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September 26th, 2013 Since IOS 7 has been gracing iPhones and iPads across the world this past week, all I have seen are posts, blogs, articles, and news about how much it’s hated. I didn’t pay any attention to it until I got my new iPhone 5C Tuesday. I admit I was a little taken with the new operating system. I don’t understand how they would create a new OS and make the fonts so thin and harder to read against shades of white and gray screens. I feel for people who were struggling to read things on their phones before – this enhances the difficulty.
Since I never had trouble reading or writing anything on my phone, I just shook my head and moved on with making friends with IOS 7. I love floating movement and the light, delicate touch to move from screen to screen. I especially love the new upscreen swipe that let’s me quickly turn my Bluetooth on and off without going into settings. That section also has not only your camera available, but a flashlight, a timer, and a calculator handy, too, with one swipe. The new camera has a lot of new features too. No need for any extra apps to enhance pictures.
So life between me and IOS 7 was proceeding rather smoothly compared to everyone else – until I updates my WordPress app on my phone that I use to write this blog. If you notice there are no tags or categories on the bottom of this post. That’s because it disappeared from its usual position beneath the title. I searched a long time, pressing all kinds of buttons, but to no avail. They really TOOK AWAY the tags and categories bar in the update. In the last update they changed the admin screen to a new page and now require a password every time you want to access it. I put up with that, but this? Take away the tags and categories bar?
And if that’s not enough, in the word processor you can’t press return and tap the cursor to the previous sentence to insert more words. Is it just me, or aren’t updates supposed to improve the apps and operating systems?
And so, as another day goes by, I jump in the boat with all the other disgruntled souls fighting with IOS 7, and I have written.
(Why I hate IOS 7 would probably be a good tag. I’d use it if I had the spot to write it in.)
This is better keypad? Really? It’s barely there even if you squint.
September 24th, 2013 She’s beautiful! She’s light and communicates with delicate language that seems to float in thin air. Her sunny yellow persona makes me happy. And the best part? She was free!
Today I finally made it to the AT&T store and got my iPhone 5C. I did get the yellow one. But they didn’t have the silicone cases with the holes in it. At first I was disappointed, but….when I got to the counter this is how it went:
iPhone 5C – $99
iPhone 4 for my Dad – $29
Screen protector – $25
CREDIT for old iPhone 4 – $200!
So I went and picked out a clear case – $30….grand total of what I paid for everything – $12!
Yes, she’s gorgeous in her clear case. After all that agonizing and two posts later trying to decide the color combination – I love the clear case best.
So many times I get my heart set on something. I think about it and plan it and I want it the way I want it. When it doesn’t work out like I planned, I would be sad, mad and disappointed. I would refuse to try it any other way. I have learned since to relax and be more flexible. Take a new path instead of insisting on the one I had planned on traveling. I don’t always know what’s best for me. I closed myself off to so many amazing things I could’ve been loving and enjoying, had I just kept an open mind and heart.
And so, as another day goes by, a yellow phone with a clear case is really lovely and also a great daily reminder to consider new possibilities, and …I have written.
September 23rd, 2013 I am
by Grace Donvan
I am a singer and songwriter
I think that music is amazing
I am a dog lover
Walking my favorite dog Sophie
Throwing balls to her
and trying to get them back
I am a fast runner
I love feeling the wind in my hair and face I love speed
I am a reader
Of interesting books
I love the feeling
Of being somebody else’s eyes
The above poem was written by the nine year old daughter of a friend of mine. I’m constantly amazed at what thrashes around in the minds of our very young. I look at Grace’s poem and think how great it is that she writes and has found a way to express what goes around in her brain. Then I think about the children who don’t “write” – they only respond to the on-demand writing in the classroom. I used to be one of those children. I never connected with sharing my thoughts with “writing”.
Today I’m impressed with Grace’s thoughts. She very truthfully stated who she is – a brave thing to do. I wondered what I would say if I were called upon to do the same. Here’s my shot at it:
I Am
By Linda Bartosik
I am a writer.
