This IS therapy, dammit!

By notapoet - About Me - E-mail this page - Add to My Favorites - Add to Blog List - See other blogs in Nonfiction

Sunday, December 6, 2009

19 more shopping days till Christmas

That is the tally if you include the balance of today through Christmas Eve. That I still fall into this annual mental countdown is an indication of how fully indoctrinated I am into this American way of viewing over commercialized holidays. It could be worse. I no longer greet Christmas morning... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

"I don't read fiction..."

No, no -- I'm not talking about myself. I'm quoting HS, an old Army buddy and fellow North Carolinian whom I probably never would have met if we had not been thrown together overseas as a result of our military service. We were discussing favorite books and the type of reading we enjoyed most. A... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Learning something new

It doesn't happen every day, but it's usually a good day when an old dog actually does learn something new. A few days ago I finally learned what a troll really is. For most of my life I'd thought a troll was a frightful creature out of Scandinavian mythology or a method of fishing. In recent years... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

It is now a well publicized fact

that President Barack Obama (born 1961) and famed (and often feared) White House news correspondent Helen Thomas (born 1920) share an August 4 th birthday. President Obama graciously shared the spotlight with Thomas at his press conference yesterday. It was a fitting tribute since Thomas started... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Succumbing to temptation

I've always craved an exercise machine, but resisted the temptation because the ones I could afford were too limited in function, and the ones that seemed most worthwhile were too large and expensive. Too expensive was the key factor. It's amazing how expensive even a used worthwhile exercise... Sign in to see full entry.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Neither was among my favorites

But I still mourn the passing of beauty and talent. Both leave a legacy on film tape and discs that will endure for years to come. Farah Fawcett enthralled with her looks, Michael Jackson with his talent and, putting it mildly, sometimes unusual behavior. I heard of their passing in the midst of a... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Not picking up where I left off

A decent and timely quick post about birthdays, anniversaries, coincidences, and questions of accuracy was a nice setup for a followup post at the time. Four months and a week later I think that time has passed. With that said, there is no particular reason for me to post here now other than the... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, January 26, 2009

Happy Birthday Paul, Eartha, Michigan, and Mikey (sort of)

Perhaps it’s a sign of age, but I’ve been increasingly fascinated with the coincidence of particular events occurring on the same day in history. There were a host of births and first appearances on this date that caught my eye. Paul Newman and Eartha Kitt, besides sharing a birthday, both left us... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

On this date

…in 1937 Franklin Delano Roosevelt began his second term as President of the United States, and became the first President to be inaugurated on January 20. Previous inaugurations were held on March 4, a full four months after the election as Chief Executive. The change in inauguration date was a... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Now you know…

Yesterdays, and the worthwhile lessons they have for enduring through today while awaiting tomorrow, often spring from what could have been insignificant little happenstances. On January 4, 1954 one Elvis Presley walked into the Memphis Recording Studio and plunked four dollars down on the counter.... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Do over

…or, in this case, the dreaded repost. If you hate reposts, feel free to move on. But if you haven’t checked out “notapoet’s notebook” in the last couple of days (no one did) you might want to keep reading for a few more moments. What follows was inspired by a previous post right here – and shifted... Sign in to see full entry.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Guilty, as charged

I was recently called to task for journaling in what was supposed to be a Nonfiction post. I fess up. I did it, and I'm unrepentant. I've done it frequently in the past, both here and on other blogs, and I'll likely do it again. In my defense, I will say that one of the things I like about Blogit is... Sign in to see full entry.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Any old port in a storm

This used to be my Health & Fitness blog. Unfortunately the category has suffered from so much lack of interest in the last several months that it was pretty much a waste of time to continue posting to it with any hope of attracting very many readers. So, since the blog was factual in nature, I... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, September 27, 2008

It’s lonesome here,

and feelings of loneliness is one of the symptoms of depression. I know of what I speak, though I rarely feel lonely any more. Embracing family and a few good friends pretty much takes care of that. But it doesn’t solve the problem of Health & Fitness becoming an all but abandoned category. One of... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

A regular routine

is something I've lacked for a lot of years now. One of the few holdovers is my tendency to wake by 5:30 AM on mornings when I haven't stayed up most of the night. Though some might call it boring, I feel that a regular routine can be conducive to a positive mental state and the achievement of... Sign in to see full entry.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Is depression a deadly sin?

Of course not, unless you let it take over your life to the extent that you quit trying to live. But once upon a time what we now call depression was often referred to as sloth, and was qualified as one of "the seven deadly sins" that I referenced in a recent "I BELIEVE" post. Before evolving into... Sign in to see full entry.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Look at the glass as half full.

It makes for a happier and more positive outlook on life, which is also a great way to combat depression. I know -- been there, done the other, and found I was much happier with the half full concept. It definitely helps to give yourself a little shot of sunshine. This was originally going to be a... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Is there such a thing as the "Summertime Blues?"

I really don't know, but would be interested to find out. Please feel free to chime in with facts or opinions. What I do know is that "Summertime Blues," the song, made the Billboard Top Pop singles chart three different times, performed by a different artist or group each time, from 1958 to 1970.... Sign in to see full entry.

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Life ain't fair!

If it was, there would be no such thing as bad spring colds. Especially the lingering, settle in your chest, make life triply miserable kind. That is exactly the type of cold I've got now. It's partly my own fault. I picked up the cold nearly two weeks ago and, instead of putting myself to bed to... Sign in to see full entry.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Little pleasures help make life worth living.

A good book, a favorite old movie seen for the umpteenth time, a ballgame featuring one of your favorite teams (win or lose), a warm and sunny spring day, the sound of gentle rain on the roof, time spent playing with the grandkids, and so many more little pleasures to be enjoyed and treasured fill a... Sign in to see full entry.

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