[Critique Group 1] Cleora's August Submission

[sitting.duck at springmail.com]

378 words
Do It My Way
By C. S. Boyd
As I journey through life, I have experiences that, I believe, help me to understand God better. One of these has been my frustration with the ability of the typical care giver.
According to the Bible, in the beginning, after creating man, God gave them a very simple set of instructions. He had planted a Tree of Life and a Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. The instructions regarding the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil were simple. Don't look at it, don't touch it, and don't eat of the fruit from it.
Those familiar with the story in the first chapter of Genesis know Adam and Eve disobeyed these orders. Thus evil entered the world and we find ourselves in the mess we have today. 
Sometime after that, mankind became so evil that God instructed Noah to build an ark. He gave Noah detailed instructions on how to build this boat. Believers generally accept that if the instructions had not been followed to the letter, the eight souls inside would not have survived. Over time, God has provided information about what He wanted done and how to do it. These are rules that are possible to be done by any individual. I’m not saying they are always easy, but they are doable. He doesn’t require things that are outside the ability of human beings to perform.
Now, in this last age,  we have a set  of instructions that include some, but not all of the past orders God has given. There are those that look back over the past and insist that things God required in the past, but hasn’t mentioned in this last age, are binding today. Some come up with ideas they feel are better and/or more convenient than the plan God has outlined.
Several years of trying to find good care givers who will help me do the things I need to do my way, has brought me to the conclusion that maybe I know a little about how God feels when people go their own way. Maybe what God is looking for is people that will do what He says, the
way He wants it done.
2/28/21 at 2:32pm
[]223 words
gone are the days
I recall a similar statement by my parents when I was growing up. They mourned the passing of a quality product & service for cheaper poorer quality items
in my lifetime I have seen the disappearance of a sacker taking your groceries out to the car for you, loading them in the car, and saying thank you, ma'am, come again.
the filling station attendant that hurried out to put gas in your tank, wash the windshield, check the oil and air in tires. Again, after taking your payment, thank you ma'am, come again.
that was also when gas was 25 cents a gallon.
When you bought a product, it was rare, almost unheard of, that it didn't work.
if it didn't, you could take it back to the store and they would replace it.
you also had 3 or more months to do so.
Products like appliances worked for decades not months and could be repaired when they did break down.
When you bought a product, everything you needed to use it was included. If there were consumables, you could go back to the store and buy more when they ran out.
at this point, it may be necessary to invent new things to be discontinued. I wonder what the new "Good Ol Days" the millennial generation will morn?
3/3/21 at 10:34am
183 words
Alaska
By C. S. Boyd
One of the items in my Bucket List is to visit Alaska. The land of the midnight sun. At parts of the year, the night is up to 4 hours long and is more like a dusk or dawn. A stream of liquid will freeze and land as a stick that brakes into little cylinders on hitting the ground. Don't visit in the summer, is the warning, mosquitoes are the size of humming birds. I hear the northern lights are amazing. But, for me, the most amazing thing to see and take a helicopter ride to the peak of would be the glaciers. Several years ago, I heard this quick trip was priced at $2,000 which I would cheerfully pay for the experience. Now, 20 years later I'm sure it is a lot more. I guess I'll never get to go, and at this point, my vision has deteriorated enough that the experience would not be what I longed for. But, alas, the closest I may get at this point, is my dentist whose last name is Laska.
revised 3/8/21 at 9:02pm
Alaska
By C. S. Boyd
One of the items in my Bucket List is to visit Alaska--The land of the midnight sun. At parts of the year, the night is up to four hours long and is more like a dusk or dawn. 
A stream of liquid will freeze and land as a stick that breaks into little cylinders on hitting the ground. Don't visit in April or May, is the warning--mosquitoes are the size of humming birds. They have Chinooks, a toronado on its side, with winds up to 60 mph at the end of Winter. There are herds of buffalo, caribou & moose. Tours on horses or 4-wheelers. I hear the northern lights are amazing. But, for me, the most amazing thing to see and take a helicopter ride to the peak of would be the glaciers. Several years ago, I heard this quick trip was priced at $2,000 which I would cheerfully pay for the experience. Now, 20 years later I'm sure it is a lot more. I guess I'll never get to go, and at this point, my vision has deteriorated enough that the experience would not be what I longed for. But, alas, the closest I may get at this point, is my dentist whose last name is Laska.
