Love is in the Air

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Love is in the air...Your heart flutters: you smile a lot and think about your loved one all the time, when you are with them you have lots of eye contact, and you genuinely want them to be happy. 

I think love should be something that comes easily, and we should show it all the time. A small daily gesture goes a long way. Maybe a touch on the shoulder or a kiss on the forehead. Growing to love the real person and accepting who they are, with both strengths and weaknesses, can make a wonderful difference in your relationship. It helps it to become a lasting source of comfort, emotional safety, and joy. I don’t think we should wait for Valentine’s Day to show our appreciation.  Sure, a box of candy and flowers are great but let them know you are there for them physically, mentally, and spiritually daily.

Let me share one of my silly dilemmas while being in love. I become forgetful.  I sometimes forget I washed my hair, so I will rewash it. However, the funny and entertaining moments you share will make you crave each other’s presence even more. Did you know people who are in love report they spend, on average, more than 85% of their waking hours musing over their love? Wow! Love is often associated with warm and fuzzy feelings; it can also be a huge source of stress. Being in love often causes the brain to release the stress hormone cortisol. So, if you notice you are freaking out, you may be just in love. 

For the ones who have lost their loved ones.

Valentine’s day will be difficult. Though they may be gone, we keep their memories near and dear to our

hearts. Maybe do something to honor them. Have a piece of cake or a piece of candy they enjoyed. Go to a place where you both loved and sit and think of all the wonderful memories you made with your loved one. Give them thanks.

Let me leave you with this poem.

"The rose is red, the violet's blue,
The honey's sweet, and so are you.
Thou art my love and I am thine;
I drew thee to my Valentine:
The lot was cast and then I drew,
And Fortune said it shou'd be you."

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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. 

Mastering your Mind

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I have been busy working in the garden, the front yard, and around the property trying to keep up with the weeds. A couple of months ago, when the leaves started to fall, I used them as mulch in my garden. The leaf mulch kept my soil temperature warmer in the winter and protected my plants.  It also suppressed the weeds, reducing the number of weeds in the garden and improving the soil fertility as it decomposed. I am a Happy Gardener.

Here is something I want to share with my friends, family, and visitors. 

Controlling your thoughts and mastering your mind.

Our mind is a powerful tool.  When you control your thoughts, it influences the way you live your life. I heard that the average person thinks around 70,000 thoughts a day. Crazy huh.

Let us think of many squatters living in our minds, and they create unhealthy and unproductive thoughts.  What we need to do is be in charge and evict them.  I believe being able to control your mind is a cornerstone of overall health and wellbeing. When your brain is healthy, your body follows, you will reduce your stress levels, energy and improve your focus. Creating a healthy mind is a daily discipline like creating a healthy body. Think of your words as being your daily nutrition. 

The inner critic compares themselves to other people, listens to other people’s words and their expectations. 

The pessimist is always worried about the what-ifs.  Always motivated by fear.

The reactor is triggered by anger, frustration, or pain.  Unhealed wounds from the past.  Any experience that is even closely related to the past will set him or her off.  It can even be a sound or smell.

The sleep depriver is the inner planner, the rehasher the contemplator. 

Why not begin each day by paying attention to your thoughts.  Every day is a new opportunity.  If you are thinking bad thoughts stop and counter the bad with good thoughts. Your mind can be your best friend or your enemy. Sit quietly and allow peace, gratitude, compassion, love, and joy in. The new version of you will be so much better than the old version of you.  Why not be your own best friend.

Let me leave you with this quote – At the end of the day, I’m at peace because my intentions are good, and my heart is pure.

 

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Living in the Country

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When I moved to Paso Robles, my goal was to learn to become self-sufficient. There was plenty to do on the ranch because of the 15 fruit trees, raised beds to plant a garden, grapevines, and plenty of acreages to hold livestock.  

Here are the 5 best things I learned living in the country. 

1. You can see Stars - I noticed right away the number of stars you can see.  They are limitless.  I was amazed.
2. Peace and Quiet - No traffic, no car horns or sirens, no neighbors playing their music too loud, and plenty of parking.  You now hear birds singing in the morning, cows mooing in
   
   the pasture, toads, and crickets at night.
3. Friendly Neighbors - My neighbors always looked out for me. I would walk over and have coffee with my neighbors and sometimes a piece of homemade pie.  We would talk about our gardens and the town.
4. 
   Slower Pace - I like the slower pace of life. I felt it was time to go back to my roots.  If I close my eyes, I can remember running in the tall grass with my sisters.  We did not have much, but we had each other’s love.
5. Room for Animals and Gardens - I planted a garden in the raised beds, and tended to my 15 fruit trees daily.  I had chickens and plenty of eggs.  I grew a cow and pig for meat. I bartered with my neighbors for their heirloom white eggplant and beef tomatoes for my grapes and almonds.
   