I love the way words empty my heart and bring clarity to my head.
I am an artist.
Watching color splash on paper and take form makes my spirit soar.
I love how moving a few pencil strikes around somehow evolves into a living, breathing character in a story.
Most of me is a teacher.
My gift is breaking the mountain down into a few manageable grains of sand.
I just grabbed a piece of white paper and stopped to think of what makes me, me and wrote a few sentences about the three major parts of “me”. At first I was scared. Then I said, “If Grace can do it so freely, so can I.”
How about you? Grab a sheet of paper. Write I Am on top. Who are you? No one but you has to see it, so go ahead. Don’t try to impress or write for someone else’s eyes. Be as free as a nine year old. You may surprise yourself. 🙂
And so, as another day goes by, it’s good to pause now and then and think about what makes us “us”, and I have written.
September 22nd, 2013 I just realized that the last group of post titles have been questions. No questions today. Today I went to the Patriot game at Gillette stadium with my hubby, my daughter and her friend. It was our first game of the season and my husband did a full-on tailgate complete with steak tips and pulled pork. We left at 8 am in the pouring rain. Arrived at the parking lot in a light drizzle and had bright, hot sun at game time.
Tailgating:
Awesome seats: (4th row, 50 yd line)
Then, of course, there was Tom:
And finally, us:
And so, as another day goes by, I am beyond grateful for the blessings each new day brings, and…I have written.
September 21st, 2013 What else could “I” possibly stand for when the letter of the week for the Friday blog hop is “I” on the very day the new iPhone comes out? (We won’t mention that I’m writing the Fun Friday post on Saturday – again. Thanks Diana Lesire Brandmeyer for reminding me – again.)
But back to the new iPhone. I’m no further ahead than I was last week when I wrote the post Decisions, Decisions!. I was all set to hit the AT&T store yesterday and grab my new iPhone. Why didn’t I go? Because I still don’t know which phone to choose. I love those colors, but that 5S has that fingerprint thing.
Ok, let’s examine this. Why am I hung up on this fingerprint thing? I have never, ever, used a password on my phone in the seven years I’ve had an iPhone. Why start worrying about that now? I don’t think it’s the security at all. I just like the idea that my thumbprint will open my phone. But…on the other hand…we all know my history with bright colors – orange lounging suit, yellow sweater with black & white print leggings, hot pink hoodie – and I love the orange & black of my Koko uniform … So why is this so hard? The colors should have it hands down.
But I’m afraid of the colors because there are too many choices when combining them with colored cases that let the phone color show through. I thought the four colors of phones was bad enough, but when they showed this
 on TV, I was defeated before I even started.
Weigh in here…please? What color phone with what color case? I’m leaning toward the yellow phone. What do you think? Black case? Green case? But that blue phone is really awesome too. Yellow case? Red case? Oh but how about the red phone with the black case?
See. See what I mean? How do you pick just ONE?
And so, as another day goes by, I fear I may be clunking along on my 4G until the 6 comes out because I can’t make a decision, (oh maybe not…those colors…I have to have one – but just ONE?), at least I think I ruled out the fingerprint one….maybe….and…I may have written, but I certainly haven’t decided. (Notice I could care less about the faster processor in the 5S – lol!)
What’s a girl to do?
 
September 20th, 2013 This morning I woke up to a blog published in the Huffington Post, placed in my timeline by my daughter. I quickly opened it up and read the article because my daughter never posts to my timeline and when she does, I figure it’s a big deal.
I really liked the blog. The name of it is Wait But Why and I liked that, too. When I visited it, I found it had a lot of other topics I’d like to read about and it was also well-written. I even subscribed to it.
The title of the post she sent me was Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy. The general gist is that we, who brought up children and taught school throughout the 70’s 80’s and 90’s, told our children they were special and instilled in them a sense of entitlement; putting hard work on the back burner. (The post took a lot to say what I said in one sentence, but to be fair, our Generation Y children need to know the history of their ill-fait and the post explains it well.) I have no problem with anything the blogger said. I totally agree that that was the mindset of those years. After that, we part ways.
