Marisa | Humbled By Humanity

October 3, 2025October 3, 2025

OSMO in time for that next gift giving occasion!

Christmas and Chanukah and Ramadan and the holidays and birthdays… are all coming and have I got the THING for you

I haven’t been this excited about a tech product since my 36 year old son was a tike of about 6 yrs old!

When it comes to computer games and technology I’m not a huge fan. It takes a lot for me to get excited about something that’s not paper and pencil or purely mental strategizing. Things I’ve been excited about in the past, I could count on one hand!

Off the top of my head, Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?; The Leap Frog reading system; Prodigy online and BreakoutEDU. Honestly, that is about IT.

UNTIL NOW!

Enter the OSMO. The top reason I think this device is fantastic is that, like the Leap Frog, it adapts to the learner so can be used for school aged children from pre-school thru HS age. The OSMO covers language arts; math at all levels; physics; drawing, spatial reasoning and logic.

Who am I? I have taught all age groups. The past 5 years I have been teaching math intervention to small groups of students of all ages and abilities. My biggest experience has been with the math tiles and the Newton (physics) component. I have introduced the OSMO to some of my coworkers and they have really love it. Like most schools, iReady is THE adopted learning program across my district. The OSMO does not collect data which can then be analyzed. OSMO involves hands on manipulation of materials which is lacking in iReady. OSMO system also performs in far fewer (in some cases ZERO) verbal cues. This allows for children of ALL levels of English fluency to engage in the spelling, phonetic and math skills being presented by the device. The players do not require headphones. All the pieces are out in the open. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but as soon as a person (of any age) puts on a pair of headphones, engagement with the outside world stops completely. Teachers can look at iReady data and allow that to guide their instruction, but it is meaningless when it comes to pinpointing exact skills that are both lack and excel in. Because I use this in an open classroom, small group environment, I turn the sound OFF completely. This means students are talking with those around them and verbalizing math tasks. Their friends are pausing their own play to help each other and offer suggestions on passing a level. Students call out to me for help when they are stuck. This is something I have NEVER seen with iReady. iReady is good, but for other reasons.

Here I am going to review each app as listed in the product description. I am also working on creating videos for viewing pleasure on youtube so you can see the tasks in action.

Since this is going to be a longer post. I want to start off with something honest to pay attention to. The kit requires a device. It is compatible with iPad, iPhone and Kindle. The purchaser must be aware of which device will be used with it most. If the purchaser does not have a compatible device, those need to be purchased separately. The entire kit is useless without the appropriate device. All of the compatibility specs are clearly listed, so the purchaser must do their due diligence in purchasing a compatible device, if need be.

OK, on to the review and description!

The magic is in the downloadable apps. The physical base and manipulative pieces are strong, durable and high quality materials. They are not, however, electronic.

All of the apps include the feature of creating personalized profiles based on age. If your child is higher or lower in a certain ability, then I would suggest inputting that they are at a younger age. For example, my 5th grade students are really working at a 3rd grade level in math, so, I created generic profiles for 3rd graders and just have them click on that. The program increases in rigor as they play from level to level, so it all works out in the end. Another example, the 2nd graders that I had were not reading yet and could not identify beginning sounds. I actually had to set the letters app to Kindergarten level to meet their needs. Again, as they played and advanced through levels, it became increasingly more challenging.

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Math Tiles

Skills; subitizing, decomposing numbers, number sense, adding, subtracting, multiplying

Pre-K to 2nd grade. Children should know the standard dot patterns on dice. We call this subitizing. As they progress in their ability to recognize numbers AND work with numbers by counting and adding they can be challenged further by working with the number tiles AND non standard dot patterns. Non-standard dot patterns are not part of this OSMO system.

Math skills included in this app cover number sense, decomposing ALL numbers (ways to make all numbers i.e. 7 is 3 and 4 or 5 and 2; 37 is 30 and 7 or 25 and 5 and 2 etc.) as the program increases in rigor, students are multiplying and adding and performing order of operations to obtain answers. I also teach students to work smarter not harder and to be mindful of building off previous answers. This teaches students to work logically and methodically. If they have just built a 37 and there are a variety of numbers to work next, they should analyze which is closest (or EASIEST!) to get to from where they are?!

Letter Tiles

Skills: phonics, spelling, vocabulary, Spanish and English

One side of the letter tiles has upper case letters and the other side has lower case. They come in a set of blue and red so that in 2 player games children are competing with their own color. The skills involved in this app cover beginning sounds, missing letter sounds, matching a picture to the word and spelling entire words in a ‘hangman’ type setting (without the violence of any acutual hangings!) A picture-not a sketch or drawing- but true life like picture is presented. Based on level selected, the player must match beginning letter; missing letters or all letters. Both word matches and letters becomes increasingly more difficult as students progress. Example; at Kindergartel level there might be a picture of a cowboy hat with __at showing. The student must select the /h/ tile for the beginning sound. The same hat at a higher level might indicate ranch or corral (because the hat is sitting on a fence post on a ranch) and the screen displays _ _ _ _ _ . So, the player knows that the answer isn’t hat an has to try other letters start guessing the word.

There is also a two player game where students spell words together, or take turns. Each of them has their own color tiles. The system keeps track who placed the last letter to spell the word and gives them points. This has never gone well with my students as they feel intimidated when they “lose.” So generally, they just end up helping each other to spell the words as a team. Something that can be done without the competition factor. But some kids are competitive and thrive in that kind of environment. If you are an adult who happens to be bad at spelling, this might be a really fun way to compete against your own child in an environment that levels the playing field and allows the child to be victorious over the adult! How empowering for them! Alas, that’s the kind of parent and teacher I am. I am THRILLED when my children and student are correct and I am wrong! My defeat is actually my own win! That’s how I see it anyway.

There is a Spanish version! By adjusting the settings to Spanish, all the words are in Spanish. So non native English speakers can play OR English speaking students wanting to learn vocabulary in Spanish can do so by changing the settings!

Tangrams:

Skills: spatial reasoning, geometry,

If you are not familiar with Tangrams….you’ve missed out! Tangrams is an ancient Chinese puzzle. (Tell the kids this! It completely hooks them!) There are 7 pieces: 2 small triangles; 1 medium triangle; 2 large triangles; 1 square and 1 trapezoid. Designs are made with all 7 pieces. This puzzle leads to spatial awareness,logic and creativity. When given a black outline of a design, the player must create that design using all 7 pieces.

I got really good at this one year when I was teaching 2nd grade. It was an activity center and my introverted students would play with it for a very long time. I have hence become quite rusty. I was playing alongside one of my students the other day and they were building the pictures much quicker than I could!

