Don't Worry ( #BOTB Results )

Anxiety weighs down the heart,  but a kind word cheers it up.    

Proverbs 12:25 New International Version (NIV)

Pondering the Colorado River in Austin Texas

Pandemic Days

        There's so much for people to worry about these days that it's difficult to know where to start.  Maybe it's best to start by not worrying.  Jesus said not to worry (Matthew 6:25-34) and if you don't take any stock in what Jesus had to say then just use common sense.  How are you going to make things better by worrying? 

          If you find yourself consumed by worry then maybe you need to take some action to take your mind off of that worry.  After all, worry is essentially an act of selfishness if no action is taken to find ways to remedy that which is worrying you.  Worry is wasted effort which culminates in no positive result.  If all you do is worry then you aren't working towards personal wellness and your worry can become more contagious than the worst disease.

         Would you rather be spreading the negative energy of worry or the positive energy of hope, concern for others, and the mindset that things will get better? 

        Sometimes children know best.  Here's a story that my daughter Ada Z shared recently about my dear granddaughter, Grace, who is seven years old:

My daughter, Grace, had a dream the other night. She said,
“We were sitting around the campfire as a family and God came down to sit with us. He started singing a song about the world. Then he ate a marshmallow. Everything is going to be ok”

I asked her how she knew that it was God. She said, “It was definitely God”.

The smile that she had on her face and the twinkle in her eye gave me so much hope and it has truly gotten me through the last few days.

         Thank you for that sweet story, Ada, and bless the wisdom of my granddaughter, Gracie.  She put into words with elegant simplicity the advice I've been trying to live by over the past decade or so.  Eat marshmallows and sing happy songs.  Everything will turn out just fine--or at least the way it's supposed to work out.

Battle of the Bands Results

My Martyr Battle

         My most recent Battle saw "Joan of Arc" by Jennifer Warnes go up against "The Martyr" by prog rock group Wally.  As some of you might have guessed, my favorite was the song by Wally.   However either of the albums that these songs came from are big favorites of mine.  The voting ran close at the beginning of the race, but then Wally broke out ahead to capture the win.

   Final Vote Tally

Jennifer Warnes     5 votes

Wally                       9 votes

Next Battle on Wednesday April 1st

        This is going to be a big day in blogging since this will also be the start of Blogging from A to Z April Challenge for 2020.   So far nearly 300 blogs are signed up to the official list, but many more will be participating through social media sites like Facebook.  If you're basically locked down for the current pandemic then why not join us in A to Z.  This seems like the year to do it.

       And wait!  There's more!   April 1st will also be the posting date for Insecure Writer's Support Group.  So it's gonna be a whopper of a blogging day.  I've pulled all these together in one post in previous years so I guess I can do it again.

        Please be well.  And don't be afraid.

Turkey and Blog Posts for Thanksgiving

          Hope everyone had a great week. And can you believe Thanksgiving is on Thursday? Don't know why but this year it took me by surprise moreso than other years. Thanksgiving has always been a favorite day for me. This year I don't think my wife and I are going to do things up too big like we've done in past year, but we'll still have a smaller sized traditional dinner.

         The past week was somewhat odd. Perhaps I'm now feeling the pressure from trying to keep up with my NaNo novel.  I'm still at it and keeping up. I'll be providing my insight on Monday's post and talk about what roadblocks and detours I've been encountering and will look forward to hearing about how other writers, as well as in other vocations, deal with the types of things that I'll be talking about.

        Over the past several Sundays I've been doing a series about prayer and talking to God. Tomorrow's post will deal with listening to God.

        Had some fun reaction to my last week's post about toothpaste . This Tuesday I'll be getting in a Thanksgiving spirit with a post about traditional Thanksgiving fare. I'll be hoping to hear about some of your Thanksgiving favorites.

        For my Wednesday interview story I will be profiling Lonnie Carver, a professional musician who branched out into worship ministry and now acts as the worship leader at a Tennessee church. This past week's story about artist Ada Jackson got a very good response from those who left comments.  According to my tracking stats, viewership to the Tossing It Out site tripled on that day. 

