A to Z Challenge- People, Qualities or Things that inspired me – K

For Letter K, my choice is Hellen Keller

Helen Keller

A Brief Biographical Timeline

1880: On June 27, Helen Keller is born in Tuscumbia, Alabama.

1882: Following a bout of illness, Helen loses her sight and hearing.

1887: Helen’s parents hire Anne Sullivan, a graduate of the Perkins School for the Blind, to be Helen’s tutor. Anne begins by teaching Helen that objects have names and that she can use her fingers to spell them. Over time, Helen learns to communicate via sign language, to read and write in Braille, to touch-lip read, and to speak.

1900: After attending schools in Boston and New York, Helen matriculates at Radcliffe College.

1903: Helen’s first book, an autobiography called The Story of My Life, is published.

1904: Helen graduates cum laude from Radcliffe, becoming the first deafblind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

1915: Helen, already a vocal advocate for people with disabilities, co-founds the American Foundation for Overseas Blind to support World War I veterans blinded in combat. This organization later becomes Helen Keller International and expands its mission to address the causes and consequences of blindness, malnutrition, and poor health.

1920: Helen helps found the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

1924: Helen joins the American Foundation for the Blind. She serves as a spokesperson and ambassador for the foundation until her death.

1946: Helen begins touring internationally on behalf of the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (see 1915 above), expanding her advocacy for people with vision impairment. In 11 years, she will visit 35 countries on five continents.

1956: Helen wins an Academy Award for a documentary film about her life.

1961: Helen suffers a stroke and retires from public life.

1964: Helen is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson.

1968: On June 1, Helen dies peacefully at her home in Connecticut. Her ashes are interred at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

(Source; hki.org)

Hellen Keller was an inspiring woman who has set a new standard in courage. She developed her own skills and showed by example that it can be done to millions of people around the world. She encouraged people with disabilities to live fuller lives. Her compassion and intelligence combined with her ambition set her apart from the rest.

#Keepitalive

#AtoZChallenge

Blogging Insights – WordPress

Tanya is the host of Blogging Insights

We keep griping about WordPress whenever we get the chance. Today let’s try and evaluate how it has behaved in this past Year of the Pandemic.

TODAY’S QUESTION

How satisfied (or not) are you with WordPress during the pandemic?

♾♾♾

I agree with Tanya that blogging has been a sanity saver during the pandemic.

Admittedly, the new editor has created lots of problems for many people and I don’t think it is a popular tool amongst bloggers. But having said that, the community at WordPress is exceptional. It’s the community that has basically been the saving grace for WordPress.

Personally, I blog solely from my phone, and to date, I have been able to use the classic editor on the WP app. I don’t know if this changes, how I will fare, but I don’t plan to give up blogging because the people behind WordPress are trying to make life difficult for their customers.

When I started to blog, I was experiencing the classic signs of an empty nester. Blogging at first gave me something to do with my free time and later on, it introduced me to this marvelous community we have here.

It’s like finding a new family and a bunch of good friends. So even before the pandemic, it was helping me cope with my life of reduced responsibilities. And during the pandemic when I was stuck in Seattle without any means to come home, it was a Godsend.

As far as the technical glitches of WordPress go, I am not affected by them as I blog from the WP app which is working fine most of the time.

This is my view about blogging from WordPress in pandemic.

Thanks for visiting.

#Keepitalive

#BloggingInsights

Sunday Writing Prompt- Freedom

Sara is the host of Sunday Writing Prompt

Freedom from an abusive relationship? Ten-minutes alone in the bathroom, away from your children? Moving out of your parent’s house? Freedom to vote? Freedom to choose? Freedom to accept and embrace your sexuality? Freedom to love or learn in an obtuse way? Freedom could be a pig let out of a pen, or a rescued dog. Perhaps a leaf, riding the back of a breeze…

This week’s challenge is the word: FREEDOM

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Freedom

I was finally free

But it came at a cost

Now I had plenty of time on my hands

But it also made me feel as if I no longer had value

No one clamoring for my attention, no one needing help

My kids have all grown up and have flown the nest

As an empty nester, I thought I would enjoy the freedom

But I forgot that feeling wanted also carried its own high

But…..