The OSMO levels for Tangrams include showing the colored template so that the player copies the diagram and places the shapes exactly where the screen directs them to place them. In mathematical terms this falls under geometry with transformation; translation; reflections; scaling and orientation. It’s amazing that a child as young as kindergarten can perform complex geometric procedures which will be revisited in depth during the middle school years.

Newton:

Skills: spatial reasoning, physics

This app also falls under some geometry as well as physics of motion and movement. On this screen, items fall from the top and the player must draw lines which the items then bounce off. It amazes me that the developer could pull this off! Every time the player draws a line, the app recognizes it instantly and the items start bouncing off it! If their hand is in the way, it bounces off their hand! The player has to position these blockages to guide the falling objects to bounce and hit a target. I will definitely make a video of this because a picture paints 1,000 words. As the rigor with this app increases from level to level it becomes too difficult for me to engage with! The students are thrilled when they can surpass the level that I can…and I am equally impressed by how brilliant they are!

Masterpiece:

Skills: creativity, art, drawing, spatial reasoning

This is a drawing app. It is also fantastic. I teach math and whenever I bring out the OSMOs I make the students play the math components. The avid readers and artists are always begging me to play Masterpiece and I rarely allow it. I feel badly about this because I really want to foster their creativity.

All of the above mentioned are INCLUDED in that Genius starter pack. Both Masterpiece and Newton engage in drawing. Any whiteboard and dry erase markers will do, however, OSMO sells those as well. If you end up purchasing Monster, it comes with the OSMO whiteboard & markers so you could use them with some of the components of this starter pack. Just wanted to clarify that!

Pizza Co:

Pizza Co.:

Subtraction, planning, coordination, timeliness, teamwork, problem solving.

My students of ALL ages NEVER tire of this!

In Pizza Co, students take pizza orders from cartoon patrons and receive Yelp Reviews for their endeavors! This is a non verbal exchange. The patron presents their order by means of ingredients which pop up above their heads. If a patron indicates no meat, the player must create a pizza for them. Upon sliding it into the oven, the patron provides their review by means of a smiley face above their head. The patron moves off screen to eat and when they are ready to pay, the pizza tray turns grey. The player must flip the pizza tray over, go collect the money and give change. If they are struggling to calculate the change, hints show up rather quickly on the screen. The settings can be changed to include a variety of coins or just dealing with dollars.

My students beg to play this everyday. I see it as a two player game. One person is the chef, the other works the register. After a certain amount of time, I have them switch roles. Sometimes it seems as though the chef has complied with the patron’s request, yet the patron is unsatisfied. So, the student has to intuit what was wrong, if anything, and why they got a bad yelp review…and try to fix that for the next patrons.

Monster:

Story telling, listening, drawing and illustrating,

This app SO cool! HOWEVER, if you purchase the Genius starter pack then read carefully!

Monster is an app which is NOT included in the Genius starter pack. Creative starter pack comes with ANOTHER base, which you might not need! It also comes with the whiteboard and markers pictured here. These will come in handy with Newton & Masterpiece which DID come with the starter pack. Again, the purchaser needs to do their due diligence and click wisely.

There is a simple Monster app add on which is less expensive.

In this app the character starts a story and asks the player to draw something for his story. Like magic, the character reaches down and pulls that drawing up off the white board and into the screen! It is the most engaging thing EVER!

This requires a quiet spot-something I rarely have in my classroom setting-so that the player can hear the whole story that is going on. This is great for listening skills, comprehension, drawing and engaging with texts.

Products listed in this review:

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September 14, 2025September 14, 2025

I Feel So Conflicted

Twenty first century USA. Twenty four years ago 2,606 people people died when they went to work in New York City. Because they were headed out on a vacation or trip of some kind, 246 passengers aboard four different planes were killed. And 125 people who went to work at the Pentagon were also killed. That’s a total of 2,977 in one day who died because some agents working on behalf of their beliefs about the USA and/or their faith were expressing their beliefs. I can’t name a single one of these victims.

According to Education Week, there have been nine school shootings in thToday my spirit is disquieted. I’m at odds. I went to church and ruminated on thoughts entering my mind. I had an expectation that church wasn’t going to “go well.” That they were going to mention “it” and I’m so sick of hearing about “it” …yet I WAS the one bringing it up! “It” is living rent free in my head, while I’m preparing for debate and battle with the next person to mention “it” that it ultimately turns out to ME who mentions “it!”

Three days ago a man was assassinated on a college campus while giving a speech about his beliefs. I had never heard of this man EVER, until he was assassinated. For the past 3 days social media has been FLOODED like never before about all of his white supremacy ideas. All of his divisive speech about every other faction of society that didn’t look like him or believe in a God that he believes in. Now I’m hearing that he was INFLUENTIAL in getting young people to vote for the current president. I find it hard to believe that he influenced ANYONE, of course, since I literally have NEVER heard of him. Until he was assassinated.

Should I be concerned that I’m so “out of it” politically? Or was he kind of a ‘nobody.?’ I used to be such a news hound. Read the newspapers, watched the news. Now we get news 24/7 over the internet that most days I catch the headlines from social media. And we all know we can’t believe EVERYTHING we see on the internet.

e USA this year (2025.) It is September, the ninth month of the year. That’s an average of one per month. I cannot name a single student nor teacher who is a victim of any of these shootings.

Bearing in mind that school is in session for 10 months and off for about two months here is a brief list of the numbers:

2018- 24 school shootings ( that’s more than 2 per month.)

2019 – 24 school shootings ( that’s more than 2 per month.)

2020– 10 school shootings ( this is 1 per month)

2021 –35 school shootings (this MORE than 3 per month)

2022 –51 school shootings (this is 5 school shootings per month.)

2023– 38 school shootings ( nearly 4 per month)

2024– 39 school shootings (again nearly 4 per month.)

https://www.edweek.org/leadership/school-shootings-over-time-incidents-injuries-and-deaths

I cannot name a single victim from any of these shootings.

In the 20th century, both Martin Luther King Jr and Malcom X were assassinated for their social beliefs and both of them had strong roots in their respective faiths. John F. Kennedy was assassinated because of his political decisions and beliefs. Ronald Regan was nearly assassinated by someone with a mental health issue. The current president was nearly assassinated because of his political beliefs.

