Good Living 123

‘Tis beautiful to turn the page to a clean sheet of paper. Reset. Realign. Restart. Redo. Just breathe.

Vermont, the Green Mountain State, was the 14^th state, joining the U.S. on March 4, 1791 as the first state following the 13^th original colonies. On November 25, 1858, Vermont became one of the first states to abolish slavery.

At 160 miles long and 80 miles wide, people consider Vermont to be a small state, but it is the 2^nd largest state in New England, behind Maine. It is the 2^nd smallest state in population, just behind Wyoming. Vermont is big on raising cows and is home to nearly half of all New England dairy farms. And it has the nation’s highest human to cattle ratios, coming in at 0.41 humans to every cow.

With all those dairy farms, it is little wonder that Vermont is known for some of the nation’s finest cheeses. Also, Vermont is home to the famed Ben & Jerry’s ice cream (founded in 1981). Ben & Jerry’s donates ice cream waste to local farmers, who feed it to their hogs. (Reportedly, the hogs like all flavors except Mint Oreo.)

(You just knew I would have to talk food!)If you have a sweet tooth, you likely already know that Vermont is the nation’s largest producer of maple syrup, producing more than 500,000 gallons each year.

And here are a couple of little-known facts about Vermont. To preserve the scenic beauty, the Green Mountain State is one of just 4 that forbid billboard advertising (along with Alaska, Hawaii, and Maine). Norwich University, the oldest private military college in the U.S. calls Vermont home. Vermont has the least violent crimes out of all 50 states. Until 1996, Vermont was the only state without a Wal-Mart, and Montpelier remains the only state capital without a McDonald’s. Vermont-born U.S. President Calvin Coolidge is the only President born on the 4^th of July.

Some of the National or World “Days” are fun… some are informative… some are downright silly. But “You Matter to Me Day” matters more than many. In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it can be easy to take our loved ones for granted. In a blink it can be too late to un-ring some stupid bell, perhaps one that never should have been rung in the first place. Remember to bond with loved ones daily. A simple “I love you” can help someone who is struggling to feel less taken for granted. Remind someone today that they matter… deeply. I love YOU!

Ahhh… religious freedom is not just for non-Christians. Remember that separation of church and state was introduced so that the government could no longer restrict voting to strictly white males of the royal governor’s same religion in that colony. It also means that the government cannot mandate prayer in school; nor can the govt forbid it… well, not legally anyway.

Woo-hoo! The Kindle version of Book 3 in my Destiny historical fiction trilogy just went into pre-order on Amazon.

Print and other digital formats will become available everywhere on the November 1 release day.

The project has been a genuine labor of love, with more than a few tears shed in the retelling of some aspects of my Armenian family’s saga. My deepest thanks to you all for being so supportive.

Bluebirds are associated with concepts of joy, happiness, and harmony. They are symbols of love, positivity, and renewal in many books, poems, songs, movies, and plays. The symbol dates back thousands of years to ancient Chinese mythology.

In the face of adversity, may the thought of a bluebird bring you hope. And perhaps a bit of humor. May the Bluebird of Happiness be with you all day… just not directly overhead.

We all want intimacy. Sometimes we help ourselves, and sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. Through the ups and downs, the roller-coaster of relationships, I like to believe we can learn to recognize and improve both our weaknesses and our strengths. It’s a matter of choice. These relationship faux pas became a central focus in my 2017 book “The Bimbo Has Brains… and Other Freaky Facts.” Nobody is perfect, but we can all work to tip the scales in a more positive direction.

We gain intimacy:                                         We lose intimacy:
Open; Communicative                                      Closed; Evasive
Honest                                                                  Dishonest
Forgiving; Merciful                                            Unrelenting; Merciless
Attentive; Connected                                         Preoccupied; Disconnected
Accepting; Nonjudgmental                               Censuring; Critical
Compromising; Negotiating                             Inflexible; Heartless
Aware ; Connected; Sensitive                           Oblivious; Distant; Unfriendly
Appreciative; Grateful                                        Overcritical; Thoughtless
Gentle ; Tender; Kind                                         Forceful; Harsh; Abusive; Belittling
Humble; Unpretentious                                     Arrogant; Domineering
Compassionate; Civil; Considerate                 Unconcerned; Insulting; Inconsiderate
Vulnerable                                                            Guarded
Trustworthy                                                          Untrustworthy
Consistent; Committed                                      Inconsistent; Wishy-washy
Caring; Considerate                                            Unfeeling; Apathetic; Inconsiderate
Positive; Gracious; Good-tempered                 Negative; Disagreeable; Ill-tempered
Respectful; Supportive                                        Controlling; Belittling; Contradictory
Loving; Affectionate                                             Hateful; Indifferent
Empathetic; Understanding; Perceptive          Hostile; Narrow-minded
Charitable; Humane; Big-hearted                     Pitiless; Cold-hearted
Encouraging                                                            Oppressive

As Americans, we have the right to express our opinions, right or wrong, without fear of repercussions or cancelation… that was until certain politicians started mistakenly believing they are the intelligentsia, determined to drive the US into a USSR-style demise. SOS