3/12/21 at 1:30pm
dr bombay was the original doctor prescribing drugs that caused side effects
3/20/21 at 7:56pm
What Is the Worst Sin?
by c. s. boyd
I never cease to be amazed, confounded, and infuriated by the stupidity of people. They pay no attention to what they are doing, do not respect the rights & property of others, and waste more time doing things the wrong less efficient way than it would take to do it right the first time simply because they don't think about what they are doing.
You may have heard some people say, "If God is such a loving God, how could he let that happen?"
Good question. when you get right down to it, He could have prevented this whole mess by simply not planting that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 
I think most people would say murder is the worst thing a person could do. If someone steals, rapes, embezzles, etc., it will hurt the victim, and may seriously alter the person's life, but while there is life, there is a chance of recovery.
But, what do you suppose God considers the worst sin. Since any sin results in death, one might conclude that God sees all sin as equally the worst. Considering man’s activities from the beginning to present we can see that for all our technological advances, man really hasn't changed over the millenniums. He still doesn't pay attention to what is happening around him, and he still doesn't consider the consequences of what he is about to do.
So, what does all this mean. God gave a simple command. Don't look at the tree, don't touch it, don't eat of it. Eve first then Adam did it anyway.
He told Noah to build an ark, and load his family and select animals on it. Noah did and he, his family, and a sampling of creatures were preserved.
He told Abraham to leave the land where he was and go to a land God would give his descendent. And, he did.
He told Abraham later that he would have a son thru whom the world would be blessed.
Sarai scoffed, Abraham and Sarah took matters into their own hands and tried to fulfill the promise themselves instead of waiting on God. Look over to the middle east to see what kind of mess that made.
There are hundreds of religions where man has come up with what he considers a better, more convenient and enjoyable way to worship and serve God. But, God has told us what and how he wants to be served. What does all this have in common? Maybe what God wants is people that do what He wants in the way He wants it done, Presumptuous people are on the list of those that will not enter heaven.
So, perhaps the worst sin of all, is not obeying God. Each generation has had a slightly different set of rules. Just trust Him, and obey is the key. I sure wish I could get care givers to follow that simple rule. I think I'm starting to understand how God feels. some have turned God's kingship into the type of manarchy England has
4/8/21 at 6:13am
tempting
desire for love
time in memorial
there is no way to make it work
lost love
4/9/21 at 5:06am
Tiny Feet
by sly duck
click
scurry, scurry, scurry
what is that noise I hear?
Tiny feet patter back and forth.
Oh, dear.
4/11/21 at 1:41am
102 words
16 lines
Salty Water
by c. s. boyd
Crystal water spreads across the land.
As small as 950 square miles but as large as 3,300 square miles.
embracing 10 islands
Strengthened by the sun.
16 to 35 feet deep
Roughly 75 miles across.
You can't drink it.
What use is it?
A home for birds and brine shrimp, shore birds, and waterfowl, including the largest staging population of Wilson's pahlarope. 
Provides mineral extraction, recreation, and harvest of brine shrimp. 
Great Salt Lake in Northern Utah.
The largest inland body in the western hemisphere.
It has a city named after it.
Got salt? Make lemonade.
4/17/21 at 1:38pm
acrostic BIO
by c. s. boyd
Contest winner
Loves learning, hates school
easily annoyed
organized
retired computer geek
animal lover
Short for her weight
Bird owner - or is that the other way around?
only one left that has known her all her life
younger at heart than body
dismal poet  [ducks are her delight]
4/19/21 at 5:07pm
[]Amazing Man
by C. S. Boyd
We flew a rocket to the moon, and a man set foot on its surface.
A helicopter hitched a ride to Mars, and flew around.
A module flew to Pluto and took pictures.
We now have expensive trash left behind on two extra-terrestrial surfaces, and flying around the universe.