The man who was assassinated on a college campus in Utah espoused right leaning and was supportive of the current president and his agenda. He espoused these beliefs in the name of Christianity and white skinned people. He was a strong proponent of protecting the 2nd amendment- the right of all citizens to bear arms. In this 21st Century, this amendment has been misconstrued from “the right of the people to keep and bear arms for a well-regulated militia” to “the right for all people to own weapons just because they want to own weapons, any weapons, the bigger and faster the better.” The political faction calling themselves Christian Nationals are no more Christian than the Pharisees of biblical times. A faction that Jesus Christ himself spoke out against. White supremacists living in fear that black people today– if given the chance–would take over the country and, in retaliation, impose the hellacious treatment on white people which white people imposed on their ancestors three to four generations ago is preposterous. It’s an antiquated thought process that was being expressed at the time of abolition in 1865. Have the lineages of these people been wallowing in a cesspool for 160 years?

Why is it that so many of the voting population in this country have evolved yet there’s a genetic cesspool of humans in office making antiquated policy and trafficking children right under our noses?

This man who was assassinated on a college campus three days ago was shot for his adverse beliefs by someone who suffers from a mental health illness. This writer doesn’t like to post their views on social media because of the constant backlash. No one on social media is going to change my mind and I know now, that I am not going to change the mind of anyone else. This victim, however, thought he could change the minds of other people. Maybe he did. Maybe it’s true, and he was influential in getting newly registered “Gen Z” voters to vote for the current president. I don’t see how that’s possible, I had never heard of him until he was killed. And now social media is flooded with video clips of what appears to be him causing divisiveness on college campuses across the country. Some are calling it “debate” but the interactions do not resemble any debate class I learned about in HS nor college. This victim himself stood for freedom to own guns. And was shot by one. It sounds more like karma than irony. It sounds more like this is just where we are in the 21st Century. “We’re” going to talk about this shooting but who do “they” think they’re kidding? There will be a school shooting in October and this shooting will be old news. Are these genetic mutants going to crawl out of the cesspool and retaliate against people who aren’t white, even though it was a white person who shot this man?

I have not yet made this blog a regular habit and I turned off the ability to comment because the firewall allows for thousands of spam comments. You are welcome to comment on my social media page.

January 22, 2023September 14, 2025

A Peacemaker During the Pandemic

A true story

I went to briefly visit the author ofSerpent Box. On my way back home I had the urge to use a restroom. I stopped at a busy intersection in a strip mall and ran into buy dinner at a popular fast food establishment. Inside seating was closed and the hallway to the bathroom blocked off with all the tables and chairs.

I asked the cashier if I could please use the bathroom, I still had an hour drive home and I wasn’t going to make it. She, of course said, “No.” The patron behind me suggested I go to the corner BBQ store-they might allow me to use their bathroom. I walked across the way to the family owned business.

A “kind woman” was exiting. She held the door for me and said “Go on in, honey.” However, I noticed a sign taped to the door saying “NO BATHROOM.” So I kindly asked, “If I buy something can I please use your restroom?”

Well, did she ever turn on THAT dime.

Voice raised she excitedly exclaimed,
“No, no! There’s a paaaaan-demic, a paaaaan-demic I tell you! It’s all over, it’s everywhere! It’s serious! No, you CAN NOT use the bathroom.”

A bit stunned I muffled from under my mask “Yes, I know there’s a pandemic.” I started explaining that I had an hour drive home and she interrupted me…

“There’s a paaaan-demic! A paaaan-demic I tell you! It’s serious!! You gots to go before you leave home!!”

Stunned again, my dukes were up and I wanted to explain that I’m a 56 yr old woman who has raised 4 kids, and I’m a teacher and I know ALL about “going before you leave home.” My dukes were UP and my blood was about to boil…and yet I was at her mercy.

That’s when the peacemaker stepped in. She had been standing there all along, nearly invisible.

The Peacemaker said “What? You need the restroom?” and the “kind woman” who turned on the dime shouted “Yes, but there’s a paaaaan-demic, a paaaaan-demic I tell you! It’s serious!!” and the Peacemaker in a lower voice said, “If it’s so serious, then why are you the only one not wearing a mask?”

My dukes were still up, and I thought…’nice hook! Now lemme give her an undercut!”

But the “kind woman” took a breath and started on the defense with a list of excuses and instead of delivering another hard jab, the Peacemaker, even more softly said…”Ok, ok, but you gotta say it nicer. You just gotta say it nicer.”

I wish the author of theSerpent Box had been with me because he would have taken a very poignant photograph of the Peacemaker’s light. What I have is her memory etched in my brain. She helped me solve my little issue after that.

I was inspired to write this after reading Featured or mentioned in this post. I earn a small kickback from Amazon from your purchase at no costs to you.

Posted on December 23, 2021December 24, 2021
Financial Control for Dummies

Written FOR dummies BY dummies!

Have you tried taking financial advice from successful millionaires and billionaires? I have. Have any of their strategies worked? Not really for me. I mean I’m not a millionaire or billionaire afterall. Also, just like exercising regularly, I don’t stick with it. I thought ‘Well, she/he’s a millionaire, they must be able to tell me something so that I can be a millionaire too.’ I don’t mean to bad mouth anyone. Honestly, it’s me. I’m a bit inconsistent and self deprecating. I’m not competitive and so when the financial going gets tough, I tend to hide in a cave and tone it down a notch rather than “get going” like a tough guy.

Some of these millionaire programs first ask to fork out money. It’s either for a membership to their exclusive club in which they will divulge all their strategies. Or money for their program. Something that I had to pay for in order to get some advice for getting on track. But I just needed to get on track. I wasn’t in a head space to become a millionaire or billionaire. I needed to get back on track.

Soooo, have you ever tried taking financial advice from a dummy? I did, a couple of years ago. And I learned more from those people for free. I’m not great with money but I have learned from people who were worse than I was. I’ve learned from people who are better than me too. I learned from both types. And they weren’t millionaires. Both made me realize things about myself. Habits I had, GOOD ONES, and bad ones. Boundaries I had and habits and boundaries that I needed to create.

Hello, dummy! It takes one to know one. OK, you don’t really know me, but trust me, I’m a dummy.

I want to share with you some simple and FREE habits and strategies I have been practicing over the past 2 years which have helped me lower my anxiety on payday AND turn myself around to controlling my money instead of it controlling me.

In this article I want to share just one. The first and single most simple habit I have been practicing that helped me start controlling my money within 3 months. KNOWLEDGE is power. I honestly had very little knowledge about what my money was doing and where it was being spent. I just knew that I didn’t have enough and before the month was over, my money was gone and I was eating peanut butter from the jar and bundling up at home instead of running the heat.

You’ve heard of the straw that broke the camel’s back? Well this camel’s back was broken many times. Cue the music “I get knocked down, but I get up again, they’re never gonna keep me down.”

One of my mantras is to be like the palm tree. Bending with the storm then bouncing back unbroken. In 2018, however, another straw broke the camel’s back again and this time I filed for divorce. This left me in over my head in debt because when he moved out, I then had to pay for everything. I wasn’t sure I made enough to do that but I thought maybe I did? And this is why I need to control my money. He was out of the picture and couldn’t control nor influence any of my finances so, that was good. I had only myself to rely on. There was no one and nothing else going on behind my back. That made things more manageable.

