster and agile cowboy who wears a black cowboy hat and boots. I named him “Trip."  I also have a few more stories on "Nature Special Task Team - Poppy and Marshal." I am going to make it a series.

I also started a biography of my late husband. I have more interviews to do and I am putting the dates and years together. He did so much in his lifetime and its getting interesting.  I did my first history lecture in Paso Robles on the westside. I had a few people from LA and Arroyo Grande. It was nice and relaxing.  At the end, they asked if they could take my picture. They were great. 

I had a disturbing call from my big brother who works at Good Sam hospital.  He asked me if I could make him masks. He said the hospital had him sign out a mask a couple days ago, and he has been wearing the same one for days. I made him several masks and met him in Gilroy. It was nice to see him.  He is so serious and I love him.  I made him smile after he called me "Chata" my childhood name.  I made several more masks for Don Chapin Co., Monterey County Bank, Pezzini Farm, and Lucky's employees who make my coffee in the morning. A big "thank you" to my daughter who cut the fabric and Sophia who ironed the masks. 

Helping others makes me feel good. Giving is not just about making a donation.  It is about making a difference.  We are living in strange times. I hope and pray we find a cure for this virus.  Please be safe.

I will end with this quote.   

"Make happiness a priority and be gentle with yourself in the process."

                                    My little helper 'Sophia"

Poppy had Writer's Block

Welcome to Poppy's Blog!

Its been a while since I've blogged.  I had what they call "writer’s block." So, I decided to ride my bike, jog and hike.  I planted my veggie garden and more cut flowers. I have been napping every day for 30 to 45 minutes and meditating. I dwindled my moving boxes down to 2 boxes which is great. It’s nice to be on a hill where you can ONLY see the city lights. I have an owl that hoots nightly, turkeys that wake me in the morning and frogs and crickets that sing to me. 🎶 In the evenings we watch the sunset.  Every sunset is different. 

Before my writer’s block, I sent a book query to an agent in NY. I received an e-mail and thought it was spam then realized it was the agent I had sent my book query too. When you pitch a story, it can take somewhere between a couple of months to almost a year before you hear anything. Maybe I got lucky when I pitched “Polona,” in San Francisco. I walked in sat down and started to talk about my book.  The literary agent smiled and handed me his card and said give me 10 pages. I think my hard work, creativity and dedication is the driving force behind me. I now have two projects, I am working on simultaneously. Polona is not completed because I can’t end the story. It’s been in rewrite phase for 6 months. I guess I need to do what’s best and end the story. 

I am embarking on another book which is quite fun. Its about two people “Poppy and Marshal” plus their sidekick Max who is a black English lab. They enjoy being in nature and going on hikes and country drives looking for different flower species.  They are hired to assist ranchers that want a specific plants eradicated. Poppy and Marshal do not use pesticides or herbicides. They use their knowledge of plants and flowers to solve the conundrum.

As of now, I think I am out of the woods. My fiery passion for writing has come back. I feel refreshed, energized and confident. As Lang Leav would say: 

Once when I was running, from all that haunted me; to the dark I was succumbing – to what hurt unbearably.

Searching for the one thing, that would set my soul free.

In time I stumbled upon it, an inner calm and peace; and now I am beginning, to see and to believe, in who I am becoming - and all I’ve yet to be.

The most beautiful things in life are not things. They’re people, places and memories, and pictures.  They’re feelings and moments, smiles and laughter.

  

This weekend I will celebrate my birthday with family.  It’s wonderful to spend quality time with the people I love.  🥂 🎂 

I think I'm quite ready for another adventure.