Update

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! I did not do much over the weekend. Today I'll be busy working on the usual stuff.

Morning Walk

 These days, it rains just about every day. It is affecting my morning walk (pretty much my gym time). When it is raining, I do not go out. I stay in. 

Poem Book Will Be Published

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! I am excited today because my book of poems will be published! I received an email from a publisher yesterday. I am so excited! Thank you God! I am not certain how long the process will take. I am ready to begin the process.

Update

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! I am not feeling well so I am doing very little.

New Day

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! The weekend went by very quickly. It is Monday morning already!

I received an acknowledgement of receipt of the paper I submitted. Hopefully, I will hear good things (have good feedback) after the first review. In general, I don't like review processes.

I just saw a post that made me think of breakfast. The post included a mouth-watering photo of toast with the question: What do you like on your toast? I like my toast with butter or jam or preserves. I haven't had toast in a while. I had a lot of Guyanese butter flap and salara recently. I do eat bread sometimes.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to

my mom, sister, aunts, cousins and other family and friends

May the day be special.

I know the role of mother is!

Enjoy the day all mothers!

Status

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! I submitted the paper for publishing yesterday. It was better than I anticipated.

I don't have much planned for this weekend. As for my travel plans, I expect to be in Guyana for a while longer.

Melons

 An interesting, informative (new and improved) list of melons. I had/ate 4 of these melons, 2 in Guyana. I would like to try the others. Maybe they are not available in Guyana.

Update

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana. It is raining a lot here in Linden.

I am currently working on a paper for publishing in the PLAIN journal.

Bible Verse

 Psalm 37:3-4

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Thrive

 I like the slogan "Live well and thrive." For me, when you thrive you are likely successful but better off than being successful. Thriving makes me think of flowers in bloom, achieving one's potential, being beautiful, and being happy.

I have to come up with all sort of ways to be thriving.

Work

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! It is Monday morning and, for many, time to return to work after the long weekend. I just read a piece on the difference in work culture in the U.S. and E.U. The U.S. is all about working more to achieve more while the E.U. is about free time and working to live. It is no surprise that Europeans are happier and live longer.

Nutrition Rainbow

  Today, a post by WebMD informed that purple foods as a group provide common nutrients that protect cells from damage. It was the first time I saw purple foods grouped together for a discussion on nutrition. I will now associate purple with something else.

I knew of other color groupings such as orange foods (pumpkin, carrots) and green foods (green leafy vegetables, green hulk smoothie). Thinking that there must be other color groupings, I looked up the health benefits of other foods. I discovered that some nutritionists group beets, red cherries, and so on as red foods and provide separate health benefits for them. I also stumbled upon the nutrition rainbow. It is all interesting.

The introduction of the euro

 #ThrowbackThursday

I recall that as a student at GWU I studied the introduction of the euro in Europe. At that time, introduction of the new currency was very close to being implemented. I worked on a group assignment on the costs, issues, and risks associated with the introduction of the new currency.

My Diet; Food

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! It is a warm and beautiful morning here in Amelia's Ward. I feel like having a fruit salad for breakfast.

I had lots of papaw recently. I am enjoying the fruit here in Guyana. My diet also includes a lot of fish and chicken (similar to my diet in the United States). I had a lot of broth and stews. It is all good. 

I just watched a chef prepare a delicious-looking salad. It has been a while since I had a regular (vegetable) salad.

Sunrise and Sunset

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! Sunrise today was at 5:40am.

A question from Twitter/X: What emotions or thoughts does a beach sunset typically evoke in you? 

A sunset makes me think of ending (the end of a day), receding (sun going down or going away), and nightfall. I like that sunsets are usually colorful, sometimes with shades of yellow, orange, and red.

And for a sunrise...

A sunrise makes me think of a new day and new beginnings. It also makes me think of God's majesty, especially when there are a lot of sun rays in the sunrise.

