I came, I saw, I wrote

So today is the 10^th day of a 500 words a day writing challenge that I am a part of. I am supposed to write about writing. So if you would have asked me a year or so ago if I was a writer I would have told you that I wasn't. I wrote in a journal some when I was younger but besides that I didn't do much writing. I never thought I would be blogging, but I started reading some blogs several years ago and I enjoyed looking at the photographs and reading about each blogger’s family, adventures around the world, things that were important to them and how they survived in this world that we live in. 

I was inspired to start my own blog and write about things that matter the most to me. Family, faith, wildlife (or any animal), a good cuppa (yes indeed I might write a post just about having a good cuppa!) photography, life lessons and much more. When I first started writing I wasn't sure how it all worked. After some practice it became much easier for me to write. I enjoy writing on my blog as I can express my thoughts about anything from the Rhinos in Africa whose lives are in danger from the harmful poachers, a book that I have recently read, someone who inspires me or teaches me a life lesson or even something that makes me happy. I can share those things with family, friends, or maybe someone halfway across the world who I have never met before. 

 I am able to freely express myself through words and hopefully as I write I am positively impacting someone in the process. I know as I write it won’t always be easy, but I plan to continue and hopefully learn heaps as I go. I think that if someone else’s words can inspire me to write, I can hopefully inspire others with my writing.  So far with this challenge I been able to write more this month than I have written in a long time. With school, work, and other distractions in my daily life I was slacking in the writing department. It is so easy to get caught up in everything around me ,but I am enjoying this time spent away from everything and just simply writing( and of course listening to music) daily. I know some people who are doing this challenge are writing books and such, not saying that I will but not saying that won’t either ;). 

It has been a great experience so far and I am looking forward to completing this challenge and continuing my writing even after it is over.  Thanks Jeff Goins for giving us this challenge and your encouragement along the way.  If you would like to join this challenge http://goinswriter.com/my500words/, check out Jeff’s new book The In-Between (I’m reading it now, I’ll review it later), or just visit his blog  (It’s awesome!) you can go here http://goinswriter.com/ .   

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, and no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”  ― Virginia Woolf

Until next time…..

-Savanna

(This post and any other post from my challenge may not have been edited yet. I will update them all  in a few days)

That time that I met a complete stranger

One day while volunteering at our local ER I met a complete stranger. I was sitting at the front desk waiting for the Nurse in the exam room next me to finish triaging a patient so that I could take her to a ER room so the doctor could see her. I sat there watching the different people around me. I noticed this elder gentleman on the other side of the desk sitting in his wheelchair.

 He sat there talking to himself at least that is what I thought he was doing. He was trying to talk to the other people in the ER but they just ignored him. The lady who transports people to their vehicles was busy at the time moving patients out of the ER who had already been seen. She told me that this man was going to have to sit here for a while before anyone could take him outside to his car. At the moment I wasn't doing anything so I told the nurse I would be out a few minutes and she said that would be fine because she wasn't done with the patient that she was examining.  I told the lady handling the transporting that I would take care of the man in the wheelchair for her. She was glad since she had many patients lined up waiting for her assistants. So I told the man that I would be taking him to his car and asked if he was ready to leave. He said that he was more than ready to go and glad for my help. I unlocked his wheelchair and then we were on our way down to the car park. He was parked on the opposite side of the building so we had to take a few elevators to get to where we were going.

On our way out after introducing ourselves he began to tell me about how he used to be in the military and how he served in the war. He asked if I had ever heard about certain locations and I told him that I had because my great grandfather was in the military and he had been to those exact locations. It turned out that they were about the same age and both served in the United States Marines. He told me about how he was a pilot in the Marines and I told him about my grandfather being a Master Gunnery Sargent.  We talked about the war and he went on to tell me about his best friend who didn't make it out alive. He was sad about it but he told me that his best friend was a great soldier and an ever better friend to him during their time in the war together. We finally made it to his car and he thanked me for listening to his stories. I was glad to hear them as I have missed my grandfather telling me his stories of the war. This moment in life made me think about what we might learn about people if we just take the time to listen and think of someone besides ourselves. We could make a world of difference in someone’s life or if we are lucky they will make differences in our lives. 