Man is amazing in what he can achieve.
Why can't he achieve peace on his own world?
4/26/21 at 9:36pm
story idea
[]The Script
police officer has a fanatical record for assessing a situation because he reads about it in a magic script each night.
4/26/21 at 10:03pm
191 words
[]My Neighborhood
by c. s. boyd
The street is new.
So, now I am blue.
The speed bumps are gone,
and so is my lawn.
I have a new driveway entry,
but I don't need a sentry.
They replaced our sewer and water lines while it was warm.
Is that why they didn't break during the storm?
The neighbors on the corners are black,
but they give us no flack.
Across the street is a female minister,
that seems a bit sinister.
Caddy-corner  to me is a Muslim that lured away my ducks.
,That really sucks.
next door is a new owner with a big dog for a guard.
He barks and growls at me and those who jog past the yard.
past that, I don't know except for the one who at midnight
plays his jungle music at top volume for the street light.
Some of our foundations are cracked.
That's an unfortunate fact.
My neighbor's sister, for her fiancé carries a torch,
So, UPS leaves her wedding presents on my porch.
All in all it's a good place.
To live until the end of the race.
5/2/21 at 10:48am
story idea
[]Who Was the Thief?
essay about the thief on the cross
he knew who Jesus was. His faith wasn't shaken by seeing Him on the cross beside Him.
He must have attended the meetings where Jesus spoke and perhaps assembles with John the Baptist as well. 
So he very likely had been baptized.
I started reading the Bible daily when I was 14 years old. As a result, many of the things I was taught, or perhaps misunderstood in Bible class, have been corrected. Each time I read through this historical record, I see something I didn't notice before.This last time, while reading through the gospels, it dawned on me that the thief on the cross possibly, even very likely, was baptised. I invite the reader to follow along with me as I reason this out. All scriptures are from the NASB (New American Standard Bible.)
Crusifiction is a brutal form of capital punishment, and I find it interesting that the three men carried on a brief conversation. The first thief tried to temp Jesus into abandoning His mission by appealing to His pride. He wanted Jesus to prove He was the Son of God by bringing Himself down from the cross and he and the other thief with Him. He might have been in the audience and heard Jesus proclaiming that the Kingdom of God was at hand. He might have been there when John the Baptist identified Jesus as the coming massia. Or, he may have just been picking up the jeers of the crowd that shouted up to Jesus the same challenge claiming that if He was truly the massia, save Himself and they would believe.
But, the other thief is different. It is clear that he not only belives that Jesus is the expected savior, his faith is not shaken by finding Him on the cross. Let's hear what he has to say.
and John the Baptist  teachin
5/8/21 at 3:00pm
[]Leadership
Most people will say that an elected official deserves respect even when they don't act professionally, or according to the way others think they should behave. Would that this idea were followed in our society, But, as we all know, it usually isn't. The lack of respect that is given to any of our US Presidents is a good example.
Some people think The office of President, regardless of whether it is for a government, corporation, or organization, is a position of absolute power. Perhaps they see themselves as a sergeant in the military where they can browbeat and bully the people under them.
There is a unwritten rule in the military. "Never give an order you know will not be obeyed." To do so, causes the one in charge to lose credibility, and it sets up a pattern where more and more orders will not be obeyed.
It would do well for any leader of an organization to understand that they serve at the pleasure of the membership. They are not elected to be dictators, tyrants, or monarchs.
Being President isn't the same thing as being a dictator, tyrant, or monarch. Elected officials need to keep in mind that they serve at the pleasure of those who elected them, and they have not been given a license to bully or disrespect the members. 
In Sunday night’s meeting, one person confused herself with being a dictator. One or two people considered themselves body guards, two were under the mistaken impression that they were welcome attendees with equal status to all other members, and one or more people were disregarded as non-persons and totally ignored.
Everyone witnessed the breakdown of proper procedure to the shame and embarrassment of all.