The Joy of Reading

 Good morning from Amelia's Ward, Linden, Guyana! It is a bright day - Amelia's Ward is filled with bright sunlight. It is a little warmer than usual. I was reading about the sun recently. (I am interested in beautiful sunrises, sundials, sun damage to the skin, and so on.) I read a lot of interesting things about the sun. For example, the sun is a star that is 4.5 billion years old, and the amount of sunlight is dependent on the cloud cover (maybe you knew these facts!). Here are two resources on the sun:

• https://www.britannica.com/science/sunlight-solar-radiation
  
• https://www.lovetoknow.com/parenting/kids/fun-facts-about-sun-kids
  

It amazes me how much information is out there on the internet on just about anything!

Update

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! My sister is here from Maryland, USA. She is sure to enjoy the Linden Town Week activities. I am certain she will be hanging with her friends at a lot of the events. Maybe I'll be right there with them.

Two days into Linden Town Week and I have not yet attended any of the events. There are over 5 days left.

Right now, I wish I could be somewhere by the water working on my paper. I plan to work on the paper all day today so I will finish on time. An ideal location for working would be sitting by a peaceful lake enjoying the 'quiet' activity around such as swans floating in the sparkling water. I would get a lot done!

I had quite a lot to eat. I hope I don't fall asleep.

Hoping journal accepts my proposal

 I just submitted a summary of my proposed paper for publishing in the PLAIN Journal. I think it will be accepted. Submissions are due May 10th which means I don't have much time to write the paper.

Linden Town Week

 Somehow, it did not register that Linden Town Week starts today. I had a look at the calendar of events. Everything looks good. Maybe I'll be out and about this weekend after all. Linden Town Week seems to be a new version of the old Linden Fair.

(Link: https://www.facebook.com/share/8eY32Gjza8BgjW7X/?mibextid=oFDknk)

Update

 Good morning from Linden! I went out for a short walk today. I was a little later than usual. It is hard to believe it is Friday already. I have no special plans for today or the weekend.

In a previous post, I mentioned that almost all of my 'old' school friends from Linden now live out of the area. This means that I don't see them around Linden or cannot meet up with them in Linden for lunch or for fun. (I am in contact with them on my phone - along with some of the other girls.) I was surprised to see one of those friends, Kevaun, in a public video recently. She looked pretty much the same. She reminded me of activities we did here in Linden many years ago. I remember we would go to Watooka to use the tennis courts. I remember she visited my home, and so on. Good memories. (Link to video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/J5u4Lyd33ZqthhbU/?mibextid=oFDknk).

My phone still does not work.

(Photo from video)

Breakfast

 I am having plantain and eggs for breakfast today.

Hoping to be published

 I submitted a poem titled 'Seeing' to an online literary journal today. I should hear back from the journal in two weeks.

The Less Significant Accident

 #ThrowbackThursday

Today, I am remembering a car accident I was involved in in Maryland. It was not my last accident but one that occurred a few weeks prior. I was out to return the company laptop I used to work from home in Lanham, Maryland. I drove to a new UPS Store in Beltsville to use the services there. It was not my regular drive to the UPS store I always used. I was returning from a successful and pleasant experience at the UPS Store when an old woman ran into the back of my vehicle when I was at a stop light.

Returning the company laptop took longer than it should have because I had to find a new UPS store. The UPS Store I always used had shut down. I had a frustrating experience when I left home for the store hoping for a quick stop. I was not aware that the store had closed. After driving there and realizing they were closed, I drove around the area looking for a new store. I went here and there and could not find another UPS Store. I discovered there was a store about 6 miles away from an internet search when I got home. I took my time getting out of the house to get to the other UPS Store. I didn't go out for another 10 days or so. The day I decided to go to the other UPS Store to return the company laptop, I had the accident.

Lemons and Limes

Incidentally, I saw a post on the benefits of lemons and limes by WebMD just a few minutes ago. I posted about lemons just a few hours ago. The diagram/chart in the post from WebMD showed some interesting benefits of both limes and lemons. I was surprised by some of them. I did not expect to see benefits such as keep gums healthy, boost your brain, and help your baby grow. 

The diagram seemed to show that the benefits of limes are exactly the same as the benefits of lemons - I was very surprised by this. I expected only some of the benefits to apply to both limes and lemons, i.e. to be shared or in common between the two. For example, I expected both limes and lemons to have benefits such as full of antioxidants, but limes to have benefits lemons don't have and vice versa. 