I’m a teacher. I have a good, secure job and good pay. My pay was not impacted at all during the COVID lockdown so I have that going for me. In fact, conducting distance learning from home freed up over $300 month for me because I was working at a school one hour from my home. The gas alone was a savings for me. I know the gas was this much because of the habit I’m about to share with you now.

STEP #1

TRACKING YOUR MONEY

I have been calling it this up until a couple of months ago when I discovered that the Japanese call it keikebo. Not only is that a way cooler name but I was pleasantly surprised to make a connection with the ancients. Once again, the reason I began this blog is to share ways in which we are all interconnected in every way possible. So I’ve been calling it keikebo ever since.

When I ventured out on my own in 2018 my mortgage was about ¾ of my salary. That left me only ¼ of my salary to pay my monthly bills and then- well then-I just went on with a wing and a prayer that the money would stretch to the end of the month. Because I was a dummy.

There were other strategies and practices which I also started. I am working on another blog post to share those with you. Here, today, I want to share the very FIRST step I took toward controlling my money and gaining KNOWLEDGE. And we all know that KNOWLEDGE is POWER.

Tracking all my spending immediately lead me to becoming more mindful of the number of stops I was making to spend my money. I actually LISTENED to the cashiers when they told me the total. I had a conscious thought…”hmmm, that seems high for just these things.” or “oh, that’s not too much, I thought it would be more.” Does this happen to you? We are not alone. I have a friend who had bought a few groceries which included 2 loaves of challah bread and the cashier errantly rang her up for 63 loaves and she blindly just paid it and walked out without noticing until she got home! I know there have been PLENTY of times I’ve gotten to my car completely oblivious to what my grocery bill was just moments before. I just slide my card like a zombie without even listening or thinking. It’s that numbing mindset that “Well, I need food and groceries so I just pay whatever they say to pay. It’s not like this is something I can control.” But that is WRONG. KNOWLEDGE is power. KNOWING what you are spending is the first baby step to take control and change (if change is needed.)

This practice made me a little anxious. But not so much that I didn’t want to continue. It caused me just enough anxiety that I avoided stopping for many days. I tried to see how long I could go without spending any money. Not stopping on a whim made me store up and stop 2-3 places on one day instead of stopping to spend money every day. Storing up made me think more about what I needed to buy and thus shop with more of a shopping list and more of a purpose. Shopping with a list and purpose cut down on my spending.

Here’s all you need.

1- A pocket calendar/planner from the Dollar Store.

2- A notebook-also from the Dollar Store OR a digital spread sheet (here’s a free download)

The Pocket Calendar:

Go to the Dollar Store and buy a small pocket planner. Don’t spend a lot of money on anything cute or fancy. Do pick an available color that tickles your fancy. Something that is joyful and pops out, so you always know where it is. (Last year I used red because it’s my favorite color. This year I chose this color that reminds me of the sea.) Put it where it will always be handy.

I keep mine in the center console of my car. (During COVID lockdown this didn’t work well because I did way more buying on line.) So, please find a place that makes entering your receipts seamless. If you’re a dummy like me, you will skip entering expenditures if this planner (rebranded Keikebo) is not at your finger tips at the right time. Full disclosure, I still miss entering my online purchases. I am finding that I only catch them at the end of the month when I complete step #2.

You are going to enter EVERY RECEIPT you get. Just jot it down on the date and categorize it. Is it for groceries, a gift, gas, clothing, etc? Then throw away the receipt (unless you think you’re going to need it later.) When the cashier asks you “Do you want the receipt printed or emailed? In the bag or in your hand?” The answers are “PRINTED PLEASE” and “in my hand. “

Now, I will give you the choice. Choice #1- With receipt still in hand, you either enter it in your keikebo before you put the key in the ignition OR Choice #2- put it in the planner and drive off. When you get home, you do not get out of the car until you enter all your receipts (even if it’s just one) into your keikebo. Then throw away the receipt(s).

That’s it.

Baby step #1.

Here are some random pages from my very simple keikebo. It shows how I have consolidated my spending days.

Before you go on to step #2, now is a good time to take a break from reading and either contemplate what I’ve written and/or watch this interesting youtube video about the concept of Keikebo. I really liked it. It reinforced what I had been doing for about two years. My savings came naturally without any goals, but I will write about that in a later post.

STEP #2

The Ledger/Spread sheet

I use Google sheets but you can use a notebook or Microsoft spreadsheets.

Again, nothing fancy. Any plain notebook will do. I have provided a free digital download for you.  (Please free to contact me if you need steps to duplicating pages at the bottom and renaming them. It’s a simple right click on your mouse pad and readily available information on Google help, but, I’m always glad to hear from you.)

My sister was my accountability partner on this. In fact it was her idea. Do you have someone you can trust to hold you to making this a constant habit?

Full disclosure here. My sister told me about this and how it helped her. She sent me a sample blank spreadsheet. She encouraged me to do it for me, that she had no interest in knowing my specific finances and had no intentions of judging me, she didn’t want the numbers. She just wanted me to do it so that I myself had the numbers. I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) have done it without her. She asked when I would be starting it and when she could expect a copy or notification that I did it. I gave her something like 3 weeks because she was very persistent. Well, 4 weeks later, I had a voicemail from her saying-this is pretty much a direct quote- “Marisa, this is your sister. I’m calling because you said you’d have this ledger going after 3 weeks and it has been 4 weeks. I haven’t received anything from you showing that you started it. You are the one who said you’d be starting it. I’m just calling to check to see if you did what you said you were going to do. It’s for you after all, not me. You are the one who said you needed to get control. I’m just calling to find out if you are doing that.” Do you have someone in your life who can be direct like that? Why not give them this exact script so they can remind and encourage you?

I remember one of the months I got lazy with it and started stressing about backtracking to fill in the prior month when I was well into the current month. At the beginning, I did it for 1-2 months, then skipped and got sloppy about entering receipts. My anxiety rose as I thought about the daunting task of going back and filling in the month I skipped.  And then what would I tell my sister and accountability partner?! When I told her I was behind she graciously said ‘fuggetaboutit.’ Forget about backtracking. Just give yourself grace, you’re new at this, just forget last month and pick it back up THIS month. Forget it. Don’t bother.

If you try this simple habit and in the beginning neglect it, advice from this dummy is to just get back on track with the current month. Keep going forward and don’t look back.  Just keep moving forward.

