STAYING AT HOME…YOU’RE NOT ALONE
People around the whole world are feeling the pressure of the “stay at home” regulations. States in the U.S. and many countries are trying to open slowly, but safely… while waiting for the danger of the coronavirus to pass and a new vaccine is discovered.
After resting a while during the weekend from writing, I decided to think about some people I know and their plight with being confined. Then I’d like to turn our attention to something a little more light-hearted.
Photo by Juan Gomez
My blogging friend in England is keeping a running journal of his days in quarantine. He is situated out in the country and not in the big city of London. Nevertheless, whether staying in a packed apartment building in New York City or out in the countryside, the feeling is the same. What do I do with myself today?
Planning for “staying put” is not easy on anyone. My English friend is pressing ahead, however, and working out plans for his future business which has been a great tour guide in the past. He may be expanding, possibly into Scotland. He thinks that entrepreneurs do their best during critical times…they come up with ideas! Right on…go for it, Stephen!!
Our son is working from home these days with conference calls from Japan, Australia, Germany or other places that are his business concerns, besides the United States. His airline just cancelled his booked trip to Australia. Frustrated plans, I’m certain, but a better day will come! Some things are totally out of our hands.
His good friend, who is from Switzerland, has planned a wedding in Venice, (not Venice, Florida) which he is still hopeful will happen in August…but who knows? He’ll cross that bridge when he gets there.
Not flying..parked airplanes Nick Oxford/Reuters
More difficult for others are those who are in retirement homes and nursing facilities and can’t have their loved ones visit. We have talked to two people recently who are told that they can’t go out of their rooms. Can you imagine the mental anguish for those confined to one room and four walls? Not enough can be said about their situation. It is not only difficult for the elderly, but for their families who love and miss being with them. Keep making those regular calls to these friends and family because they REALLY need you. This too will eventually end for those so confined, but the waiting and loneliness must be almost intolerable.
Another friend of ours is trying to make it especially helpful for the children. They are making water slides and fun games for the children to play outside. Even our dogs feel the cooped up problem when they whine and push their wet nose against our arms. they seem to be begging to go out. “Hey, when is my walk…outside??!!
The nicest young boy in our neighborhood is being home schooled, but occasionally he is seen zooming up and down the street on his little scooter. Hey, a guy can only learn so much! To his Mom, who is trying to work from home and be a teacher as well, I can only smile and say, “Mom, you are investing in the future of the world…for he may be the scientist or doctor to kill off a future virus! Hang in there!”
So having empathized as much as I can with all of you stranded, isolated, stay-at-homers, I’d like to end with a little humor. We all need a chuckle!
Here are some talented singers who know exactly how you have been feeling because they feel it too. They composed their song while staying apart to dramatize life in the last weeks…going on months. We expect that they will sing again TOGETHER before long. Thanks, Guys, for your creative spirit!!
HISTORY IS THE WITNESS…THIS TOO WILL PASS.
VIDEO FOR THE WAY YOU AROUND THE WORLD MAY FEEL OUT THERE. Remember, you are not alone. Turn up your sound
The Right Idea
Sometimes when the world is ready to throw up its collective hands, maybe we need to take a lesson from some who have the right idea about things:
- If someone enters your territory for a little rest, let them.
- Give them an extra push when needed.
- While they rest, you rest.
Life is too short to do otherwise.
Have a great day and enjoy this video below which illustrates the words above. They have the Right Idea! (Great music…click video, move mouse over picture and click on sound)
Statistics…and a New Year!
For the last nine years, it has been my practice at Boyer Writes to take a look at the statistics provided for me as a writer and blogger by the WordPress nerds who dream in numbers. They are greatly appreciated for all I have to do is press a key and up comes…the number of people who have read my blog, from what country they have viewed Boyer Writes… and the number of words that have been written by me. How convenient!
My blogging adventure started in 2009. Just think I am starting right now on my 10th year! Unlike many bloggers whose following is in the thousands…perhaps millions…mine is 236. Now, don’t feel sorry for me. I have also written 377,899 words in my 809 blog posts. Why do I do it? Because I love to write and believe that what I have to say is not only important to me, but to those who read and send a note of appreciation.
My readers are special people from all around the world. Take a look at my map. These people read something I had to say…bless them… even though they have never stepped foot on the U.S.A soil. How great is the internet! It is a special tool that crosses the miles and touches the hearts. The top of my blog says that I am a “Christian writer” and as such, I enjoy sharing posts that are inspirational. My categories show a strong interest also in history, the arts and most anything creative.
Below shows the countries that viewed Boyer Writes over the year. Of course, red is the highest number of views. Taking a look at these charts may be of interest to you also.