My critique of the post is that the diagram should clearly show that all the benefits apply to both lemons and limes. The lines in the diagram may confuse some into thinking that five of the benefits are for lemons while the other six are for limes.

Breakfast

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! It is time to start thinking of breakfast. A repeat of the breakfast I had a few days ago would be good. My mother went out and got fried plantain and eggs. It was good. I like eggs for breakfast.

I am now actually thinking that a nutritious shake would be good for breakfast instead of some of the other options. The homemade chocolate milk I had some time ago would work. That was pretty much a meal replacement shake - it would replace a regular breakfast, nothing else needed. I don't believe I have more chocolate. Something will work out.

Lemons; In the Kitchen; Blenders

 In a recent post, I noted that I did not get the lemons I wanted so I used limes instead. I was watching a video recently where the woman complained that she could not find the lemons she wanted to use for making lemon water for breakfast. It was good information (link to video: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/RyygSt9QV2X38nFM/?mibextid=oFDknk). The woman was the main character / the star of videos on the Heather's Kitchen page on Facebook - I assume Heather. Heather is a resident of the U.S. who "returned home" to Guyana for a vacation. In the video, she was explaining what she was having for breakfast. I liked that she was having lots of fruit. She also had a juice made from cucumber, ginger, and a few other ingredients. It reminded me of the healthy juices we made in our household during the time of COVID.

I discovered Heather's Kitchen when browsing in Facebook recently. Heather has some interesting cooking videos on her page. She seems to use her blender/mixer a lot. I saw one video where she used the blender to blend tomatoes, garlic, and some other ingredients together for a chicken stew. I have never seen chicken stew made that way. Heather seems to use the blender a lot so that she has healthy food. I bet that viewers in Guyana and other Caribbean countries are surprised by how she uses the blender. Guyanese and other Caribbean folk use the blender a lot for blending fruit and other shakes, but as far as I know, they do not use the blender in a similar way.

I remember that it was important for a Guyanese household to have a blender many years ago. When I was a little girl, just about every household had a blender.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Note that Heather is not a relative. I stumbled upon Heather's profile/page recently in Facebook. That was the first time I heard of Heather.

Speaking Things Into Existence

 Three quotes on speaking things into existence from separate websites...

Speaking things into existence is to make self-talk work for you. You will be driven to make the thing you speak of happen because you really believe you deserve it and you really believe you can achieve it if you really try. This is also communicated to others and some say the universe conspires to assist you.

I do not believe all that is described above. I do believe in being positive and in the power of positive thinking. No one likes a negative person. I also believe that you have to work to achieve what you desire.

Publishing Goal

 This World Book Day, I continue to pursue my goal of publishing papers in journals and also publishing books. I was on a break for a while when I traveled to Guyana but I returned to working towards the goal (from Guyana, where I am right now). I am certain I will join the ranks of published author by the end of the year. I am thinking that a number of my works will be published by reputable publishers by the end of the year. (There is some confidence for you! - I am speaking/thinking things into existence.)

I hope to publish my personal book of poems within the next 2 or 3 months. I posted about submitting the poems just recently (post: https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2024/04/submitted-poems.html). Thank you for your feedback on the post. 

March, march, marching towards the goal! It is a propitious target.

Article for Journal

 The Plain Language Association International is seeking contributions for its PLAIN e-journal on the topic Culture of Plain Language. I am thinking of writing an article to contribute.

(Link: https://twitter.com/PLAIN_Lang_Intl)

Reading

 I made myself a cup of hot tea here in Linden, Guyana. A good book would go well with this tea. This is a good idea for World Book Day - a cup of tea and a good book. A lot of folks enjoy this combination! They say it is a perfect pairing. I found a website with good book recommendations for your choice of tea. It is: https://teaandinksociety.com/book-and-tea-pairings/. 

Now about World Book Day. It is such a good idea to have a day that is all about books and the encouragement of reading. I was surprised to learn that UNESCO started World Book Day. 

