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Undefined

Dreams traverse on piglet’s wing
Playful and undefined
I rehearse the words you would sing
Learning each and every line
Soaring birds above grassland green
A beauty so sublime
Your whispered words and thoughts between
Stay gentle on my mind.

(c) Melinda Marinko

Video montage of My Dad

September 21, 1941 - June 8, 2009

Papa Lew passed away tonight, shortly after 10:00 pm. He was surrounded by loved ones, beautiful music was playing. He was a good man and he fought hard, right up to the end.

Funeral date and time will be posted later this week.

My Dad was loved by so many Thank you all

FReeper LantzALot battling last stages of Cancer - NEEDS OUR SUPPORT/PRAYERS/LOVE
all over the place | 19 May 2009 | Dolly

Posted on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 5:19:00 PM by DollyCali

Stress Management

Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.



Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.



Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.



Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.



If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.



If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.



It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.



Never buy a car you can't push.



Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.



Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.



Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.



The second mouse gets the cheese.



When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.



Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.



You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.



Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once



We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull, Some have weird names , and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.



“A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

Papa

Papa's cancer is back. With a vengeance, it seems. In at least four places including his skin. This last week I've watched it grow, looks like a crab (hence = cancer) the tumors under his arms are growing as well. His energy is low to none. He hasn't eaten in weeks and it looks like he may never eat again. Thankfully he has the J-tube for nutrition. Sometime this week we will be looking into hospice. I'm freaking out. I hide that from him. He says I have a tendency to "panic". I'm not panicking, I've known over two years that this was coming.
So... I balance his care and school.... no time for much else. Finals week is the first week of June, I won't be taking a class this summer, I'll wait until Fall.
Pray for Papa, pray for me. Out of tragedy is blessing. I count a million blessings that he and I have gotten to know each other, that my Dad loves me. The past is irrelevant, life is now and I'm living in the moment, and grateful for each that comes and goes.

Numinous and Out There

Numinous and Out There

When I was ‘out there’
Out where my spirits did roam
I was light as the air
I was closer to home

Out on the page
Where I’ve spilled out the most
You’ll see all the rage
That was born to a ghost

Simplistic, sublime,
Cognizant the ether
In absence of time
I tried hard to reach her

Numinous I'm transcending
With the sun, the moon… you
Shallow water blending
Clarity into blue

Melinda Marinko
© 9 April 2009

Gentle On My Mind

Gentle On My Mind

Bathed in misty melody Lyrics yet defined Passion like a symphony Gentle on the mind. On the wings of pigs there's knowing honest love is blind Deep inside the truth keeps growing Gentle on our minds. Chasing the sun away from you Nothing left behind Shining like you want me to Gentle on your mind. Immersed in shallow yearning escaping daily grind The Smoke of peace-pipes burning Gentle on my mind.

It's the end of a long LOOOOng Winter

What a difference a year makes. I shed 60 of that 70 lbs I put on from 2006 to 2008 this year, I let go of my bitter bitch face. I let go of the disregard I had for the existence of love between lovers. I've lost and found myself again. I've taken on a whole lot of school this Spring. I am not alone, I am fearless and scared, I am hopeful in the moment. I am working on finally growing up.

Essay 5 “The Effects of Divorce”

I have witnessed divorce in varied processes. The after math endlessly unfolding. The causes seem so insignificant while, the effects appear at times, colossal, immeasurable and poignant. I have seen financial, emotional and spiritual stability compromised, effecting children and who they are, become, and how they perceive the world around them. The children are completely dependent and blameless yet it is their lives, their foundation, and their spiritual growth in peril through divorce.
The bickering over child support by parents too financially stressed due to supporting a house hold alone, will consume time and energy that could have been spent actually parenting the kids. It is so unpleasant and uncomfortable to overhear and witness for the little ones. They really don’t understand why it feels like it does. Unfortunately this causes kids to find unhealthy ways to distract themselves from the unpleasantness.
When a single parent is devastated by the divorce, that parent's emotional needs become paramount. Their pit of emptiness casts a ominous shadow over the needs of their children and likely to remain well into that child’s adulthood. How is a child going to mature emotionally into an adult when they have had to cater to the emotions of the one that is supposed to be there nurturing, teaching, guiding them? Therapy? Too late. If anyone thinks a pill or some kind of exercise in imaginary time travel on a quest to one’s own “inner child” could succeed in reprogramming a human condition, then pop away, and don't miss your flight. Good luck.
Here's the thing, vows are made between two people from the heart, in church, under whatever God it is those two people will eventually teach their children to believe in, a government contract - the Marriage License - is signed, stamped and filed in the hall of records, rings are worn by each, names are changed, is this not thee most sworn-to contract and promise that anyone enters into? On EARTH?
Children learn from their parents that for any reason under the sun it can and will be broken, then where will they ever learn to completely trust themselves, their religion, or another human being? I don’t have an answer because there isn’t one. They learn that no one on Earth can ever really be completely trusted to honestly love another, remain loyal, keep a promise, a vow, honor a contract or honor their deity.
I hope that the majority of the human race is ignorant to what I believe I know about the effects of divorce because when asked to examine it, I find it a travesty to one and all in our society. I believe it has surpassed money in the “Root of all Evil” department. Because it affects the behavior and priorities of those that grow up in divorce and look at our world today. I think we all know something about the effects of divorce.