It all changed with the arrival of grandkids

Their parents need help and turn towards us, grandparents

Now I don’t have free time anymore

Little hand tug at mine and tiny voices call for my attention

I love being wanted once more

And am willing to give up my freedom!

♾♾♾♾

#Keepitalive

#SundayWritingPrompt

A to Z Challenge- People, Qualities or Things that inspired me – J

My choice for Letter J is Katherine G Johnson

Katherine Johnson, née Katherine Coleman, also known as Katherine Goble, (born August 26, 1918, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, U.S.—died February 24, 2020,

Catherine‘s intelligence and skill with numbers became apparent when she was a child; by the time she was 10 years old, she had started attending high school. In 1937, at age 18, Coleman graduated with the highest honors from West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University), earning bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and French. She subsequently moved to Virginia to take a teaching job. In 1939, however, she was selected to be one of the first three African American students to enroll in a graduate program at West Virginia University.

In 1953 she began working at the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)’s West Area Computing unit, a group of African American women who manually performed complex mathematical calculations for the program’s engineers. The women, known as the West Computers, analyzed test data and provided mathematical computations that were essential to the success of the early U.S. space program

At NASA Johnson was a member of the Space Task Group. In 1960 she coauthored a paper with one of the group’s engineers about calculations for placing a spacecraft into orbit. It was the first time a woman in her division received credit as an author of a research report. Johnson authored or coauthored 26 research reports during her career.

Johnson was also part of the team that calculated where and when to launch the rocket for the Apollo 11 mission of 1969, which sent the first three men to the Moon. Johnson later worked on the space shuttle program. She retired from NASA in 1986.

Johnson received numerous awards and honors for her work, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2015). In 2016 NASA named a building, the Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility, after her. That year Margot Lee Shetterly published Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race, about the West Computers, including Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson. A film based on the book was also released in 2016.

(Source; Brittanica.com)

I became aware of Johnson when I watched the movie, Hidden Figures. After watching the movie I bought the book as well. These were inspiring women who were acknowledged for their contributions rather late in life. But still, it’s wonderful that now a lot of people are aware of her and her colleagues. A definite source of inspiration.

♾♾♾

#Keepitalive

#AtoZChallenge

Your light still shines

Reblog- First in response to WDYS # 77, a beautiful poem from Chris Hall. Enjoy

luna's on line

In the calm of the evening
walking on wet sand
the soft scratch of silica
caresses my naked feet

I lift my face skywards
tasting the salt-laden breeze
sharpened by thyme-scented air
filtering from hushed hillsides

As the sun slips into the ocean
bronze and crimson flares flash
across the rolling cobalt waves
soon swallowed into darkness

Resting on a sea-smoothed rock
my feet wetted with cool water
I flare a sulphurous match
touching it to the lantern’s wick

A pool of golden light
fills the darkness of my heart
as I remember the evenings
when you were still here.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What do You See #77 photo prompt.

Image credit: Andrew Morris @ Unsplash
The image shows a lantern sitting on the wet sand of a beach. There are fairy lights inside the lantern.

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What do you see # 77 – April 12, 2021

Today is Monday. Welcome back to another prompt.

Rules;

You can write a post on your blog and create a pingback to link to the original post.

Write an original story, poem or a caption.

There is no limit to words or format but keep it family-friendly.

If you post a response before next Sunday, I will be able to add it to my roundup post.

I will do a round-up next Sunday before the next Prompt is posted.

It is always helpful if you can give your post/story/poem a title.

Please tag your responses with #Whatdoyousee

#WDYS

Does this picture inspire you to write something?