Thankful

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! It is a rainy morning and a little dull outside. It is a good time to listen to good music. I saw a post on Twitter/X that asked what song is stuck in my head right now. I currently don't have a song playing over and over in my head, but I feel like listening to 'We Thank Thee' by Jim Reeves. It is a good song to listen to at the beginning of the day. It reminds me that there is always something to be thankful for. I thank God for getting up this morning (my life), for family and friends, and for the things I have and enjoy. 

Earth Day

 Good afternoon from Linden, Guyana! It is Earth Day today...

This Earth Day 

I am thinking of the outdoors.

I am thinking of the pitter patter of rain

And the earthy smell from the Earth when it rains

I am thinking of days by the lake

Just enjoying the calmness of the water

I am thinking of walking outside

And enjoying nature

I am thinking of a starry night

With the stars twinkling up above

These are some of the good experiences here on Earth

Experiences worth preserving

#fahmeenaodetta

Explaining the Steps

 I stumbled upon the question: 'What happens in your head when you add 37 and 48?' on Twitter/X. I was surprised by the question. I usually hear questions such as: 'What are your thoughts on X?' or 'What is your thinking on Y?' but never: 'What happens in your head when you add A and B?'

Since this blog is called 'Inside Fahmeena Odetta's Head,' I felt obligated to answer the question. When adding 37 and 48 in my head, I follow the rules. Based on the rules, I know I need to add the 7 and 8 first so that is my first step. The rules tell me what I should do with the (intermediate) result 15. Then, based on the rules I need to add the 3 and 4 and add 1 to it to get the result. The result is obvious.

It has been years and years since I wrote out the steps to solve a math problem. I recall some problems required step-by-step explanations (such as: Since X = Y, then...., and therefore....).

Cream Soda

 It's cream soda today. I always liked cream soda. When I was young, it was one of my favorite Icee drinks.

Fruit

 Good morning from Linden! It is a good Sunday morning. I feel like having fresh fruit, maybe mangoes or sugarcane.

Over the past two weeks or so, I had no fresh fruit. Instead, I had drinks made with fruit which, I guess, was a substitute for fresh fruit. I had the banana Icee (the local, store-bought carbonated beverage) and I made drink (similar to fruit punch) from drink mix in packets. I had flavors such as pineapple and lime. The drinks worked because they helped to cool me down on the hot days. When I drank them, they were ice-cold, refreshing, and delicious.

I also drank a lot of water.

Submitted Poems

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! I submitted a bunch of poems for publishing yesterday. I hope the publisher likes what I submitted (it is well received).

Dinner

 I am having cook-up rice or just cook-up for dinner. It is homemade rather than store-bought. I eat a lot of cook-up (which is very popular in Guyana). I like that there is variety - different types of cook-up such as red peas cook-up, black eye cook-up, and channa cook-up. The meat used could also be different. Cook-up could be made with chicken, beef, and so on. So there are a lot of combinations for this dish! My favorite is red peas cook-up. I think it tastes better. In my opinion, red peas cook-up is best with a combination of meats. Using salted/pickled meat (salt beef or pickle pork) adds flavor.

Technical Writer

  Sometime ago, I considered applying for Technical Writing roles so I could have a lucrative side job while I work on completing my PhD. I applied for several jobs but did not obtain a position. I am very surprised by the number of people who are either already in a Technical Writer role or seeking to obtain a Technical Writer position. Apparently, even software developers are looking to move into the Technical Writer role. There is a lot of competition.

Motivation

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana!

