Month: February 2016

Stranded

/ Leland Olson Hoel / 2 Comments

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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/five-items/

DAILY PROMPT
Five Items
A classic question, revisited: what are the five items you must have on a deserted island?
Thanks for the prompt suggestion, Sue Perry!

With my luck my deserted island would not be in the South Pacific, with women in grass skirts living next door. My island would no doubt be somewhere in the Arctic region.

1. I must have insulated coveralls with a hood and fur mittens. When the first polar bear stops to visit, I will ask him to hang up his coat. Then I will try to get him mad enough to leave without taking his coat along. There is a chance that might not work.

2. I must have a harpoon, big enough to get a small whale or a seal but small enough for fish.

3. I must have the strongest magnifying glass made. I can use solar power to start a fire with dry seaweed and moss, hopefully keep the fire going with driftwood and fat from seals or walrus.

4. I must have a saw or sharp ice ax to fashion ice blocks into an igloo.

5. I must have a satellite pick up my cellphone GPS. Being stranded there is one thing but I don’t want to live there.

https://lghoelson.wordpress.com/

Earth My Home

/ Leland Olson Hoel / 2 Comments

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New post on The Daily Post

Longing for Gravity
by Ben Huberman
You are on a mission to Mars. Because of the length of of the journey, you will never be able to return to Earth. What about our blue planet will you miss the most?

(Thank you for the wonderful prompt suggestion, K. Renae P.!)

I love my beautiful blue planet Earth, there is no way I would be on a mission to Mars. There could be one possible exception I would be on a mission to Mars. If it had become impossible to live on earth and and everyone had to leave the blue planet and go to Mars.

What I would miss is the four seasons that I have on the part of the globe where I now reside. I love my four seasons and everything about them. The freshness of springtime is unsurpassed by anything in this universe, new life is flourishing, the air is fresh and pure, you get a surge of energy as you step out doors into the sunshine.

I would miss the most is quiet walks in the woods to watch the various birds going about their business, singing, putting their nest together, bringing food to the baby birds still on the nest. Quietly sit and watch, a squirrel will soon come right up to you. It will noisily ask you,”what are you are you doing next to my tree?” It will announce your location to all the other creatures.

When you silently sit in the woods, after awhile you will see deer walking around looking for something to eat. It will not be the deer the squirrel shouted warnings to. You will never hear deer approaching, unless something is chasing them, they are the quietest travelers in the woods.

Rabbits will come running down their little bunny trails and stop to look at you for a second, then speed away. An owl that has been awakened by some other creature will let out a few hoots and move himself to a new location to wait for his nocturnal feeding flights.

You can listen to the trees as the wind moves their branches about. They will rub against each other making sounds of their own, almost what you would call music of the hardwood forest.

If you are fortunate enough to have evergreen trees that you can walk between you will discover a whole new quiet. The wonderland sight of a forest of evergreens. The wind blowing past is barely heard, the trees hardly move, except for the very tops, everything living there is super sensitive to any external noise in their midst.

I would also miss the many rivers and lakes on our blue planet. they are busy with recreational vehicles, swimmers, water skiers, sailboats and speedboat operators, water recreation on this planet has to be better than anything else in the universe. We are very fortunate to have an abundance of water for drinking, fishing and other recreational use.

Our productive farmland on this planet can produce food to feed everyone yet, that day might be coming when starvation become more common on some parts of the globe. The ability to produce food and feed people continues to grow. We must all learn to be better stewards of the land and water that we have at our disposal on this planet. We do not have an unlimited supply of resources.

If technology continues to grow at the pace it is going, there might well be missions to Mars and other planets. The sole purpose of finding ways of survival for this planet. I know I would not want to be one of the pioneers that is on a one way mission that would take a lifetime.

I would also miss family, friends and other loved ones. Most people leaving this earth don’t have a chance to say good bye, that would be a sobering, sad farewell occasion. “So long, going to Mars, won’t be back.”

Easy Scratch Recipes Week Six

/ Leland Olson Hoel / 7 Comments

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Carrot Cookies

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. shortening

one egg

1 c. grated carrots

2 c. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon flavoring

Cream sugar and shortening; add egg and carrots. Add dry ingredients and flavorings. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake in 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly brown on bottom. While warm, frost with powdered sugar icing made with powdered sugar and orange juice.