I, being both a parent and a teacher in that era, didn’t buy it. Both my husband and I never gave our daughters the impression that they were so special that success in the career of their choice would be handed to them – just because of their “specialness”. We taught them just enough “specialness” to give them a solid, positive, self-esteem, that would, coupled with a lot of hard work, fight and strife, someday lead to the success they envisioned. Envisioned being the key word here. We taught them to have a vision of themselves as a “grown-up” and examine that dream for many years, seeking out mentors and discovering just what it would take to get where those people they admire are. (An aside: why I respect Lady Gaga – she studied “the fame” – how to get there – since she was seven years old. Who said our kids can’t learn from rockstars? Lol!) Back to the topic.
I remember sitting home on a Martin Lurher King holiday, during a snowstorm, back in the nineties. It was ten o’clock in the morning and where were my eight and twelve year old? Were they up getting skis together for a day of fresh air and exercise? No. They were still in their beds, eating potato chips, watching MTV. I thought to myself, “No. This is isn’t good.” Did I bring them more chips and tell them to rest because they had such a hard week at school? Hardly. I got on the phone and applied for a job teaching kids cross-country skiing. Within weeks they were going with me and eventually my older daughter was running the whole ski shop, while my younger daughter bussed tables in the restaurant. We did this, worked 7 days a week, for seven years. As wonderful and capable as I always told them they were, I never deluded them their specialness, without hard work, would bring them the happy life they envisioned.
I taught the same thing to every child I taught over those thirty years. I always told them they could accomplish whatever they put their mind to – and yes, the world was their oyster – BUT – and it’s a very big “but” – it was only going to to come to them by way of a lot of learning, failing, and trying again. I always taught every child in my care that failing was just letting them know their progress along the way. I always helped them see the gains they did make as a result of their effort.
My own girls and each child I taught WERE special, but they didn’t learn that merely by me telling them that over and over. They discovered their own specialness and potential by getting down in the trenches and experiencing achievement through hard work. It started with learning to write their name in kindergarten and carried through to that term paper in college.
I am really sorry there was need for the blogger to write that post, because there ARE a lot of lost thirty-year-olds out there today standing in the rain, stamping their feet, yelling, “I’m SPECIAL! Where’s my mansion on the hill?!!” Sad.
And so, as another day goes by, if I saved my own daughters and maybe one other child from that fait over the last thirty years, I have done what I was put in this earth to do, and…I have written.
For your reading pleasure, and for you to do your own thinking on this topic, here is the blog post Why Generation Y Yuppies Are Unhappy (Warning: it’s long. Grab a cup of coffee before sitting down to read it.)
Me, with the two greatest achievements of my life:
One graphic designer, one special needs teacher, both settled and successful in the careers of their choice.
September 19th, 2013 As most of you know I just started my new job at Koko Fit Club. Since then I’ve gotten a number of messages asking me what I do or what is Koko. I thought I’d take two minutes and show you what Koko is. Below is a 2:45 video that explains it perfectly! My job as a fit coach is to help people acclimate to the Smart Trainer and get started on a life of a healthier existence.
I love my job – of course, because it involves teaching – my passion. Tonight I just helped a 51 year old guy with his first strength test to set up his program. He was so impressed with the Smart Trainer and how different we are from a “gym” or “curves”, that he can’t wait to get started on his fit track and watch his process at home on the computer.
It’s almost 7 pm, the end of my shift, and I have more energy than when I came. I’m on a high from helping someone get started on a healthy lifestyle. Koko has fit tracks for arthritis, diabetes, breast cancer recovery, men’s health, and back relief, in addition to all our regular programs. It’s a great place to work – and workout.
And so, as another day goes by, here’s the answer to your question of What Do I Do?, (I’m the person in the black suit – lol!) and …I have written.
September 18th, 2013 I read a lot of books. I digest a lot of scenarios. One that runs particularly common through the stories I read is that of describing one who is no longer among them.