In a post on social media yesterday, Northcentral University (now National University) asked what song, album or playlist motivates me to complete tasks such as school assignments or projects. I was surprised by the post but decided to answer. I will preface providing one of my favorite motivation songs by saying I enjoy listening to music and I have to be careful that music does not distract me from completing tasks. I could listen to a favorite album or playlist for hours and hours without doing anything else. There are a lot of songs that motivate me to get started mostly because of the lyrics/words. An example is Whitney Houston's Step By Step which reminds me that I have a goal and I will accomplish that goal by taking or doing things step by step. An excerpt from the song is:

Well, there's a bridge
And there's a river
That I still must cross
As I'm going on my journey
Oh, I might be lost

And there's a road I have to follow
A place I have to go
Well, no one told me just how to get there
But when I get there I'll know
'Cause I'm taking it

Step by step
Bit by bit
Stone by stone (yeah)
Brick by brick (oh yeah)
Step by step
Day by day
Mile by mile (ooh, ooh, ooh)

Link to song on YouTube: https://youtu.be/sWa5vE4MUpU?si=ySImcqzjG0IJ3Q9V

This post gave me the idea to create a motivation playlist on YouTube. I am currently working on an international playlist (https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY1B6DIOhWPG63mCzaP_vaCrXLQP_GAX5) with music from popular international/foreign artists such as Enya, Bob Marley, and Rupee.

Limes vs Lemons

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! I went out for a short walk today. It appears that it would be a good day.

Back in the U.S., I used a lot of lemons. (Do you recall my post on lemons? See it here: https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2023/07/lemons.html). Recently, I wanted lemons but got limes instead. I don't mind using limes as a substitute for lemons. Limes are smaller than lemons but more sour/acidic. The lime drink is as good as lemonade.

I grew up with a lot of limes around. We even used them at school sports. I recall there was a lime spoon race at Watooka Day School sports.

(Photo looks different because I resized/edited the image captured by the camera rather than take a regular screenshot of it)

More information

 More information or knowledge should benefit a person. More information about something should lead to improved understanding and could also improve behavior. But, sometimes, more information could lead to more confusion. The information may be conflicting or not the right type of information. I mentioned this issue in a post way back in 2014. I wrote:

 "I like when things become clearer as you get additional information (and I am thinking of the phrase "shed more light on"). Some people say "The more you know, the more confused you are," but I am not sure about that. Maybe a person would be more confused if there is conflicting information or too much information or there is no understanding of the information..." (https://moorefo1.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-interview-yesterday-went-really-well.html)

I think it is important to ask questions.

Sharing information

 Good afternoon from Linden, Guyana!

I am very surprised by the type of information others shared about their health problems and issues on social media. I suppose they are bold and not ashamed of their situation. I shared a little about my temporary solution (due to complications during surgery) in previous posts and was very nervous about it.

One of my previous posts:

https://fahmeenaodetta.blogspot.com/2024/01/health-update.html

Wisdom

 I liked the questions and discussion in one of my Facebook groups...

Bible Verse

 Two verses from the Holy Bible today:

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

- Proverbs 4:7 (NIV)

How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!

- Proverbs 16:16 (NIV)

World IP Day

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana!

On Twitter/X today, I saw a post on World Intellectual Property (IP) Day. I believe World IP Day will be on April 26th. It appears that the post is for people to obtain information on the use/development of social media materials for the day. It seems interesting, but I need to learn/understand more.

I am into publishing original papers, poems, and such so I am into intellectual property. Intellectual property - ideas, inventions, and other creations of the mind that belong to an individual or organization - is important. It brings knowledge. It drives progress and development.

Morning Walk; City I Would Choose

 Good morning from Linden, Guyana! I went out for a walk today. It was a little misty and cool - about 68 degrees Fahrenheit.

I just saw an interesting post on Twitter/X that requested an answer on the city I would choose to spend the rest of my life in. I could not decide on just one city so I responded 'One that I enjoy living in.' 

Many years ago, I looked at benefits provided by several cities in the U.S. when I wanted to move from Lanham, Maryland. I wrote an article on the options I considered and how I made the decision - Why I Decided To Move To Florida Though I Am Years From Retirement (Link: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-i-decided-move-florida-though-am-years-from-retirement-moore/). Back then, I decided on Gainesville, Florida and it was a good choice. I am not certain what I would choose right now. I am different in many ways - I had some life-changing experiences and a whole lot of pain and suffering.

The city I choose to live in may be a city that has lots of jobs/positions I can fill. Earning a living is important. However, these days, it is easier to work for a company in one city and live in another. I read about quite a few people who live in the Caribbean and work for overseas companies.