These show the countries and the number of times that Boyer Writes was read. Some have high numbers and some only one time. These may be countries where the people’s ability to go online could be limited for various reasons.
The statistics are quite interesting…the highs, lows and everything in between…but also the fact that the country’s flags are also shown. Here are a few of the flag examples:
It may be only one view from any of these countries, but someone there was interested in other parts of the world…and that is what ties us together. My hope is that the map shown above will also include countries where opportunities to know others and their writings in the world will be part of their lives.
Even though Boyer Writes has been read in most of the world, we are still waiting for North Korea, Greenland, Svalbard (part of northern Norway) and a number of countries in Africa as shown in the green areas.
Some of the reasons for those who can’t get online to read a blog or anything else is poverty. We understand fully that if you can’t afford the next meal, a computer is not in the future for many. For others, it is a political problem that cuts off the rest of the world from their citizens. Sad as it may be, there are those nations’ leaders who would like to keep people in total submission. Freedom, as we know it, is not in their present life. Let’s hope for better days ahead for many people.
As we bloggers reach out to the rest of the world, we also enjoy that many times they reach back to us. My blogger friend in England writes an email on occasion and it is always wonderful to hear from him. We have an opportunity to follow other bloggers. A special enjoyment for me is the beautiful photography blogs that come my way regularly. Whatever is your interest, seek out a writer and follow him or her in their pursuits and activities around the world.
Since we are entering a New Year, it seems appropriate to share some thoughts of people from the present and the past. These people have wise things to say about living a better life in the future. You may not agree with all they stand for, but wisdom is wisdom and some of it may need to rub off on us in the next year. (Taken from another blogger, Henrik Edberg of Sweden)
Thoughts about living life happily …for the New Year
“A loving relationship is one in which the loved one is free to be himself — to laugh with me, but never at me; to cry with me, but never because of me; to love life, to love himself, to love being loved. Such a relationship is based upon freedom and can never grow in a jealous heart.”
– Leo F. Buscaglia
“A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.”
– Walter Winchell
“Whenever you’re in conflict with someone, there is one factor that can make the difference between damaging your relationship and deepening it. That factor is attitude.”
– William James
“When you stop expecting people to be perfect, you can like them for who they are.”
– Donald Miller
“If you would be loved, love, and be loveable.”
— Benjamin Franklin
“No road is long with good company.”
— Turkish Proverb
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
— Carl W. Buechner
“You don’t develop courage by being happy in your relationships everyday. You develop it by surviving difficult times and challenging adversity.”— Epicurus
“Constant kindness can accomplish much. As the sun makes ice melt, kindness causes misunderstanding, mistrust and hostility to evaporate.”
— Albert Schweitzer
“You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you.”
— Dale Carnegie
“Relationships-of all kinds-are like sand held in your hand. Held loosely, with an open hand, the sand remains where it is.
The minute you close your hand and squeeze tightly to hold on, the sand trickles through your fingers. You may hold onto some of it, but most will be spilled.
A relationship is like that. Held loosely, with respect and freedom for the other person, it is likely to remain intact. But hold too tightly, too possessively, and the relationship slips away and is lost.”
— Kaleel Jamison
“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one”
— C.S. Lewis
“Some of the biggest challenges in relationships come from the fact that most people enter a relationship in order to get something: they’re trying to find someone who’s going to make them feel good. In reality, the only way a relationship will last is if you see your relationship as a place that you go to give, and not a place that you go to take.”
— Anthony Robbins
“We often refuse to accept an idea merely because the tone of voice in which it has been expressed is unsympathetic to us.”
— Friedrich Nietzsche
“Keep away from those who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you believe that you too can become great.”
— Mark Twain
“You can kiss your family and friends good-bye and put miles between you, but at the same time you carry them with you in your heart, your mind, your stomach, because you do not just live in a world but a world lives in you.”
— Frederick Buechner
“True friendship comes when the silence between two people is comfortable.”
— David Tyson Gentry
“If men would consider not so much wherein they differ, as wherein they agree, there would be far less of uncharitableness and angry feeling in the world.”
— Joseph Addison
“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”
— Tennessee Williams
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.”
— Carl Jung
“When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but creatures of emotion.”
— Dale Carnegie
“Three things in human life are important: the first is to be kind; the second is to be kind, and the third is to be kind.”
— Henry James
“Never idealize others. They will never live up to your expectations. Don’t over-analyze your relationships. Stop playing games. A growing relationship can only be nurtured by genuineness. “
– Leo F. Buscaglia
“There’s one sad truth in life I’ve found
While journeying east and west –
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.”