        The weird one for the past week was Thursday's debate topic on the Bible in schools . I guess that old adage, “Never discuss religion or politics in polite company” is pretty true.  Not many of you seemed to want to touch that one, although I was pretty impressed by the substantial comment contributions from two favorite bloggers, Carrie Kei Heim Binas and Stephen T. McCarthy . I would encourage you to go check that post and the commentary as well--and certainly feel free to add more comments.  Perhaps this Thursday I'll try to avoid the overly controversial and get silly. Let me know if you think I get off-base with some of my topics.

         Yesterday I had another post about death stories.  They were not morbid stories, just ironic stories. One of the comments on this post was left by psychologist Harris Stern who has an interesting blog called Who Am I? Who Are You?  .  Harris has some interesting posts about death, as well as telling life stories. He also has a website that you may enjoy http://www.supportforchange.com/ .


         So what are you doing for Thanksgiving? Do you have a long-standing tradition that you'd like to tell us about?  What was your most unusual Thanksgiving? What are you thankful for?
 
                   Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ada Jackson: Portrait of a Young Artist

          Art is the cumulative result of the artist's talents and life's experiences reflecting a combined vision of the reality of the world in which we live and the world dreamed and imagined. When I look at the work of talented young artist Ada Jackson this is what I see.  In her work, Ada manipulates the motifs of memories with the fanciful and surrealistic to create visual pieces of stark beauty at times, whimsey at others, and always compelling and interesting.

           Ada Jackson was born in the East Tennessee town of Maryville, Tennessee in 1982. Her parents traveled with a theatrcal production which toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada. Her upbringing in the theater scene certainly had a big influence on shaping the way she sees the world. She was on stage at a young age and when she was nine years old she played the lead role in a stage musical based on PINOCCHIO.

         Shortly after this tour, Ada and her family settled in Downey, California at which time Ada's interest in art began to be nurtured.  Having been greatly influenced by her grandfather, artist Frank Pastore from Richmond, Virginia, Ada was encouraged to allow her artistic expression to flourish by some of her school teachers.

        In 2005 Ada moved to Central New Jersey to pursue a career in real estate.  However, her passion to be an artist led her to pursue her dream with conviction. She has gained recognition from her exhibits in New Jersey and started her website, collagepodge.com . In her current business Ada creates custom works made from photos and memorabilia provided by her customers as well as her unique paintings.

         Ada took some time to talk to me about her works and dreams.

How would you describe your art?

I would describe my paintings and drawings as abstract expressionistic. I usually like to incorporate photos into my paintings. I feel that I put a lot of myself into my work. Whatever I am feeling at the time, usually comes across in my art.

                                                  Open  Your  Eyes                                                                                                                   This piece was created in support of the World  Hunger Foundation            

What are some of your goals as an artist?

I would eventually like to be known for my original artwork but in the meantime I would like to use my art to make people happy. I use CollagePodge.com to create unique, thoughtful gifts.

Are there any artists that have inspired you?

I have always loved Vincent Van Gogh but I think my Grandfather, Frank Pastore, has been my biggest inspiration. He and I share the same artisitic style. I didn't even realize how alike our style is until recently.

Blue Emilee

Where is a place that one of artworks you have created would end up that would make you say, “Now I’ve really made it as an artist”?

Definitely somewhere like the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But it doesn't take much for me to feel like an artist. It may seem silly but last year I entered a contest at Starbucks where artwork was displayed there for a month. At the end of the month they had an event where they picked the winners of the contest. Proceeds from the event went to the World Hunger Foundation. I ended up winning and someone bought that piece. It felt so great to create a piece of art that inspired people and that helped a good cause. I would have to say that is one of the moments, as small as it was, that made me feel like an artist. (See "Open Your Eyes" above)

Where do you like to go for inspiration?

I don't have a particular place that I go for inspiration. To get inspired, it usually takes an event or special cause to inspire me.