George Washington

/ Leland Olson Hoel / 6 Comments

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Individuals entering …society
Posted on February 24, 2016 by Patricia
In Other Words

“Individuals entering society must give up a share
of liberty to preserve the rest.”
George Washington

George Washington
Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, The United States February 22, 1732
Died December 14, 1799

Ratification of the US Constitution in New York, 1788
EXCERPTS
George Washington’s letter of transmittal of the US Constitution to Congress, page 1.

In Convention, September 17, 1787.

Sir,

“WE have now the honor to submit to the consideration of the United States in Congress assembled, that constitution which has appeared to us the most advisable”. . . .

“It is obviously impracticable in the federal government of these states; to secure all rights of independent sovereignty to each, and yet provide for the interest and safety of all—Individuals entering into society, must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest.”

 

“Individuals entering society must give up a share
of liberty to preserve the rest.”
George Washington

When President Washington sent his letter containing this quote to the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787 he no doubt shocked many people. A lot of history has been recorded in the United States of America since that time. Many amendments been made to the Constitution.

The Supreme Court has had their arms twisted in every direction by one political party or the other to make more amendments to the Constitution. Decisions regarding everything from super PACs Widgets to a woman’s right to choose, to guns and gizzard shad. In more recent times cases about the US Government spying on the citizens telephone and email messages for the sake of homeland security. People are still giving up their liberty to preserve it for the rest.

George Washington in his letter to the Constitution Convention in 1787 could never have dreamed of the ramifications of what his quote would come to mean in the centuries to follow. He did realize, for the sake of preserving liberty for the rest, every individual entering society would have to give up a share of his liberty.

President Washington had the foresight and wisdom to understand the full meaning of what he wrote in that letter to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. General George Washington had the guts to do it, to preserve the future liberty for all.

https://lghoelson.wordpress.com/

Likable Me

/ Leland Olson Hoel / 1 Comment

 

Lee.JPGhttps://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/toot-your-horn/

DAILY PROMPT
Toot Your Horn
Most of us are excellent at being self-deprecating and are not so good at the opposite. Tell us your favorite thing about yourself.

I believe the most favorite thing about myself, the one thing I really like, the fact that I am so easy to get along with. I like myself because I want others to like me. It would be hard for even a stranger to like me if I didn’t like myself. It would stand out like a neon sign. If a stranger asks you, “what kind of people live around here?” Ask him, “what kind of people lived where you came from?” You then can tell him, “that’s probably what you will find here.”

I have always been very careful about not entertaining negative thoughts or negative ideas. I realize that negativity will bring you down without you even realizing it. I learned it is best not to give negatives any time to play their games in my head.
That brings to mind “the nattering nabobs of negativism, Spiro Agnew” He tried to make humor out of what he considered his political opponents negativity.

I do my best staying active, doing exercises on a regular basis. I do realize our minds and bodies are closely intertwined and do their best while working together as a team. Exercising deliberately and slowly also helps me not to do it in excess. At one time I considered exercise to be a brisk walk from my easy chair to the refrigerator for a snack.. Exercise and I get along great now.

Setting goals has been a part of my life that I’ve always been very careful with. I never try to set goals that are too high or hard to obtain. Setting goals and chasing dreams are two very different things. It can be fun to chase dreams but if you never catch that dream it will never become reality. My goals and dreams continue to get along just fine with me. We have an understanding.

I have traveled through many different parts of this world. I have found out most of the people that I encountered were easy to get along with. That begs the question? Were they easy to get along with because I was easy to get along with?

https://lghoelson.wordpress.com/

Truckdriver or Offset Press Operator.

/ Leland Olson Hoel / 2 Comments

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Pinpoint a moment in your past where you had to make a big decision. Write about that other alternate life that could have unfolded.

I was 23 years old and had to make the decision to change jobs, my back wouldn’t take bouncing around in the truck any longer.

I took a job as an apprentice offset press operator. I learned all of the hundreds of different places on that printing press that had to be oiled constantly, learned how to mix different ink for the color jobs, clean and store printer plates, fan reams of paper to take the static electricity out, so they would feed correctly through the press, make sure the ink and water balance was always right.

I was totally proud of myself. My boss’s dad was 90 years old, with a nasty, mean mouth, he spent most of his day cussing me while looking over my shoulder and telling me what I was doing wrong before I did it.

One morning I came in early and had a chat with the boss. Sir, I love this job but your dad is driving me out of my mind. I can’t continue being your apprentice press operator.

I was back on the road again, that big eighteen wheeler was singing my song.

My Winter of Discontent

/ Leland Olson Hoel / 5 Comments

 

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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/photo-challenges/seasons/

PHOTO CHALLENGE
Seasons
Share an image evocative of the weather or represent the current “season of your life” in metaphor.