Let me leave you with this quote:

If you are not grateful for what you already have, what makes you think you will be happy with more?

Thank you for dropping by and visiting me.  Poppy sends you many blessings on this cold and winter day.

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A Note from Poppy

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My Reader

The one that takes the time to read my stories and watch my podcasts.  I want you to know that I am grateful to you for being here even if I’m sure that sometimes there are better and more important things you can do.

I have lots of readers and users checking my blog every day but there are a few of you who are reading it. To you I’m saying the most honest and from the bottom of my heart  “Thank you”

It means a lot to me that you read my blog and that you sometimes share my articles. I feel like this is a true statement of trust in what I write and that you believe my content is worthy of being seen by other people too. 

Again, Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Poppytheauthor a Country Girl at 💛

Sharing 5 tidbits of higher consciousness - Happiness

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Poppy started her New Year off with a bang.  She took a hard fall and was so worried about her hip that she did not notice the knot in her head.  Poppy ended up having a mild concussion.  She is blessed to have a granddaughter who checks on her daily and a good friend, too.

I would like to share 5 tidbits of higher consciousness.  The following 5 out of 37 tidbits of  higher consciousness were derived from the perennial bestseller “Handbook to Higher Consciousness”, written in 1972 by Ken Keyes. It’s a reference book for being at peace with whatever happens in your life.

As I become older I am becoming wiser. I have learned to walk away from things that don't make me happy.

Here are 5 tidbits of higher consciousness:

1. The only real problem in your life is how you’re using your mind.

2. You always have enough to be happy. It’s the patterns in your head that make you unhappy.

3. View others as unfolding beings in their journey toward higher consciousness.

4. Think of the world as a loving place designed to give you everything you need.

5. You add to the suffering in the world when you take offense, just as much as you do when you give offense.

Happiness comes from within. Start by taking your first step away from the things, jobs, or people you know are making you miserable and step towards the people you know that make you happy. That first step walking away is also the first step toward something better. Don’t look back. It’s your life.  It’s not too late.  People will get over it. You’re smart enough. You’re strong enough.  You’re capable enough. If others can do it, if others can have it, so can you.  Start now. 

Let me leave you with this quote.

Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect. It means you have decided to look beyond the imperfections.

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The Year in Review - Poppy

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Poppytheauthor a Country Girl at 💛

The year is winding down, and I want to thank everyone who has read my blog.  Blogging this year has been extremely rewarding and satisfying for me. I hope these posts have been of some use, information, or entertainment for you. I thought I would share a little tidbit about New Year's Day how it became a Holiday.

You might be surprised to know that New Year's has a long, ancient history; in fact, the earliest recorded celebration to honor the new year is believed to date back some 4,000 years — in 2,000 B.C. — to ancient Babylon. According to History.com, these Babylonians celebrated the new year at the first new moon after the vernal equinox (usually around late March) with an 11-day festival called Akitu, which involved a different ritual on each of its days. The holiday celebrated the sky god Marduk's mythical victory over the sea goddess Tiamat and involved either crowning a new king or allowing the old king to continue his rule. Either way, this 11-day festival would probably have put our current New Year's Eve parties to shame!

Here is a recap of Poppytheauthor highlights of this year, 2020.

I have become a stronger person in mind and spirit since the death of my husband. I live by one breath, one step, and one day at a time.

My story "Polona," a Western project, won an accolade in the ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch for 2020.  A story of a young Indian girl Poppy who meets an American Cowboy Cimino Kid. (POLONA - Butterfly sitting on a flower)

My story "Joe Boots" is listed as #11 ScreenCraft Cinematic Short Story for 2020.  A story of a young confederate soldier ghost in a farmhouse in Silicon Valley in the early 60s.

I look forward to continuing to blog and sharing with you.  I would love to hear from you; please leave a comment that would be nice or maybe share my blog with your friends and family.

Wishing you a Happy New Year.  May God's light guide your way in 2021. 

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