Do you listen to music when you work on your art? If so what do you like to listen to?

It depends on my mood. If I do listen to music it's usually older music like the Beatles or The Doors. I also like to listen to Death Cab for Cutie, Nicole Atkins, The Pogues and Kings of Leon.

Which medium of art do you like to work with the most?

I actually have 3 favorite mediums. Acrylic, charcoal and ink.

                                    Ada at work in her studio

If you could have an art studio anyplace in the world, where would you most like it to be and why?

                                                                   

I have never been there before but I would love it if I had a studio in Oia, Santorini, Greece. The pictures look absolutely amazing and I couldn't think of a more beautiful place to paint and draw.

What is your dream in the field of art? What do you see in your artistic future?

My dream is for people to know my work. Whether it be my original artwork or my collages I just want people to get inspiration from what I do. I see myself continuing to use art as an emotional outlet. If I never reach the level of a Vincent Van Gogh then that's fine with me. I would just like to be able to touch a few people's lives for the good through my art.

Why should people go to your website and commission a work from you?

I feel that people should visit my website because it might give them an idea for a very personal and thoughtful gift. When you order a collage from me, I take your memories, whether they are photos, letters, a child's drawing, and I create a unique piece of art. It is not a digital collage. It is an actual painting that includes your personal mementos. I put a lot of hard work and thought into every collage. You and your loved ones will not be disappointed.

Girl Kissing Her Baby

by Ada Jackson

http://www.collagepodge.com/

                                                                                            

                                                                                                        "Hope"   Donated to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

        Try to support the arts and young artists. Be sure to visit Ada's website and keep her in mind if you are looking for a truly unique gift.

         Thank you for visiting TOSSING IT OUT and please come back often. Every Wednesday I present features about interesting people and things they do. Every other day of the week there is a post that hopefully is of interest to you. Tomorrow there will be a new debate topic for discussion so check it out and voice your opinion. And if you haven't done so yet please click on the "Follwers" button on the right hand side of the screen and become a Birdwatcher. I'm trying to reach 100 followers by the end of November--please help me reach that goal.




















 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting a Bit Long in the Tooth Paste Aisle

                Things have gotten so much more complicated than they used to be.  It used to be that when you needed toothpaste you'd just go to the toothpaste section of the store and grab a tube.  There would be just a few choices. If you needed to get rid of the yellow on your teeth and had their advertising jingle in  your head,  you'd grab a tube of Pepsodent.  Or there was Ipana with the cute Bucky Beaver commercials like you might have seen in the movie GREASE.  All in all the choices were few.

                                  

                Why I can recall when you could find tooth powder in the store. Tooth powder was the precursor to toothpaste.  It was basically something like baking soda, salt, and some flavoring and it came in a can.  It was the next best thing to brushing your teeth with Ajax because it tasted better.

         But when it came right down to it, back then the toothpastes were all pretty similar in that they all had that "minty fresh taste".  They were all white at first.  Then they started making toothpaste in shades of blue and green and even making them come out striped. There were more brands and more gimmicks.  Still it was all pretty simple for a while.  You might have been swayed by reports of which ones four out of five dentists recommended or which ones prevented cavities, but I don't think you could tell that much of a difference if you were doing blind taste test.

           Then something happened.  Each brand name started adding more and more flavors, colors, functions, and formats.  There were new kinds dispensers that went beyond the traditional tubes.  There were pastes that did different things for different users. Now beyond mint there was an array of mint--peppermint, spearmint, cool mint, arctic mint, fresh mint and all other kinds of mint.  New flavors such as bubblegum, tuttifrutti, and cinnamon were added .  I'm waiting for food in a tube that you can eat and clean your teeth at the same time. Hey!  How about lasagna or kung pao chicken flavored toothpaste for your next time saving meal with teeth cleaning included. Yuk!