5/11/21 at 7:56pm
[]Ramps are Scary Places
A hand with long skinny fingers reach up from below and grab your foot or cane and try to pull you off. No, not really, but sometimes it seems that way when a ramp without rales or any kind of guards is bordered by shrubs, vines, or other ornamental plants. While this isn't so much of a problem for sighted scooter and wheelchair users, it can be a problem for blind and visually impaired. One misstep and you can find yourself on the ground beside the ramp. I really wish all ramps had a guard rail. Another issue is a door that opens out to scrape or knock you off when you get to the top. Then, there is that speedy plunge downward on those short 45 degree angle ramps.
5/14/21 at 11:13pm
496 words
[]Worthy of Their Hire
by C. S. Boyd
What is equal pay for the same work. If two people make a product with the same material and workmanship, but one makes it in 15 minutes and the other requires 30 minutes, is it equal work? If two people make the same type of item in the same amount of time, but one person's item is not as well made, should both be paid the same?
We hear much these days about some groups not being paid as much as others for the same work. Our first response is likely that people should receive the same pay for doing the same work. I would have agreed a few years ago, but now I wonder. I've been using care givers for 20 plus years, and I find that they mostly receive the same pay for showing up, they do not all provide the same work for that pay. Some put their mind to their work and try their best to do as much as they can. Others take 3 shifts to do the work another does in one shift. Some will be careful to do the job right, others will make careless mistakes, and then the care receiver has to pay for the time it takes for them to correct the error.
I find that when men serve as care givers, they approach the job as a number of tasks to be completed as well and as quickly as possible. Most women approach the job more like a "ladies" day out" and the tasks are just something to help pass the time rather than an important job to be done. They waste a lot of time and usually do not complete everything that may be on the list. In my experience, the male care givers are worth more and should be paid more than the female workers.
Salaries pay people for the job, but leaves the worker open to employers that add more and more work without fair compensation. Hourly pay allows workers to not do their best work while still getting paid for doing the job. Maybe the long centuries of women staying at home to care for children and the house has left them with the mental idea that one or two tasks completed in a day is good enough, and men had a job to get done and put their mind and body to work to complete it as soon as possible. What we need is a system that rewards people for doing the best work they can as efficiently as possible. 
Many women, I'm know, do the same quality of work as a man in the same job, but there are enough that don't to set the standard of pay for all. The same is true with other groups that struggle for equal opportunity in the work place. The ones that sluff off and perform poorly, set the low standard of opportunity for all.
5/16/21 at 8:01pm
[]idea - essay about people not focusing and taking the time to do a good job by focusing on the story of Job. 
God has promised he will not let circumstances be more than we can bear.
Job got everything back 2 fold. Children he will see again in heaven.
5/18/21 at 1:26pm
[]time for another tea party
on 12/17/1773 colonists rebelled against unfair taxes by tossing a shipment of tea in the harbor.
The "no taxation without representation: is in the constitution to prevent the government from levying unfair taxes.
maybe it's time for another tea party. Our income is taxed when we are paid. Our income is taxed again when we spend the money we earned. Twenty[five percent of the utility bill is miscellaneous taxes of unknown origin. I had a grocery delivery the other day. I was trying to get a receipt for my purchase. Finally, the agent read off the items. When I added the up, the total was seven cents less than what she told me. Another phone called revealed that the missing seven cents was a tax on the fees I had been charged on the order.
If we buy property, we pay tax when we buy it, then a tax each year while we own it. A few years ago, they started taxing services. For example, if you hire someone to mow your yard, you have to pay a service tax. 
I've heard a Rumer that now that we have GPS on our cars, they are considering charging a tax for driving on the roads.
Food is not supposed to be taxed. Recently there was a tax on my grocery purchase. It turns out the state decided to levy a tax on items that come in plastic. I'm not sure exactly how this works since almost everything we buy these days comes in a plastic container, but this is getting ridiculous. 
To arms, citizens. It's time for another rebellion.
5/20/21 at 3:42pm
[]Now They Tell Me
I have never been so cold. The pain is unrelenting. What to do. Can I take aspirin? What if I take an allergy medication. Victims were advised to take Tylenol.
I want to get up and get a blanket, but I am so cold. Would it be okay to take a baby aspirin from a bottle just on the bed side lamp?