Right now I’m sitting at the outdoor bar at Bobby Byrnes in Mashpee Commons waiting for my friend. She and I are having dinner before our board meeting this evening. I’m sipping my wine, with one eye on the alley way where she’d be arriving. I haven’t seen this friend in quite some time and looked forward to catching up with her after work today.
I looked down the alley way and thought about what I would do when I saw her. Would I just wave? Or would I hop off my seat and wave my arms and jump up and down? I like the second scenario. After all, I’m outside.
As a writer, I could just picture someone, like my friend, remembering me as the one who was jumping up and down in the middle of restaurant when I saw her. I would like that. I would like to be remembered as a positive person who always took pleasure in whatever was happening at the moment. Every novel needs that character.
How would you like to be remembered if you were the character in a novel that was no longer among your peers? Do your everyday actions reflect that memory?
Oh…here she comes…here I go…
And so, as another day goes by, I am who I am, and I’d like me in a novel – lol! And…I have written.
September 17th, 2013 I was brought up a believer – in Jesus Christ, that is. There was never a doubt in my mind from the time I was seven years old in First Communion Class in the Catholic Church that Jesus Christ, and God, His father, made me. The nun would ask, “Who made you?”, and in all my childish innocence I would answer, “God made me”. I believed as a child. Without question or doubt. After all, this was church. This was God. This was the one place you didn’t mess around.
I have to admit a little bit of fear was part of the persuasion. Going to “confession” in that dark booth with an ominous priest on the other side of that little sliding door was enough to persuade any seven year old church was no place to mess around. The funny thing was, through all the ritualism and fear tactics, a seed of faith was planted. I grew that seed on my own. Even as a small child my prayers went from the contrived (Lord’s Prayer) to just conversation, in my own words between me and God. I fully believed I just had to ask and I would be given. Throughout grade and high school God rescued me from many sticky situations. When I had no where else to go (my fear of parents was much greater than my fear of God) I always went to Jesus/God as I used to call Him. Since my faith was a part of my life just as my hair was always a part of my head, I never had cause to stop and ask “Why believe?”.
As you know, on Friday’s I participate in a blog hop. On the bottom of either my Friday or Saturday posts the other blogs in the hop appear. I always take time to click on a few that interest me. I discover a wealth of information as well as different points of view on things I often think about. Our blog hop is hopping it’s way through the alphabet and last Friday was the letter “H”. One post was billed as H is for Happy, Happy, Happy. When I clicked on it I found the name of the blog was Where Do I Fit In?. Upon reading it, the comment I left the blogger was “This is one of the best explanations I have ever read about why a person believes”, and I wanted to share it with you.
And so, as another day goes by, I take a look around at the things I own, nod, and know that while my possessions make me smile, they are not the source of my happiness, and…I have written.
September 16th, 2013 Do you write? Anything. Short stories? Poetry? Young adult stories? Non-fiction? Do you have a story hidden in your heart that needs to be told? If you have ever wondered if you could really be a writer, this is your lucky day! The Cape Cod Writers Center is sponsoring a writing contest. This is not only for local Cape Cod Writers. This is countrywide. Anyone, anywhere can submit a piece in a number of different categories.
Oh yeah, I hear you.
Me? A writer? I mean I write some stuff, but enter a writing contest? Nah. Not me.
Then….
Hmm…you really think I should? I mean, I have a story…
Yes! Yes, you should. It’s only a contest. You may not even place in it. But you know what you will have done? You will have walked to the edge of your comfort zone. You will have given life to a “what if” that’s been banging around in your brain for years. You will have given life to a story that just needs to be told. Yes, you should submit because it will get you off that ledge. You will type something. You will experience a whole new zone.
Write your story. Hit send. Who cares what happens? The important part is that you will have learned something about your hidden self.
And so, as another day goes by, go ahead – hit Cape Cod Writers Center Writing Contest and let your spirit come alive and soar, and…I have written. (And YOU can too!)
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