In loving memory of James Talmadge Crane.

Marine Master Gunnery Sargent E9 1924-2004

This post is day 3 of a writing challenge that I am doing.  I will be posting some of the post here and keeping some for my journal.

~A life of Thanksgiving~

(This is not my photo, but I couldn't resist sharing, it's just too cute!)

(Photo credit: Shutterstock)

Thanksgiving is only hours away. One day in November is set aside ever year where people come together with family and friends to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving. So we only get one day of the year to be grateful? I think we should be thankful every day of the year, as we have so much to be thankful for. Instead of complaining of the things we don’t have which can make us feel worse, why not be grateful for what we do have? There are so many things to be thankful for. If you are having trouble thinking of some things to be thankful for start by looking down at your feet, are you wearing shoes? Do you have a roof over your head? Do you or your children have an education? Have you eaten recently? These are many questions that we need to think about. So many people in the world today (in all different types of weather) are going without shoes, they don’t have a roof over their head(some living in boxes if they have one), they do not have access to an education, and most of them will go hungry tonight. So be thankful for you are blessed beyond measure!

(this is not my photo)

“Be thankful for what you have; you'll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don't have, you will never, ever have enough” 

― Oprah Winfrey

Hey everyone! Our dog Sera is a contestant for the Orvis Cover Dog Photo Contest! The proceeds for this contest will go toward canine cancer research at The Morris Animal Foundation. If Sera's photo wins she will be featured on the cover of the Orvis magazine. How exciting is that?! So if you guys would like to vote just go here!http://coverdog.orviscontests.com/contest.html?page=viewInd&id=82816&contestId=9

Please share this with your friends! Thanks in advance!

“It's not what you have on the outside that glitters in light, it's what you have on the inside that shines in the dark.” 

― Anthony Liccione

Happiness

So it's 8:58pm here where I am, and I am supposed to be doing my writing assignment (aka my English discussion board). We are supposed to answer a question about happiness and whether or not we think it can be bought with money, and the rest of the questions are about the novel The Great Gatsby(which I won't share this time ).  Anyway, I got a little bit distracted with the first question (and totally forgot about the other questions), so I began to research happiness and its definition. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary happiness  is: the state of being happy.  Well for some people they take that and other definitions and twist the words into something completely different.  I will now let you read what I shared with others tonight in my English class. 

Does money buy happiness?

I believe it depends on what you think happiness is.

In my own opinion I don't think money can buy happiness. It can buy things that may or may not make you happy for a short period of time or until the neighbors get that new grill that you have been dying to have, someone at school has that new sweater you told your mum about that you saw at the mall last night, or someone buys a nicer car than you have. To some happiness is merely a day at the spa with no work in site, a big screen TV to watch latest football game on, or a front porch with a mountain view. I've noticed that people confuse happiness mostly with temporary pleasures. Don't get me wrong a front porch with a mountain view sounds wonderful, but you have to think is that really what is going to make you happy. For me happiness is loving others, giving more than I receive, making people smile. Those are just a few ways I can define happiness. I think the word happiness is sometimes used like the word "love" people don't realize how powerful it really is, so they use is a way it isn't meant to be.

I came across this quote tonight about happiness. ↓ 

Happiness - By Alfred D. Souza

"For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time and remember that time waits for no one.

So stop waiting; until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. Happiness is a journey, not a destination."

                  (this is not my photo, but it was to lovely not to share!)

So I don't think there is much more to say here...

What are your opinions about happiness? Do YOU think money can buy happiness?

"Just a Horse"

  From time to time, people tell me, "Lighten Up, It's just a horse."
or ... "That's a lot of money for 'just a horse ."

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the cost involved for "just a horse." Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a horse."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a horse," but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a horse," and in those darkest days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a horse," gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a horse," then you probably understand the phrases like: "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a horse" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a horse" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a horse" I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a horse" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a horse" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself, and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a horse," but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a horse" just smile, because they "just" don't understand...

Author Unknown