After about 6-7 months this was a part of my life, #1) a daily routine of entering every receipt into my keikebo and #2) a monthly routine of transferring everything from my keikebo into the ledger. (I get paid once a month and this financial stuff-right up there with exercising regularly-is not my favorite adulting responsibility, so I have always balanced check books and paid bills only once a month.)

After a few months of entering the category totals I cringed at the amount I was spending on groceries. I tried to cut back a little more the following month but it still came out about the same. With about 5 consistent months in my ledger, I asked around. I asked a bunch of friends how much they spend on groceries. Guess what. Not ONE single ONE of them had any idea. Pat on the back for me! I felt like I was a step ahead of a bunch of people in this game. That was exciting!

Since my friends were no help, I looked at some of my habits. One thing I noticed was that I had a lot of containers with left overs and was throwing out a lot of food that had gone bad in the fridge. I was cooking for just my son and me. Turns out not only was I was cooking too much food for just us but in working hard to maintain normalcy for my son by cooking new meals every day I hadn’t factored in this new routine of custody. Often I would make a new meal when there was a refrigerator full of leftovers and then he’d be gone for a few days. I changed that habit. I made sure I cooked bigger meals on the day he came home and I became better and disguising leftovers or using leftovers in a completely different way. I became a better meal planner all ‘round.

It has been two and a half years now and this one baby step quickly lead to a few others simple changes which I will write about next month. Since I keep every month in the bottom tabs of the google spreadsheet, it’s very easy to click on past months to see what I spent in different categories and compare. (For example, I can click on December 2020 and see just how much I spent on Christmas gifts last year. That gives me a ballpark for what I can expect this year.) Though I have made other changes (and one very significant one) the money I have left over AFTER paying my mortgage and bills has quadrupled. You heard that right, I have a growing savings account! I guess I can officially say that I’m not living paycheck to paycheck because I have money left over at the end of the month!

TIME & GRACE

Give yourself some love and time. Honestly, I was a hot mess at payday. I knew I needed a payday but my anxiety was also high so when my paycheck arrived instead of a sense of relief, I suddenly then got nervous. Why? Because I knew my money was controlling me instead of ME controlling my money. I knew I earned enough to pay all my bills but then I stressed about all the groceries and absolutely anything else that might come up during the month. Everything else was out of my control. Groceries, gas and incidentals. I just stayed on this step for over a year. I’m a dummy-I told you that in the title.

Would you do me a favor and share your ideas about this one strategy here in the comments? Could you also follow me on facebook and share this post with your own social media on instagram, twitter, facebook or elsewhere? Whether or not this is a helpful strategy for you, you never know who in your circle might benefit from this baby step.

UPDATE:

THIS selfie shows WHY you want to enter receipts daily. This pic ALSO shows why you want receipts in your hand and NOT in the bag! Here I said that I really don’t stop often nor spend money every day. This represents only about two weeks of receipts. Just look how they pile up! I have been a little lax this month entering receipts in my keikebo and instead have been shoving them into my wallet. As usual, I don’t even have any actual money in my wallet, just receipts.

Posted on December 5, 2021December 5, 2021
5 UNIQUE AND SIMPLE CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS

I hope you enjoyed my Thanksgiving traditions post.

This really is the most wonderful time of year!

I love the crisp cool air, the bright colored leaves are still turning and falling. My neighborhood being lit up with festive lights.

This can be a busy and frenetic time of year. Here are some traditions that help me actually slow down, take time to be intentional and notice the magic and beauty in life teeming all around me.

FINDING JESUS

As we unpack the boxes of Christmas decorations to deck these halls one very simple tradition is that in setting up the creche, the person who unwraps the baby Jesus gets to hide him. The general rule is that he has to be hidden in plain sight. Whoever finds the baby Jesus then quietly re-hides him. This sets up a sense of expectation. It’s a very simple way to remind us that Jesus is always hidden away in our hearts, that He is always around us waiting to be found. It’s a simple little tradition that packs a big punch. Often I have seen my son smile for no reason when he either notices that his hiding place has been found out or that he has found Jesus! Jesus has been on the ceiling fan, in the Christmas tree, perched on shelf or in a corner. He has been high and low and everywhere in between. My son is 13 now, he still isn’t tired of this hide and seek.

CHRISTMAS CARDS

This one is a BIG production. My mom is actually the most excited about it. I don’t get to this every year but it is fun and creative. I only make 50. I make rather elaborate handmade cards. It usually takes up the entire dining room table and I start right after Thanksgiving. If you are the creative type, why not use this as an outlet? I know very few people send Christmas cards any longer, so this is a more artistic way to put your craft out into the world.

ADVENT CALENDAR with a sort of TO DO list

I found this Advent calendar at Starbucks many years ago. The back is magnetic chalkboard and those are tins. Inside each tin I have placed two tiny pieces of paper. One is a random act of kindness. Depending on the ages in your family, you can search on google or pinterest for “25 days of Kindness Calendar.” There are many free ones, some to purchase. Why not do it ALL YEAR?! In any event, a few years ago I took the time to clip out all 25 and fit one inside each tin. The second thing in there is the daily dare from Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare calendar. It is a free resource and something I try to stick to all year to keep me searching for the lovely things in life. By putting it in the advent calendar, it’s something I can share with my son. Of course I also put in a candy treat, just so my son will even open it! The tins are NEVER in order, which again, keep us searching for each day’s tin.

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

It isn’t Christmas without an annual viewing of the 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life. There is a beautiful old time vintage theater where I live that had an annual showing but I don’t see it on their calendar this year. It’s a beautiful restored venue with huge red velvet curtains, a very ornate ceiling and vintage marquis and tiny ticket booth in front. This year, it looks like we’ll be watching from the comfort of our own home.

EPIPHANY AND A DEEP HONORING BREATH

All the halls stay decked until January 6, the day of Epiphany or Day of Kings. Did you know that THESE are the 12 days of Christmas? The 12 days after Christmas. No way is ANY of it coming down before that. I love all the decorations and lights all over the neighborhood and I am in absolutely no hurry to take any of it down. So, when we do take it all down and pack it away. We hold hands, circle all the boxes and take some deep conscious breaths together. We consciously honor all the time we spent together, all the gifts, all the giving, all the food, wonder and awe. We give the season space and time to rest in our memories and hearts.

Do you have any unique traditions? What do you think of these? Are there any that resonated with you? Are there any that you think you might try this year? Please let me know in the comments below-I LOVE hearing from you.

I wish you a season full of wonder, peace and love.

Posted on November 23, 2021November 23, 2021
ERASED and TERMINATED in Nevada City, California

A Blood Diamond hidden among the gems

Nevada City is known as a quaint old gold rush town in Northern California. It’s a little over one hour north of Sacramento. Many in this area know this place. It’s a hidden gem for sure. Today, though, I am not writing about this hidden gem. Today, I discovered a blood diamond among the gems.