For those of us who reside on a area of the globe where there are four weather seasons. We should feel very blessed and fortunate. Living where there are four seasons we have the appreciation of springtime when all new life starts fresh, everything is growing. Then we move into the summer months when the temperatures increase and life becomes even more active in all the animals and plants. Fall arrives and the life span of many things draws to a close. Harvesting is done, garden produce is canned or stored in preparation for the long, cold winter months that are coming. If the winter season arrives and you are not prepared, it can be a tough long period of time waiting for the arrival of a new warm  spring season.

Preparation for winter is something that has to be done by both people and animals, domestic and wild. A winter supply of feed must be made ready for domestic animals.Critters like the muskrat and squirrel store up food to get them through the long winter months when food becomes harder to find. If the snow gets deep many animals simply starve to death because they can’t find what they need to survive on.

Man and natures creatures must all prepare for winter long before it arrives. Wild animal understand preparation for winter is a serious undertaking that might mean survival. Preparation for life’s winter means getting ready for the end of life as we know it. Thoughts of where will you spend eternity are pondered and hopefully decided.

Man also must prepare himself and his family for the winter months when the temperatures are freezing and the snow covers everything with a heavy white blanket and a coating of ice. The person who doesn’t have his fire wood gathered in preparation for winter, usually only does it once. You do not want to be digging in the snow banks trying to find fire wood in the cold of winter. It is much easier to have the firewood stacked in a neat pile near the house long before winter arrives.

You will be sure to have your house ready for winters frigid blasts too. Storm windows on, seal cracks around windows and doors. You will be much warmer and more comfortable when the wind attempts to make a snowdrift under your door. Garden produce should have all been harvested, canned in jars or stored in a root cellar, to sustain you during the long winter months. These are all ideas of things you do in preparation for winter on the South Dakota Prairies.. Preparations for winter that I just described here are for someone like myself, living in the last generation. We don’t want to go back to those days, but stuff happens.

The modern man living in the city has far less worries about winter preparation. Just close the window and turn the thermostat up or down depending on what his comfort zone is. He also has to depend on trips to the market to get what he needs as far as food supplies.

As we enter the winter of our lives, our tired old bodies are just about ready for that final harvest. How do we plan for that? I really don’t think it would be wise to try and plan for that inevitable time. Don’t just sit and wait for it. You want to continue to exercise your body to keep your strength up. Try to stay active mentally, so you stay alert and stay as healthy as you can. The body starts to slow down, pain makes you tired all the time. You must press on and make the most of each new day.

We actually spend most of our lives planning for winter, hoping to get through the winter, because it tests our resolve. The knowledge that spring is coming, with abundant new life gives hope. The first meadow lark sitting on a fence post, sent there to sing just for you, is a reward of spring. Is this the last winter of my life? Will I see another spring? I do not want to know, just relax, look out the window, or at the computer screen and make the most of this winter’s days.

https://lghoelson.wordpress.com/

Reincarnation

/ Leland Olson Hoel / 7 Comments

https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/karma-chameleon/https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/karma-chameleon/

 

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DAILY PROMPT
Karma Chameleon
Reincarnation: do you believe in it?

“If you believe in reincarnation, you believe that after death a person’s soul is reborn in another body. Certain religions hold this belief as a central tenet, including Hinduism and Buddhism.”

“The Hindu or Buddhist doctrine that a person may be reborn successively into one of five classes of living beings (god or human or animal or hungry ghost or denizen of Hell) depending on the person’s own actions” This sounds like very good reasons to live a decent life, with being reincarnated as denizen from Hell being a possibility“.

The Hindu and Buddhists believe this, it is their doctrine, their belief and I’m not the one to say anything against it. It has been their belief since the beginning of their religion. I would imagine if I was of that faith my mother-in-law would be watching to see if I came back as a dog. Biting my mother-in-law on the leg would happen sooner or later.

The Christian Bible tells us after we die our soul goes to heaven. There is a time when the soul will get a new body. If the soul is properly accepted into Heaven it will get a new body. When you think about the idea of our earthly bodies, full of pain, cancer, heart disease, lungs all worn out and so many different things. The idea of having a new body sound very exciting. I guess I will go along with believing in reincarnation if that includes trading in my old earthly body on a new heavenly body. As I once said, “when I have my new Heavenly body and there is a golf course in heaven, there should be one, if it is Heaven, I will be playing golf every day, rain or shine.”

https://lghoelson.wordpress.com/