Image credit; Andrew Morris @ Unsplash

( For the visually challenged reader, the image shows a lantern sitting on the wet sand of a beach. There are fairy lights inside the lantern)

Waiting eagerly for your responses.

Thanking you all for joining this prompt.

#Keepitalive

#Whatdoyousee

#WDYS

What do you see # 76- A Roundup

It sits on the shelf as a reminder

A reminder to me to be real good

Good like an angel, even if I can’t be perfect

Perfection is beyond human nature, but not kindness

Kindness to oneself and those around me, is easy

Easy to give joy, easy to share and care

It sits there with a serious look on its face

Reminding me to be good, as good as I can be

♾♾♾

This week these wonderful bloggers participated in WDYS # 76. You can read their contributions by clicking on their links.

Chris Hall; Little wickedness

Reena; The burden of innocence

Ivor; Blossoms over Jerusalem ( in comments)

Kristian; The angel’s kiss

Di; What do you see # 76

Susi; The light inside

Jules; Fostering luck

Carol Anne; What do you see # 76

Books and Bonsai; What Do You see # 76

Happy Soul; Angels

Eugenia; Yet another day

Michnavs; New colors

Jeff; Tanka # 10

Lisa; In comments

Suzette; Anointed Angel

I will be posting next week’s challenge on Monday at 12:00 pm PKT.

My sincerest thanks to all those who wrote for this prompt, commented on these posts, and shared them.

#Keepitalive

#Whatdoyousee

#WDYS

Weekend Writing Prompt

Sammi Cox is the host of Weekend Writing Prompt

Word Prompt

Forage

Challenge

♾♾♾

Winter is approaching fast and they have to forage for food

In organized manner, they hunt for it high’n low

Nuts from trees, Fruit waste from the dumpster, all precious

Those living in urban areas are brave, fearless

They would boldly grab food right in front of your face

Older and young ones all have been assigned their tasks

Sometimes they will stop and take a little break

To satisfy their immediate hunger and rest a while

Afterward, it’s back to work.

(82 Words)

#Keepitalive

#WeekendWritingPrompt

Sunday Poser # 23

Week 23 of Sunday Poser already here!

This week, my question is;

What is your reaction when someone is rude to you?

It’s a fact of life that not everyone is polite. Even the people who we love, or especially the people who love us!

I find it hard to swallow rudeness. If it’s someone I am not close to, I outright point out to them that whatever they want to say, can be said politely as well.

But if it’s someone I am close to, like an old friend or a family member, I feel hesitant in tackling this issue.

Why?

You may ask.

I find that sometimes it can give rise to confrontation and I am always wary of confronting my loved ones. For me, the issue rises from my personality flaw where I want to have a good relationship with my loved ones. I mostly clamp down on my irrigation to rudeness and keep silent. It is probably cowardly but I am being honest here. I hope that on reflection, they would see the error of their ways and apologize.

Sometimes I have to wait a long time for this apology.

So this is my way of dealing with rudeness.

What is yours?

Please share your thoughts in the comments section.

Thanks for reading and visiting.

#Keepitalive

#SundayPoser

Crimson Creative Challenge # 126

Crispina is the host of Crimson Creative Challenge

Welcome to my weekly challenge—open to all—just for FUN, FUN, FUN

♾♾♾

Sally looked around but there was no sign of it anywhere.

Where could she have dropped it? She wondered. Feeling her earlobes again in hope of discovering the earring, but her hand came back empty.

She thought back to her movements. She came into the garden and went near the flower beds. Then she took a look at the newly planted tulip bulbs and it was at this point that she touched her ear to feel the new diamond studs her daughter had given her as a birthday present. One was missing and from that point, she had been retracing her step and trying to find it.

It was almost dark and she reluctantly turned to go in when in the fading light, something glinted among the delicate primroses. Hopefully, she bent down and there it was, nestled among the flowers. Twinkling at her, as if giving her a wink.

♾♾♾

#Keepitalive

#CCC

Helen Keller

A Brief Biographical Timeline

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Forage

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