           So which toothpaste is best?  Well, no scientifically backed opinion from me.  I go by what's on sale as the first criterion for my purchase.  And the winner is usually Colgate.  It seems like whenever I'm ready for new toothpaste, more often than not the grocery chain where I usually shop, Ralph's Supermarket, owned by Krogers, has Colgate on sale. Sometimes it's Aquafresh, and more rarely Crest-- but usually it's Colgate that's on sale when I'm buying.  That's fine with me because I have become mighty partial towards the Colgate Cinnamint and Luminous Paradise Fresh.

       The Colgate flavor that I usually have on hand is Cinnamint.  I've always preferred cinnamon to mint.  One bad thing about the Cinnamint is that it looks like your gums are bleeding when you rinse after brushing, but the toothpaste is red so what do you expect.  The Colgate Luminous Paradise Fresh is a sparkly paste that looks like it must be filled with some kind of radioactive substance.  The taste reminds me of some sort of candy I used to eat when I was younger, but I can't quite place what the flavor is.  Looking at the paste I'm thinking that I might glow in the dark, and the name might seem to suggest that it glows in the dark, but I haven't checked yet.

       Yes things have changed.  I don't know why we would need all those different kinds of toothpaste.  Sometimes it seems like we Americans just have too much time on our hands.

        What kinds of silly little things do you find yourself making decisions about? 

         Don't forget to make the decision to read my post tomorrow.  Up-and-coming artist Ada Jackson will be featured.  She will be telling us about her work and her art business.  I think you might enjoy hearing about Ada.

Things To Come

         Halloween is coming-- of course we know that.  Can you believe that as I write this Halloween is only two short weeks away.  Then we know for the most part what comes after that.  Holiday seasons!  Thanksgiving has always been a favorite for me.  Then there are so many things to like about the Christmas season.  But let's not get ahead of ourselves.  I'll be writing about those things later, but first we need to finish with Halloween. But not today.  Instead I would like to look ahead at some other things you can expect to see on this site and make my most recent big announcement.

          Saturdays just don't seem to be conducive toward in depth writing.  There's alway too much going on it seems.  Go here, go there, and this and that.  So here are some quickies.

         I want to thank my good friend Sebastian Sidi for becoming a follower of this site.  In November I plan on doing a interview with Sebastian because if you don't know him yet I think you ought to meet him now. I think you are eventually going to hear about Sebastian anyway so you might as well perk up your ears and find out why more and more people keep on adding themselves to Sebastian's list of fans. If you want to get a preview of Sebastian Sidi and hear some of his music then check out his website -- I think you might be impressed.  Be following this blog for more about Sebastian Sidi.

        Another musician of note is Forrest Smith of Phoenix, AZ.  I've known Forrest for--well, I won't say for how long, just that it's been a long time.  He is a very fine songwriter, singer, and musician.  I can't say enough good things about Forrest so you can bet I'll have plenty to say in my feature about Forrest.

         Collagepodge  is an interesting business created by up and coming artist Ada Jackson of New Jersey.  Using her creative talents and artistic eye, Ada can take anything and turn it into something wonderful.  Her works of art are often commissioned as gifts or keepsakes. I'm sure that Ada will have some interesting ideas about art as heirlooms as well as other views about the world of art.

          Whether you are interested in photography or not, you may be interested in what Juan Velez has to say about the topic.  Juan has been making quite an impression in the world of sports photography and his pictures have appeared in many places. Maybe Juan can give us some pointers on how to take better photos when we get together for holiday events or just take better pictures anytime.  It's always good to hear from a pro.

         Finally, that "big" announcement that I mentioned in my teasing opening paragraph.  I made the plunge and signed up for NaNoWriMO.   "What!" you say?   In an earlier blog I wrote briefly about this.  It stands for National Novel Writing Month and you can check my earlier post for my comments about this or follow the link to the NaNo website if you want to get more details.  I will be writing more about this challenge you can be sure.  Between my upcoming novel and this blog and everything else I write, I hope I don't drown in a sea of words and phrases.  If any of you readers are participating in NaNo, then for the record my NaNo name is wordleeness.  Let me know if you are out there and good luck!  So the juggler of words and phrases has tossed it out to you-- got anything for me?