– Ella Wheeler Wilcox
“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
– Donna Roberts
Call someone you love…to say “I’m sorry.”
“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.”
– F. Scott Fitzgerald
“If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you.”
– Winnie the Pooh
Thanks again to our readers. Be Blessed! Nancy at Boyer Writes
To all Animal Lovers…Merry Christmas
There are some times of the year that are fascinating not only to the young at heart, small children, but to our furry friends.
DD plays Santa
This Christmas music is dedicated to them…with all our love!
DD and Gracie with Boyer Writes author
Slide presentation: A special dedication to our military and their dogs
For your listening pleasure!
Turn up sound (Favorite Christmas music with the Hallelujah Chorus)
A Deer is a Dear!
Our home in Virginia, USA, is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway. We have deer strolling throughout our yard at most any time of day. They are beautiful and besides the fact that they eat our day lilies, we love them! Here is a picture of the most recent one. We’re not certain why she has a split ear, but she seems healthy enough Perhaps she got it caught on a barbed wire fence.
We’ve had rabbits, birds and a bear with three cubs during our time here. It is the deer that are graceful that is truly lovely to watch.
I’m sure that should one of them have a fawn in our yard, as did this man, I would not have the patience to see it through to adulthood…but I thought this video might brighten your day. It is somewhat lengthy, but it has a good ending…and worth the watch.
Fancy (aka Blossom) Finds a Home
Once there was a little boy who lived in a far away place with many Golden Retriever dogs. They were his best friends besides his mother, father, and little sister. One day he saw that his big mama dog had nine little pups. They were all squirming together in a blue box. This little boy’s mother took very good care of them. 
They were so furry, warm and little. He loved holding them and watching them being fed by their own mother.
Out of all the puppies, the little boy had a favorite. The name that the family gave her was “Blossom”. She was the lightest color of all the pups and they put a little pink collar around her neck to identify her from all the other pups.
The puppies grew and grew. The little boy played with all of them, but Blossom kept coming to him and laying around the family’s feet. She definitely was his favorite. Sometimes she would get really sleepy or she did the puppy thing and wet her bed or did other unmentionables, but he still loved her. 
Blossom would lick his fingers and sometimes his nose. Her little nails were razor sharp. She would jump and play, making him laugh. She would try to climb up on him, making him her best friend also. Then she would lay her head on him and settle down… nice and calm like. He would rub her belly that was warmer and smoother than anything he had ever felt. However, the calmness did not last long for Blossom wiggled to get free. She had to explore the world and tussle with the other eight puppies in her litter. 
One day some people came to see the puppies. They told the boy’s mother that they wanted a sweet dog for their very own because their Golden Retriever named Gracie, who was fourteen years old, had gotten sick and gone to be with God. The lady said they would never forget their Gracie girl, but hoped they could find another special girl puppy to take home with them out of the nine pups at his house. He thought that they could find a girl because there were four of them and five boy dogs…but he hoped it would not be his Blossom. 
The man picked up Blossom very carefully and then he handed Blossom to his wife, who let Blossom sleep on her shoulder. 
It made the little boy sad to know that maybe they would pick his favorite dog. If his Blossom had to go away, he wanted her to have the very best family in the world. The way the man and lady handled her made him think that they would love her….maybe as much as he did. They would not get her that day because she was too young and had to stay with her mother for some more weeks. She also had to get shots from the doctor who was called a Veterinarian. When the boy’s mother put all nine puppies in her car to see the doctor, it was a fun time at his office because everyone wanted to see the adorable, new pups.
Finally the day came when the man and woman came back to the boy’s house. They lived a long way and had to drive many miles to get their new pup. His Mother had told him that Blossom seemed to be the right one for them and would go to a far away place and live with them. She told him that she was certain that Blossom would be taken care of and loved in her new home just like they had loved their other dog, Gracie, for so many years. That made him feel a little bit better. He learned that Blossom would not have her name they had given her, but would be called Fancy. She would now be their Fancy girl. Her real, long name would be Fancy Continental Girl because her new family lived near Fancy Gap, Virginia and their house was on the Continental Divide. He was not certain what all that meant, but probably would learn someday.
He heard the car coming and the man and woman walked in the door. They had a big bag in their hand. The lady said it was a surprise for the family and needed his help in handing out some nice things for everyone. She let him give out the surprises to his father, who got a big jar of home-made pickles from Peggy down at the Mayberry Country Store. His sister got a very little dog that looked something like his Blossom. His mother had a package of little blankets for the new baby expected at their home. In fact, the new baby was going to come live with them on August 27 which was also the lady’s birthday. She thought that was really great! He wondered if there was anything for him. She handed him the bag and he opened it to find a big stuffed dog that looked a lot like his nine dogs. Hugging it close to himself, he gave the lady a big smile. He knew it would not chew on his fingers with the little, sharp teeth like Blossom did and maybe he would sleep with it that night to make him feel a little better.