Who is Jack Shit?

Who is Jack Shit?
The lineage is finally revealed. Many people are at a loss for a response when someone says "You don't know Jack Shit." Now you can intellectually handle the situation.
Jack is the son of Awe Shit and O. Shit. Awe Shit, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Shit, the owner of Needeep N. Shit Inc. They had one son, Jack. In turn Jack Shit married Noe Shit, the deeply religious couple produced 6 children: Holie Shit, Fulla Shit, Giva Shit, Bull Shit, and the twins: Deap Shit and Dip Shit. Against her parents' objections, Deap Shit married Dumb Shit, a high school drop out.
However, after being married 15 years, Jack and Noe Shit divorced. Noe Shit later remarried Ted Sherlock and, because her kids were living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name.
She was then known as Noe Shit-Sherlock. Meanwhile, Dip Shit married Loda Shit and they produced a son of nervous disposition, Chicken Shit. Two other of the 6 children, Fulla Shit and Giva Shit, Were inseparable throughout childhood and subsequently married the Happens brothers in a dual ceremony.
The wedding announcement in the newspaper announced the Shit-Happens wedding. The Shit-Happens children were Dawg, Byrd, and Hoarse. Bull Shit, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He recently returned from Italy with his new Italian bride, Pisa Shit.
So now when someone says, "you don't know Jack Shit," you can correct them

ESSAY 3 “Procrastination”

If procrastination were marketable, I would be a very wealthy person. (That is if I ever got around to placing that ad!) My perspective on the subject comes from the very depths of it - having been a lifelong ‘Master Procrastinator’. Putting things off until the end of “the last minute” has never worked out well. I transform a task I am competent to perform and complete in a timely manner, into an overwhelming nightmare and the sound of the clock ticking alone clouds my ability to focus. Through self-analysis, I have come to believe this to be self destructive exercise, possibly based in some sort of self loathing. However, I digress. Recognizing that this is a problem, I must overcome! I have sought advice through friends, family and internet searches and found some very helpful strategies and tips.
Prioritizing is first and foremost, I learned this in my years as an administrative assistant. There are always multiple duties in life to accomplish on a daily basis. It helps to make lists and high light what demands immediate attention and has time sensitivity. Sometimes having more than one list is an advantageous kind of mind trick to play on oneself. Completing a short list is easier than a long list, the tendency to put off getting started: greatly diminished.
Next, divide and conquer. A big task can look too big to tackle at times, intimidating and overwhelming. Large projects consist of smaller tasks, doable portions I can complete in a short and reasonable time. For example, when I need to clean the entire house, the very thought of it could be overwhelming. I break it down into smaller steps that I can complete in 15 to 30 minutes, such as, cleaning a kitchen cabinet.
The most popular answer I have found is having a reward system. One is much more likely to complete that boring task if there is a reward waiting. If I promise to give myself a reward that is enticing enough to not want to put off the task for another time I will be less likely to procrastinate. Nevertheless, there is no reward, not even a small part of it, if I have not fulfilled what I have set out to accomplish. I am smoker so one way to motivate is to deny myself a cigarette until after I finish a step or two in a larger project. I recently rewarded myself with the latest Foo Fighter’s CD for making good on two year old promise to my father to clean and organize his basement and garage.
This brings me to tips like, using music; I have playlists of upbeat,’ feel good’ music that serves as great motivation. Another thing to do is get others involved, tell my loved one’s when my deadlines are, what is on my list. Public embarrassment is right up there with my fear of spiders and maggots.
My family members suggest I overcome procrastinating by, “Just doing it!” (As if, I hadn’t thought of that one on my own!) However, I gave this notion deeper thought and concluded that I needed to actively retrain my behaviors and myself so that I will just do it! In addition, I needed to understand why I put things off and performance anxiety is sometimes at the root. I consciously changed my inner dialogue to one that says, “Be courageous; stop avoiding” One act of courage can eliminate fear. Instead of constantly telling myself I better perform well, I remind myself that "just doing it" is more important. I find that I rarely fail to impress myself with my ability once I get to it, anyway. I also realize that I am too significant to live with anxiety about the things I have to do; I remind myself that people who love themselves don’t hurt themselves that way.
Sometimes, not always, procrastination is merely a symptom of fatigue. I’ve learned that it is very important to recharge daily. Get enough sleep and rest each day so I have the necessary energy I need to accomplish my tasks. Also, drink plenty of water and choose natural whole foods whenever possible because I have read and believe that the brain functions much more efficiently when fed properly.
My favorite suggestion came from my Father, “when you wake up in the morning, eat a frog. Anything else you have to do will seem like a cake walk.”
By putting into action what I have learned I will overcome and conquer the procrastinator in me. I must never be lazy when doing so and live consciously and proactively.


Sources
ineedmotivation.COM. Ways to Overcome & Cure Procrastination.

Koretsky, Jennifer. The Top 10 Ways to Overcome Procrastination. Sept. 2004. 2008 .

Robbins, Anthony. 16 Ways To Overcome Procrastination. .