This post will be written separate and independent of any other post I write about Nevada City in order to honor the beauty and importance of what I found today. Something that came close to being erased.

The Historian Ember

Today I met the Historian Ember. A humble spokesperson of the local Nisenan Tribe. A tribe which has not been erased in person, but on paper. Long have I looked at this world from another perspective; from the inside out, from the upside down, through a mirror instead of right at it.

The ‘disorienting’ timeline–a reason for YOU to go yourself, to read each panel

When introducing us to a timeline on the wall. Ember stated that it was ‘disorienting’ instead of ‘weird.’ This struck a chord with me because this year, I happen to be working to remove the word ‘weird’ from my vocabulary. She said it was disorienting because if you ask a Nisenan elder “How long have your people been here?” The answer would be ‘Since HERE has been here, we have been here.’ They cannot put a date on it.

The historian then mentioned ‘the devastating times.’

It was but a trickle to the upcoming hour long tour. A trickle which resulted in a floodgate of knowledge, history and hope washing over me in a small space and blip of time.

There are always two sides to every story.

I knew immediately that she was referring to the Gold Rush Era. The glorious Gold Rush Era–though fraught with disappointment and hardship for we white people– is taught as a time of dreamers with resilience, grit and ingenuity who finally met victory. I’m originally from NY. It was taught the same way to me when I was young. As a teacher in CA, it is still taught by those of us with this ingrained image of romanticism-though we know better now- and, for me, today was a pivotal catalyst to DO better.

The devastating times. A time when a certain greed swept these lands along with a selfish genocide of humans and raping of the land. The effects of which carry on to this day. Without spewing shame or blame, the Uba Seo Gallery along with the amazing knowledge spoken so much from the heart by Ember brings life to the light still burning.

After what sounded like more than one lifetime spent with Shelly, the Executive Director of the gallery, Ember walked us through a millennium within just a few square feet of space.

The spirit of forever is how I felt when I left.

For how long have you been here? Since forever ago.

And how long will you exist? Forever.

There was a Nisenan child born just last year. The Nisenan are here alive and among us.

On the left is a woven basket created by the great grandmother of Shelly (the executive director of the Uba Seo Gallery). On the right is a glass artist’s replica created for the annual Visibility Through Art project.

Like many of us humans, the woven basket, though old, torn and broken is still here and still treasured.

The Nisenan People were erased on paper. Terminated. That is the term used by the US government. Many tribes were ‘terminated’ from existence by government orders. It wasn’t until the early 1970s under President Nixon that this practice of “termination” was ended. And yet, there was no reversal or restoration. Just an end to the practice of “termination.” At that time, tribes who had been ‘terminated’ could begin a process of applying for restoration. As we see, some were. This is why they have a reservation separate and sovereign from US territory. The Nisenan, however, have not been granted that status yet. The Nisenan are being told that they are not eligible to be restored due to an expiration of a statute of limitations.

Ember acted as our tour guide from the beginning, through the devastating times of the 1850s, through the language, culture, politics, architecture and art. She unhesitatingly fielded every question the audience of about 25 offered. There was a Nisenan child born just last year. I know this because one of the audience questions was “How many Nisenan make up the tribe today?” Ember not only knew that it was 145 but also knew that the youngest child is about 1 ½ yrs old. At the end, I already wanted to hug her when she said “I’m not a historian.” I interrupted, and erupted with “Oh yes you are!” Which created a well deserved applause from the intimate audience.

Please consider taking time from your busy holiday by visiting Uba Seo Gallery. Check out their short operating hours here.

This Friday November 26, 2022 is Nisenan Heritage Day. It will be an online event.

Here’s a travel tip from me to you. If you can’t make it to one of Ember’s tours, then consider a virtual tour beforehand by following these QR codes which I photographed throughout the exhibit. Then head out there and see some of the exhibit pieces on your own. You will be glad that you self educated beforehand.

EVEN MORE virtual information connected with this diamond!

Visibility Through Art
This Land podcast
Follow on all their
Social Media Platforms

This post is absolutely NO REPLACEMENT for touring the gallery in person. There is a wealth of information and beautiful spirit emanating from the space. I can not do it justice nor replicate that which must be felt rather than spoken or written.

Please let me know what you know about the Nisenan or other tribes. Let me know what you learned or were reminded of by this post and the links shared. If you manage to make it to the Uba Seo Gallery, I would LOVE to hear about your experience in the comments below.

See my other post about Thanksgiving Traditions.

Posted on November 17, 2021November 23, 2021
Thanksgiving Traditions

Plain and Simple

Here come the holidays!

Thanksgiving has long been a bit precarious for this place I call home. For 30+ years now I have lived on the other side of the country from my parents and siblings. Traveling “home” to the other coast for the major Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays became a real hassle. So sometimes I get melancholy thinking that all my local friends have family nearby to visit while I didn’t–it was just us, our blended family with no aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. It was a struggle to make these family holidays my own when I much wanted to be with my parents and siblings sharing the responsibilities of cooking and spending time together. Creating a blended family often left me feeling left out. So I have spent decades learning to embrace our uniqueness and making creative heartfelt collections of unique traditions. (Is that an oxymoron?)

I want to share with you some of the things that have been incorporated into the lives of my family.

The DINNER

Order up!!

This is something I cooked up quite some years ago (pun intended.) When I was part of a blended household and kids were coming and going on odd vs. even years and at certain times on Thanksgiving Day…I could barely keep it all straight. And so, one year, I decided to embrace our uniqueness and declare favorite dishes. Everyone gets to place their order for something on the table. Anything. One year, the stepsons really tested this out and we had 4 kinds of meat on the table. Sure we always have a turkey, but I also want duck. We have had my famous mac n’ cheese, ribs, acorn squash, artichokes (out of season) , fried rice specifically from the Chinese restaurant up the street. You name it! I’m sure at some point someone ordered it and it was on the table. (Hint: as the chef you don’t have to have a family sized dish of an item. Some dishes no one will eat except the person ordering it, so, for example just one acorn squash is enough. Also, ask about 2 weeks in advance. Some kids want to think about it and it gives you time to shop for ingredients.)

The “GIVING”

The day after Thanksgiving we have all the kids do a rather hefty clearing out. They go through all the toys they either don’t really play with any longer or are ready to give up. They know Christmas is just around the corner. So all the toys that are broken we get rid of but the ones that are slightly used, unused and really in decent condition we box up and put on the hearth. The tradition goes that on the night after Thanksgiving Santa comes down the chimney to collect all unwanted toys. He brings them back to the North Pole for inspection and repair and then on Christmas Day delivers them to children around the world who are thrilled to have them.

