CATALYST

Catalyst is a word I have always admired. Being a collector of words, it is a marvelous one.

I live alone with a Marvelous Monster Wookie and a Triple Trouble Tribble. You might guess where they got their renamings. There are abundant reasons for the adjectives before their names, but that is not the purpose of this missive. Be it here said, I love my dogs.

I should be sleeping, but sometimes things go unexpectedly awry. I was sitting in my bed with my knees propped on a pillow after walking almost 26,000 steps and doing about 45 minutes of weight work for my upper body, plus some aerobics during the day. I laid my tablet on which I was reading eBooks aside. I made the miscalculation of picking up my journal and an Apogee. At that juncture, all sleep plans fled to somewhere beyond Pluto.

I am most lovingly called, an Agent of Spiraling Chaos, by someone dear who has known me quite a while. There are reasons for this nickname. Maybe one being, I am incredibly unpredictable a large portion of the time.

I could have waited until daylight to get all this in the computer and on Haphazard Creative, where you may read it, but somehow that did not feel right. Thus, here we are, hang on, this is CATALYST. Hang in too, because this is a bit all over.

Spare me your pity
Life rises round, and I join
The blooming of days.

*****

Lying here next to you
Only breaths separate us
Vibrant as a garden we are
Enough to embrace joint futures.

*****

I would be the bridge
From the most desperate pain
To living again.

*****

Though it is a war
I do not run from battle
Here, alive to win.
I celebrate, smile, laugh, grin,
Lick the depressions, reach zen.

*****

What are you reading?
Which books do you recommend?
I have a list, deal?

*****

Impossible is
Not in my vocabulary,
Miracles happen!

*****

Describe your best dream,     (I will wait)
Now, make it your present goal,    (Time waits for no one)
Believe it, do it…      (You have the potential to do anything)
No excuses, you have lived    (Without your dream)
Beneath yourself much too long.      (You are beloved, you deserve happiness)

*****

Failed beyond belief?
Stop digging the ditches now,
Plant all the flowers.

*****

See, I told you, this needed to get here now. I know I would not have been given it, but there was a reason.

Serotonin and endorphins, not reading all the harmful toxicity of social media, music, which is medicine for the soul, reading excellent literature, and this is what I got. I am going to rest in my thought that it is exceptional.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan

 

Notations

– Wanting myself easy, I have come to avoid the fall, but LOVE can tackle a person out of nowhere. Roving, it takes lives captive, adding music, romance, conversation – only satisfied when everything changes.
– Maybe it stays, or maybe going, it takes everything.

*****

Fear takes me over
I can hardly be, because,
doubt who is me.

*****

Sometimes I feel LOST
As a plane uncontrolled in
Flight over ocean.

*****

LOVE is all I know
The world, people, time, all things 
To be now, this life.

*****

There are loose jottings like these in different places all through my spaces, and there are poems that, for some reason, fail to make it here. Often that is because I become afraid to present the whole of me. I do have a wee problem with paranoia. Sometimes though, I let the prancers dance out of their blinds. You get random access to the musings hidden between the discord in my mind.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan

Appreciation

Did I thank you for
The hand touching mine alone
When other choices
Were yours to hold on offer?
Did I momentarily forget
How much it meant to
Have sweetly flavored kisses
That set my heart to
Racing staccato, drum-like,
Hugs enveloping me like love letters?
If I was remiss, consider this
Gratitude for the love given.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan

2020.07.19 Yard Flower rr

Honey and Almond Milk

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There are benefits to drinking honey and milk, and Almond Milk adds to the benefits. With the risk of Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses, I thought I would mention this.

When using unsweetened Almond Milk, it is lower in calories than dairy milk. It is free of dairy, gluten, carrageenan, cholesterol, soy, sugar, artificial colors, and flavors. Plus, it has a higher percentage of calcium than dairy milk.

Some Benefits:

  1.  Aids Digestion – honey promotes the growth of good bacteria. It helps maintain a healthy gastrointestinal tract, eliminating bloating, constipation, and cramps. There is also evidence it helps with stomach infections.
  2. Stamina Booster – ingesting cold milk and honey in the morning can benefit energy levels all day. There is also a boost to focusing, concentration, mental clarity, and physical abilities.
  3. Eases Insomnia – combined, milk and honey give significant advantages toward promoting sleep.
  4. Promotes Bone Health – milk is a contributor to skeletal systems, and honey helps get the necessary nutrients there more efficiently.
  5. Antibacterial Properties – both milk and honey have antibacterial properties on organisms, such as staphylococcus. When taken together, their effect is more potent. Their use is effective in combating infections of the upper respiratory tract and easing colds and cough.
  6. Stress Buster – honey and milk have a calming effect. They cause a release of serotonin, which is relaxing. Also, it lowers cortisol levels, which helps prevent the adverse impact on internal organs, including the brain. Honey is a mood lifter, so it can help when there is a need to find energy.
  7. Athletic Performance – Drinking milk and honey before a workout can help maintain a stable level of energy, and drinking it afterward can help restore the body.
  8. Healthy Skin and Hair – honey and milk have nutrients that bring out the glow and smoothness of skin and hair.

Need a bonus reason, honey, and almond milk are delicious together. As with all things, these should be consumed in moderation. If you are on a weight loss regimen, remember to count them in your total consumption. Unfortunately, they are not without calories.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan

Small Pleasures

Last weekend my mentor arranged a few hours away from his overwork, and we went shopping. This was partly because his schedule prevented our spending time on my birthday, which would not have worked for me either. I copy edited that day.

We went to Dollar Tree, and I fell for the store—everything a dollar, yes, my precious. Now, honestly, this entered my certification as a “personal money trap” to be avoided by me.

He told me to look around, and he went to get specific things. This was not a good place to turn me loose, no.

Anyway, among the things I got, the miniature organizer above. I lived with all my finds a couple of days without unpacking them. Then I took a selection of pens and put them in the organizer. The second day of looking at it unembellished, I got stickers and changed its personality.

It is so sweet that he got those few goodies for me. It does not take a lot to make me happy, a trip to a Dollar Tree with one of my favorite people.

I bet some of you know what I mean.

As a prompt, tell about a small thing that made you feel on top of the world.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan