Turn Your Blue Mind On

Hi Everyone... I just love this! Even this dog knows the value of water! I believe this dog is a border collie, which are the smartest dogs, so hey!!! :-)

Hi Everyone... WOW!!!! Just BREATH-TAKING!!! I bet he is in Blue Mind doing this! :-) I think they definitely Turn Up Blue Mind for others.

Hi Everyone... OMG!!!! :-) SARK posted this and I was just sooooo in love! HA! I can't stop watching it! Totally the best! Water, the sound of the Ocean, the smell of the Ocean & Sand AND....Rocking! I LOVE Rocking chairs! Since I was a kid. We had these module chairs in the 70s that rocked and I would just have my big headphones on & listen to music & rock (especially if too hot or too cold outside to go play!) I just found a paper I wrote for my Stress Management Certification in 2003 about a Meditation experience I had one day. I wrote the following: While holding my heart tenderly, while holding my head to slow it... If I could see without my eyes If I could hear without my ears If I could taste without my tongue If I could feel without touching If I could know without thinking If I could say without words If I could give without taking If I could love without thought I would be SPIRIT I think that is what FULL BLUE MIND would be! :-) What do you t...

Hi Everyone... If you check out this video at about 1:19 you see Roosevelt University in the background. That is where I got my Masters in Industrial Psychology. Many times I would study on the 2nd floor sitting right at the front windows watching the Buckingham Fountain or I would even go walk to the fountain and study there. This video explains how the fountain works. It is not a far walk from the Crown Fountain I talked about in my last post. I just love it. :-)

Hi Everyone... Well Summer is definitely here! We have Heat Index Warnings already for Fri & Sat! YIPES! One great place to cool off is at the Crown Fountain . I LOVE it there! You just walk up there and the ENERGY is just INCREDIBLE! So much laughter and fun. And it isn't just the kids! :-) Here is a place you can be just NEAR the water and get sooo much benefit from it. Of course being IN, ON & UNDER is even better! :-) The area has its own group Aura or Energy Field!!!! Here are a few pictures I took the last time I was there. I haven't been there for some time now, so I'll see if I can head there soon and maybe do a bit of interviewing and talking about #BlueMind! :-)

Hi Everyone... Well, this is soooooo cool! This is Volo Bog which is located about 1 hr from Chicago at the sourthwest corner of Lake County. Why is it cool? See all the plant life...trees even...they are floating! The inner plants 50 feet deep! I told you it was cool! :-) And it is the only open water quaking bog in IL! It was created over 10,000 years ago...end of Ice Age time! A big chuck of a glacier got stuck deep in the ground and created this cool site! Check out the link & think about making a trip there to Turn Your Blue Mind On! Look at this picture in the fall! Wow!

Hi Everyone... Well, Summer is officially here!!! :-) We certainly have received a great deal of rain lately and we do have a bit of flooding so a bit more precaution to take but I wanted to give you some links for some ideas to get out on the water in IL! If there is another link you would like me to add let me know!  Openlands: Paddle IL Water Trails   - Events Illinois Paddling Council  - Events Chicago Whitewater Association - Events Lincoln Park Boat Club - Events Pecatonica River Water Trail Lincoln Heritage Water Trail Blackhawk WaterWays

Hi Everyone... Here is a great video & link on a mile of lakefront beach north of Chicago which has taken 10 years to restore, but now is a great place to check out and get your Blue Mind Turned On! No swimming, but still a great deal to enjoy!

Hi Everyone... This is an AWESOME story by WGN ! A Chicago Korean War Veteran, Gabriel Spataro at 80 yrs old, got scuba certified so he could go down to the Florida Keys with his 80 yr old friends and dive to see the Christ Statue underwater that he brought back from Italy. Italy had donated a copy of the statute. Watch the video for the full story.

Hi Everyone... Can't get the video to share right on my blog, so you'll have to click t his link to watch it . The Shedd Aquarium is working with Urban Rivers and they are revitalizing the north branch of the Chicago river known as "Goose Island." They are placing floating islands with plants in hopes of bringing back fish, birds and other wildlife and they have set up cameras to study the progress. Their hope is to get 60,000-70,000 square feet of floating islands! Sounds AWESOME!!! I can't wait for it to be finished and everyone can enjoy it and 'Turn Their Blue Mind On' there! :-)

Hi Everyone... Well, yesterday I made a joke about "Free Bath/Shower Day" for the birds, bunnies etc. Look what I saw when I pulled in my drive this evening. HA! I know it may be hard to see, but best I could get, didn't want to scare it off.  He/She just sat there under the bushy tree for a long time while I tried to take pictures and videos. :-)  I have at least 4 bunnies in the area (I saw 4 together at one time so...). One comes by my deck and eats grass and dandelions while my kitty Sterling watches him/her and the birds. I have sweetly named them "Flopsy," "Mopsy," "Cotton-tail," and "Peter" not knowing their genders but....HA! It rained most of the day & is expected to until tomorrow. I think I'll head out tomorrow & take some pictures, since we have received quite a bit of water in the last few days. Some 1st day of Summer with the temps only in the low 70s. It is 64 degrees now! We had 90s for Spring and ...

Hi Everyone... Well, today's water is Rain! We have some storms moving through this evening and it is adding some refreshing water to my plants and my birdbath. Hopefully! We have had some rains that left dust spots on all our cars this summer. Very odd. They say it is from the farms. Hmmm. The rain is light and quite meditative to watch and listen to...even with a few small lightning strikes and low boom booms. I like how it also makes my deck lights blur and twinkle more! :-) I always say it is "Free Car Wash Day" (other than those dusty ones) but I'm thinking the birds and rabbits and other animals might like "Free Shower Day" for them! HA! Now, keep in mind we really don't necessarily need the rain right now. Chicago's WGN TV states we have had 12.41 inches of rain since May 1st, which is 6.37 more than normal. They say it is the wettest for this time period since they began logging it in 1871!

Hi Everyone... Well, I felt I had to at least make this post to make people aware. It may be more Red Mind but sometimes it is needed to get to Blue Mind. I won't say much, but to just ask that if you didn't know about this, you look into it, think about it & do what you feel is right. Here are a few links: Executive Order Regarding the Ocean Policy to Advance the Economic, Security & Environmental Interests of the United States Healthy Oceans Blog : Trump's Administration Executive Action Threatens Decades of Valuable Ocean Conservation, Repeals National Ocean Policy Update: Dems request Hearing! 

Hi Everyone... The water of our oceans contain such diverse marine life. The whole ecosystem is important to  honor, respect and love when we value water and #BlueMind. Scientific American had a 60 second Podcast " Coral Reefs Keep Costly Waves at Bay " that I thought was really good. I thought I would share it with you and add some links on the benefits of Coral Reefs to extend upon this short podcast. ICRI : Benefits of Coral Reefs NOAA : Importance of Coral Reefs Coral Reef Alliance : Benefits of Coral Reefs Infographic Reef Resilience Network : Value of Reefs Mother Nature Network : How Coral Reefs Can Help Us Endure Climate Change

Hi Everyone... Well this is my Dad! I thought for Father's Day I would blog about my Dad and how much he helped me LOVE WATER! Actually, as I was visiting with him today, I asked him about our pools. We were both trying to jog our memories. My sister & one of my two brothers were there also & well our memories are all going! HA! We could not remember if we got a pool after the the one collapsed that I blog about previously. I had remembered the brown wood paneling siding on the pool by our first house, but I found these pictures when I returned home this evening and it was at our 2nd house. We had 1 1/3 acres of woods. As I looked at these pictures, I remembered our first house the siding was yellow, I think???? I just emailed my brother & dad these pictures and asked them. :-) I just emailed my Dad thanking him. He didn't really swim, he could probably do it to save himself with the few lessons he took, but he might have gotten in our first pool once or ...

Hi Everyone... Today is World Sea Turtle Day! So I thought I would provide some helpful links on Sea Turtle. :-) World Wildlife Federation - 10 Facts on Marine Turtles NOAA Fisheries   - Lots of videos & links !!! Dr. Wallace J. Nichols - Billion Baby Turtles NY Dept. Environmental Conservation - Sea Turtles of NY Here is a video University of Florida just posted this video with Karen Bjorndal & Alan Bolten talking about world - renowned sea turtle expert Archie Carr & his legacy with UofF students. Even my "Sterling" loves his Turtle! The pink mousie & his turtle are his favorite. :-)

Hi Everyone... These pictures are from Brookfield Zoo. I love watching the variety of birds in this pond. This particular day there was quite a variety. Then I went inside the Penguin House and they were having a good time by their water. Then food came! HA! :-) Also wanted to thank Nikki for my AWESOME Bracelet I received in the mail today!!!

Hi Everyone... This came on my newsfeed today & I thought it was worth sharing! It might sound at times a bit depressing, but I think overall it is a hopeful message! I wanted to honor & thank Dr. Sylvia Earle  ( Mission Blue - Slyvia Earle Alliance ) for her commitment to ocean research. She is an AMAZING woman! She is sooo RIGHT! NO EXCUSE today!!! I am very hopeful that the younger generation will do more to help our planet. I think they really do feel the generations before them did not do anything (overall) and that they know they have to do something now. I think back to when I was younger & my parents generation and the quote "Ignorance is Bliss" comes to mind. It is true, I/they lived happily not knowing and doing what I/they wanted to do. Unfortunately, ignorance is also harmful! It makes me wonder when was the moment in time, as a society, we stopped caring...overall? What was the pivotal factor that changed things? I do remember in the 1970s the PS...

Hi Everyone... Well in I'm not mistaken this is from a 2001 trip to Mackinac Island. Lighthouse in the distance. I had always wanted to go to the Island since I was little and saw pictures of my mom's trip there with her folks when she was a teen. I also got even more interested to see the Grand Hotel after the movie "Somewhere In Time" came out. :-)  From the hotel balcony. There were lots of seagulls there the next day. First day was kinda dreary but after that it was not bad. I had a great deal of fun! It is a lovely town. Went on a boat ride. Father Jacques Marquette Statute overlooking the water. Checked out the historic sites, browsed in the shops and had some lovely meals! Here is the bridge you cross to the Island. It was a very relaxing trip. I'm finding myself really wanting to go back right now! :-) 

Hi Everyone... There is just something about this post I tell you...here we go again! These are the stickers on the back of my Jeep! :-) Well, I won't say what brand, but my water filter pooped out so I called the company & they emailed me a postage label to send back to them & today I got the new one delivered! YA!!! :-) My city water is not in any violations & in fact they test for things that are not even required but I still am not confident about when it leaves the plant, pipes etc so I put one on my kitchen sink! So I was filling up my pitchers today (aloe/water & water) & ice trays. Even my fur baby Sterling's water fountain reserve tank.  I also wanted to add something else which goes along with general sustainability here... I went to see the movie " First Reformed " (trailer)  today. I had seen Ethan Hawke on a variety of talk shows and interviews and was interested in the movie plot. Now while I won't give the e...

Hi Everyone... "My Water" from the past also includes some amazing waterfalls from my hiking trips. These pictures I took at  Starved Rock  in Oglesby, IL. It is about 100 miles a bit south & then mostly west of Chicago. It is simply BEAUTIFUL! There is 13 miles of hiking trails and water in 14 of the 18 canyons.  Check out their website and if you ever come to IL make sure you make a trip there - you will definitely TURN YOUR BLUE MIND ON!!! :-)

   Hi Everyone... Well isn't this INTERESTING! Interesting isn't even the right word! I went out to sprinkle my plants the other day & look what I found near where my hose was lying? I have NO IDEA!!! Yes, this is the point you say, "Ahhhhhh" HA! It wasn't there any of the other days I was sprinkling. It isn't one of mine! It is not a round marble, but a flat one, but it is BLUE! I have no idea how it got there? I found it! Hmmmm! The  BLUE MIND Spirit has found me! HA! It was just sitting there all by itself and being very obvious! :-) If I find another one, I'm going to set up a camera! Ha! Today Mother Nature sprinkled my plants, so I didn't have to do it. Thank you Mother Nature! We had some big Boom Booms around 4am this morning, but I usually sleep better when there are T-Storms. Well, not the ones that rattle everything, but in general. :-) Thank you Charis  (Check out her website!) for sending me the Blue Mind heart! I added it to ...

Hi Everyone... Today was the March for Oceans Day and I could not participate, so I thought I would talk about the times I've been lucky enough to "experience" the ocean. I'm from the Midwest so oceans are not easily accessible to me! :-) Well I now know why we should label all pictures. Yes, I'm getting to the age that I'm forgetting. At the time you think you'll never forget. HA!  Anyone recognize it? I believe it is somewhere near San Francisco looking at other pictures below with the same date. HA! I went to California three times I believe, all business trips. I was in San Diego one time and San Francisco two times, but I only remember one of them, HMMM? Well from the dates below it appears 1994 & 1999. I remember the one trip to San Francisco when I was treated with a wine tour/tasting/dinner at a Napa Valley vineyard. FUN! I did get to ride a trolley, which was a special moment for me. I remember when my mom & dad went on a trip to San...