I found my kids were always quite generous and honest. They played a part in sifting through their toys, making important decisions, letting go and doing good in the world by giving. There were times they surprised me by saying that some one could use a certain toy more than they. Or keeping a toy because it was something that my sister had given and it reminded them of her. ( A child as young as 5 can do this!)

The THANKS

Make a thankful collage.

Materials:

Butcher paper & tape
Markers
Old magazines
glue sticks
scissors

Are you going to have several kids around? Here’s a great idea to keep them working together on a creative project for a while. Tape butcher paper to walls for each kid. Have older kids help younger kids trace an outline of themselves. Have kids title it “I am thankful for…” and then have them draw in their outline/silhouette with them wearing their favorite outfit. Draw and cut out from magazines some things for which they are grateful.

All cousins and grandkids can take them home when they leave. It’s a great reminder for them and they can even add to it throughout the year. I would like to think they’d hang it on their bedroom wall.

The BLESSING

Every year, no matter where we are, I read this excerpt of Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation.

**Click here to read the original speech **

Some years I add a word or two here and there to bring poignancy to just how much it correlates to our current events and to bring folks back in. Beside me choking up absolutely every year, there is usually at least one other tear jerker in the house when they hear it. If I can plant a seed and bring someone to a point of inspiration and true appreciation, I consider that a GREAT day. Luckily I have Abe on my side to assist.

A Holiday Movie

I know….really commercial right?! The truth is, I really don’t enjoy going to the movie theaters to watch movies. Honestly, I critique them too much to enjoy them. I think they are overpriced and the ridiculous amount of money that goes into them honestly, I find a little sickening. Hollywood so rarely meets my expectations that it’s not really ‘entertaining’ for me. Sure, I go, once in a while but it’s just not my jam. Sure I watch the movies years later on Netflix and I like them alright, even better than I would have had I paid $15 at a theater back when it was popular and ‘everyone else’ was going to see it.

However, the feel good brightly colored family friendly movies that are released on Thanksgiving and Christmas day every year. YEP! I love going to those. If not right on Thanksgiving day then the next day…you know after the kids have finished with “the giving.”

What are some of your favorite memories or traditions for Thanksgiving?

Posted on July 11, 2020November 23, 2021
THE SEEING EYE

Morristown NJ

“Neither charity nor pity…but a normal life like normal people…with the independence to come and go as I please.” -Morris Frank

What? NJ is not in my backyard! True. My parents live in Morristown and in THEIR backyard are several gems.  The Seeing Eye is the ‘grande dame’ of them all.

Of course, iconic locations such as the Statue of Liberty (and Manhattan as a whole) are REQUIRED tourist attractions. How many of us head to see family out of state for visits and twiddle our thumbs looking for things to do once we get there? During this pandemic, how many of you are looking for things to do in your own backyard? My advice–not that you asked for it– think like a tourist.

A couple of years ago, there was one year I had more people come visit me than usual. I took each and every one of them to the Golden Gate Bridge. It became “my jam.” It’s about 2 hours from my home but…to them, it was a stunning, memorable icon of US attractions. I think I went to the GGB about 5 times that year. I did not tire of it, neah! Instead, I was a better and better hostess each time I took the next houseguest! Each houseguest was a little different, each time I learned new avenues and new history and new things. I learned and THEY were THRILLED! By the 5th or 6th houseguest, I showed the GGB like a pro! But I digress….

So, Morristown has a few gems. The Seeing Eye campus is one of them! If you are ever anywhere even NEAR Morristown, NJ PLEASE try to plan a Thursday visit. It’s something you will walk away thinking you have learned something new that you didn’t know you didn’t know.

Located at 10 Washington Valley Rd. (less than 1 hr from the GW Bridge out of Manhattan) in the rural part of Morristown. Morristown has a city center like many other small cities however, it extends far beyond the center into a very rural area with what I would call ‘sprawling’ homes and old estates and even older converted farm houses. So, if you are going to visit The Seeing Eye, there are plenty of places to eat, shop, gawk and daydream as you drive down long winding country roads. Park just about anywhere along the way and enter the 90 mile Patriot’s Path for a lovely (and EASY) hike or jog or picnic in nature.

OK…THAT’S Morristown…

The Seeing Eye.

What I knew going in was that dog trainers (and their trainees!) are seen all over Morristown city center. I also saw from passing it on the way to my parents’ house that the headquarters is quite large. So I googled it–60 acres! Ok, that’s a lot of land! …why so much? I’m a scientist at heart too and scientists always start with a question. I wondered what went on in this complex that utilized 60 acres?! Inquiring minds want to know. So on one visit to my parents’ we called and reserved a spot on the weekly Thursday tour. My son is a veritable Dr. Doolittle and he was THRILLED throughout the entire tour. My parents who have lived in Morristown for close to 30 years–and my own mother who is a real bunny hugger–had never been so they too were enthralled with the time we spent there.

Watch this beautiful and brief 3 min. video produced by The Seeing Eye.

We met and convened in a conference room. A person who adopted a dog from The Seeing Eye gave a presentation. Then a trainer told her story as well as a brief history of the founders and the foundation. This part was quite brief, about 30 min. We then were given a tour of the facility and grounds and even MORE information was disseminated throughout the tour.

In 50 words or less. This place is a top rate, first class act. The dining facilities have linen tablecloths and napkins, shiny silver, open spaces. The grounds are beautiful and impeccably kept. That’s all surface stuff, sure, but at the heart and core of it is the deep seated commitment to DIGNITY. The entire campus emanates dignity. For that alone, I commend and applaud The Seeing Eye for carrying out the vision of its founders.

Top Five Stunning Facts:

All recipients of The Seeing Eye dogs only pay $150. Bam! That’s it! Airfare is even included! Recipients live on campus for a little over one month to acclimate to a dog, train and bond with it. The Seeing Eye is able to provide this because they thrive from a well managed endowment.
All veterans pay only $1. That’s it! BAM! BAM!!! If you or a veteran you know has impaired vision PLEASE spread the word!
Are you or someone you know losing vision? Interestingly enough, the woman who spoke to our group didn’t “look blind.” At the end of her presentation she addressed that. She said, “I know some of you are thinking that I don’t look like I’m blind.” (Talk about transparency!) Turns out she had gone blind over the past several years. She staved it off with denial for years and was hit by an electric car coming out of a driveway one day. After healing, she returned to her denial and again, walking down the street she was hit by another electric car. Turns out, electric cars make little to no noise, so she doesn’t HEAR them coming, they SEE her coming and assume she will stop and misunderstandings can be deadly. So after the 2nd incident, she contacted The Seeing Eye.
All other dogs are called Service Dogs. Only dogs from The Seeing Eye are called Seeing Eye dogs. They have trademarked the term.
To keep the breeds pure. The Seeing Eye breeds and trains all their own dogs. They don’t adopt from anywhere. They began with only German Shepherds and now include Golden Retrievers as well. These are the only 2 breeds they use.
BONUS FACT! Nearby families (within driving distance) can sign up as puppy trainers. This is an important part of the program because it’s important that puppies are loved and acclimated to human families at an early age. Maybe your family can adopt a puppy temporarily with a purpose! GREAT lesson for kids (of all ages!)