The lady and man put his Blossom in the car and everyone waved “Goodbye”. That night the little boy did go to bed with his furry dog that looked so much like his favorite dog, Blossom. Just like the couple that came to his house, Jackson knew he would never forget his special dog, Blossom, who was now called Fancy. Maybe he would find another favorite dog someday that would stay with him forever. If so, he would probably call her Blossom.
*****************************
The story above is true and we at Boyer Writes are glad to share that Blossom (now Fancy) is in her new happy home….that is when everyone gets enough sleep after the 2 am whimper says, “Don’t forget I’m just a pup who needs to hit the grass outside. If you don’t listen, I will hit the blanket in my bed.”
We definitely listen to her and hope the day will come when we all get enough sleep, especially my husband who always takes her out at night. He’s not afraid of the bears or other animals, like skunks, around our mountain house. Needless to say, they sack out together a good deal of the time. 
As I am writing this at my computer, Fancy is sleeping again, curled up at my feet, just as she did at the little boy’s house. 
When not sleeping, Fancy is eager to play with the ball, chew on her bone and ride in the truck. We went to see our dearest uncle John, who is 93 and still plays golf. 
Fancy took to him right away but decided not to go in the house with my cousin’s two big cats.
We hope you have enjoyed our journey to find our new puppy and the adorable little boy and his family that we will never forget. Here are a few pictures of life with Fancy Girl:
National Dog Day…Aug.26, 2016
Yesterday was National Dog Day in the U.S.A. We would like to honor our dog, Gracie, who has been the most wonderful dog one could ever imagine. Now, she is old…13 years old…not walking well, going blind and still trying to do her best to please us.
All dog owners will relate to this blog. We are also thankful to all dogs who love us and service so much in our communities. They helped find the victims of 9-11; train as service dogs to the disabled; give encouragement to the elderly in nursing homes and provide love and protection.
See the training of our security dogs video below. Thank you also to our police.
The fuzzy Eagles are Growing Strong
Some time ago I blogged about the eagles nest at the National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. At that time they were little fuzzy balls hiding under their parent’s wings. If you saw them then, but not since, you will be surprised at their growth. It may still be a while before they fly, but it has been an adventure watching them…in the sun and rain. You can enlarge the screen for great viewing and get it started by clicking on either Cam A or Cam B on the link below.
(After thought: Today is Mother’s Day here in the U.S.A and it was interesting to see the Mother…or Father Eagle sit on the eggs day and night without concern for storms coming their way. Isn’t that often the case with our own little ones that we care for from their very first day. Happy Mother’s Day to all Mothers everywhere.)
No more fuzz! Eagles are growing up! For your live viewing pleasure, click this link:
JUST FOR FUN…TO BRIGHTEN THE DAY
Some things are just too much fun to pass up. Our Golden Retriever named Gracie looks just like the dog in this video below. She probably will never have the opportunity to frolic with a “Bambi”…even though many deer have come through our yard in Virginia. She is just as calm as this Golden and patient. Her mouth may not be strong enough to find a rock and carry it to shore since in “people years” she is about 92. If her eyes were not getting dim and her hips not so painful, she’d probably like to do a little dancing.
Nevertheless, Gracie and almost all Goldens that I have known are the most gentle and loving pets one could ever have. If you are a family looking for a dog for your children, consider the Golden Retriever. You’ll not be disappointed. Just for fun…enjoy this video and make your day brighter. You might even consider kicking up your heels abit. If not, most likely it will bring a smile to your face.
Children can be Adorable
My last blog was on the beauty, intelligence and temperament of dogs. Therefore, while I’m doing “cute” and not some tragic thing going on in the world, I thought I would share with you how adorable children can be.
Actually, I am probably advertising and promoting a children’s line. (The Diana Award Collection is an exclusive new baby clothes range distributed by Seraphine. Featuring the signature Diana Tartan, made in Scotland.)
The real reason for showing the video, is the amazing job that the person or company making the video has done in producing this advertisement.
(Watch out Super Bowl advertisers! Oh, they are in Scotland and probably will not pay the millions of dollars!)
Having worked with children myself, I know it is not easy to have them do as one wishes. They are more likely to run to the other side of the room or cry. It took some great skill and probably some good editing.
Enjoy with me now, some adorable children and a great video.