Do you want to read a little more about the history of The Seeing Eye before going? Read more about the founders Morris Frank and Dorothy Eustis.

Do you have a hidden gem in YOUR backyard? Maybe you’d like to write a guest post and tell us all about it here! (Send me an email or PM on FB.) Our globe is shrinking even more during this pandemic and you don’t know what folks around you don’t know!

Do you know of great places in Morristown to spend the night or have a meal? Do have experience with service dogs? Please comment or ASK AWAY below!

Posted on June 6, 2020November 19, 2021
EVOLUTION–DEVOLUTION–REVOLUTION

Rinse and repeat

A response to the revolution which ignited after the George Floyd murder

Photo by Marisa Salisbury

There’s much talk about “what is my purpose in life.” We’ve all heard and used the term “the circle of life.” We all have unique purposes, yes. Based on our innate abilities, characteristics and personalities. Some we are born with, some formed throughout life. But dare I offer that we DO all have ONE common purpose in life. That purpose is to EVOLVE.

According to etymology online, EVOLVE comes from the Latin root EVOLVERE. It can mean to unroll or roll out. This makes me think of unfurl…though I am no Latin expert. As with books though, it could mean to develop.

EVOLVE showed up in the English language in the 1640s as a way to express unfolding or opening out. Surly when a flag is unfurled or unfolded it becomes airborne and majestic. When a FLAG is unfurled, THAT is when we all FEEL it’s honor, majesty and power of the country that it represents. And so it is with us…the members of the human race. For each and every one of us, it is our purpose and mission on this planet to unfurl and EVOLVE in a way that honors the humanity that WE REPRESENT. To show how majestic our humans are and how powerful we actually are. This truly is at the root of evolution.

DEVOLVE and devolution then would be the opposite. If any individual devolves then humanity doesn’t show so well. If a faction of society devolves en masse then a real problem can present itself. If neighboring or separately classified group of members of the human race devolve in their own special way, it sets a string of dysfunction across to OTHER factions of the planet. It sends our whole planet out of whack. It happens in families frequently and quickly. One spouse devolves, affecting all members of the nuclear family (and sometimes beyond.) Destroying the nucleus of the family and WORSE –the children in that family who then can not evolve as is their SOLE PURPOSE on Earth.

REVOLVE and revolution, I offer, is the only way to push back to the healthy path of EVOLUTION. Set the planet RIGHT and back on it’s course by starting with ONE’S SELF or beginning with one’s separate class of members of the human race. A REVOLUTION is the only way to return to our purpose of evolution and evolving.

And THIS is one description of “THE CIRCLE OF LIFE.” We have all set out to evolve, failed and gotten derailed (by myriad substances and people) but in our core we love and ARE loved and we get back up again in personal revolution in our lives. Round and round we go. Don’t beat yourself up about it. Don’t beat up your community over it. That would only continue the devolution. Instead, stare it in the face and start a revolution!

LOVE.

And you can’t spell EVOLVE without L O V E.

If you are being swept up in this current REVOLUTION are you getting back on course with LOVE? If you don’t know what to do or what to say, then STOP. Breathe in LOVE. Think on LOVE and THEN form your speech and your words. THEN act on the action you now see more clearly, in love.

Are you about to fight or rally against a revolution? Well, STOP. Breathe in love and breathe out what you will likely find is FEAR. You may see the rising revolution in a different light. You may see it in the light of love and you may consider that their impending revolution is being done in love in order to get back to their evolution. You may find that it is some OTHER class of members of the human race that have devolved causing a ripple effect or poison to spill over across the planet. The ones devolving may not even be aware of their own need for a revolution of their own.

A revolution that is based in love will gather others quickly, and in numbers far greater than the stars in the sky, to the revolution.

Posted on May 10, 2020July 11, 2020
The Munificence of Motherhood

Once upon a time a beautiful male co-worker of mine told me that women, in general, are AMAZING. I wasn’t feeling amazing most of the time and when he said it, I thought ”What? Maybe the women YOU know but I’m not so amazing…you could ask a lot of people around me who know me or at least who spend a lot of time with me and they would give you the same puzzling response. Maybe SOME women…but not this one, not Marisa…she’s ok. But not AMAZING.”

Then I discovered Lectio Divina. And it has blown my mind and my spirit out of the physical confines of this mortal body. I see things, I see MYSELF in a wholly, holy and beautiful new light. It’s AMAZING.

When I wrote this, I was looking at my five year old son on a night he went to sleep as a 4 year old but woke up as a 5 year old. And I thought-in at least ONE sense–I AM, in fact, absolutely AMAZING.

We women can grow a human life inside of us and then have them surgically removed or expulsed from our bodies in THE MOST UNNATURAL WAY… a way that, quite frankly, is SOOO unnatural that our bodies writhe and convulse in confusion of fighting to hold on to that life or let it out into the light. Some women even die during the experience thus moving them from the realm of amazing into glory…I guess.

As if that’s not enough-once that human life is removed and separated from our bodies, though they adapt immediately to the atmosphere, they STILL cannot survive without us. So, we grow food and you would think one human being sucking food out of another would also diminish the capacity of the host…but nope-whenever they want, they just make a sound and instead of having the life sucked out of us, it’s more like THEY breathe life into US.

Then we teach them month after month how other human beings on this planet do things; live, become self-sustaining, communicate, have cognitive and spiritual processes. And before you know it, they are 5 times their original size and interacting on this planet just like all the other human beings.

And we act like nothing ever happened!! Like the little life we grew inside of us just magically appeared out of nowhere and we took care of it because we are “just nice people.”

Now, that is TRULY AMAZING. It’s beyond amazing…it is MUNIFICENT (adj. larger or more generous than is usual or necessary. Synonyms: bountiful, philanthropic, lavish, big hearted, charitable.)

Brag. Please! What is some munificent thing you (or someone you know) has done for a child? I know this post is about motherhood but dads, aunt, uncles, guardians, grandparents, teachers (who have I left out? ) please tell us below about something you look back with some inkling of your greatness.

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