What about taking an allergy and cold relief tablet. Would that help the pain?
Would that negate the vaccine?
I have heard that no one that has had the vaccine has ended up in the hospital even if they get covid. 
It should have been a good idea. I take an antihistamine, I get an Afghan from the closet I turn the electric blanket on three. My hands are shaking so much I can hardly type. I am so cold. Will it ever end? Will anything I've done give me relief?
Uncontrolled shaking. I find it hard to type. My fingers miss the keys. I am so cold. retrieving an Afghan from the closet and setting the electric blanket on the third setting.
I snuggle down underneath the heavy covers. I feel a little warmth. I wake up indicating that I finally went to sleep and didn't die. I feel better. Is it over? After being awake a little while I have a slight headache.
The pharmacist said 24 hours. By afternoon I'm feeling better. I join the Wednesday night conference call. The doctor hasn't come in yet. One person says what I heard about no one receiving the vaccine being in the hospital is a lie. Since starting, 500 people who received the vaccine have caught covid and 5 of them died.
Now they tell me. It does seem I will survive, though.
5/30/21 at 9:07pm
writerspartyline at bluegrasspals.com
58 words - prompt powerful
[]Race Track
by Sly Duck
The machine and I are one.
Its powerful engine throbs beneath me.
I make the last curve and speed out of the turn. 
Opening it up on the straightaway, I rocket across the finish line.
Darn, my nemesis made it there before me.
"No worries, Grandma," he says, "you'll get it next time.
7/25/21 story idea story about girl staying in a house that is haunted on a dare. lights that travel through house are from a train going by at night. chair is rocking because the train and traffic vibrate the floor. doors open because the latch is broken.
7/30/21 at 1:04pm - story idea wait on the Lord Abraham, king Saul 
8/12/21 at 2:14am
13 foreign phrases that are rooted in superstition
German
tell someone off 
Go quickly to the coo coo
in Germany it is bad luck to say the devils name out loud in Germany, but coo coo is fair game as a substitute.
the coo coo has a habit of hiding its eggs in other bird's nest which has given it an association with the Devil.
Turkish
You planted a fig tree in my home.
In Turkey, it's considered bad luck to hand someone a knife or pair of scissors directly. You’re supposed to put it on a table or floor first. If someone violates this rule - which can be taken as a sign of aggression - you can get back at them by planting a fig tree in front of their house which is considered bad luck, hence the expression.
2. German
Shards of glass bring luck.
loud clanging and shattering noises are thought to drive off evil spirits, and bring good luck. This belief is manifested in many rituals in Germany.
For example, on the evening before a wedding many ceremonies will include a holteriveravin, which involves porcelain and ceramics being shattered in front of the couple in order to secure a happy future for them.
not everything that breaks brings good luck, however, breaking a mirror can get you 7 years of bad luck because your reflection is thought to represent your soul. When the mirror breaks, so does the soul of the person who's reflected. The soul takes 7 years to heal according to this German superstition.
3. French
One misfortune never comes alone.
it means that when you have a problem, you should expect more troubles to come.
like the English expression when it rains it pours.
This idea may have originated in Latin poetry wherein a common theme that misfortunes are linked together and are often brought about by the same root cause.
4. Spanish
don't get married or board a ship on a Tuesday.
Tuesday the 13th is the Spanish equivalent of our Friday the 13th.
This expression is basically suggesting you avoid doing anything risky or important like get married or travel on a Tuesday.
In Spanish speaking countries, Tuesday is considered a day of bad luck especially if it fell the 13th day of the month.
5/ Italian
Spilling oil and salt brings bad luck.
Since ancient Roman times, salt and oil have been considered resources of great importance and value, luxury items, or even rare commodities.
Soldiers for example, were paid with salt hence the word salario or salary .
and many foods were and still are preserved with oil and salt even in more esoteric terms, salt is of considerable importance in certain magical practices like alchemy salt symbolizes the earth. It's also thought to be effective in keeping evil or disruptive entities at bay according to a proverb moreover it is said that the devil would always offer dishes without salt wasting oil or salt is therefore supposed to bring bad (or back?) luck, but in the case of salt you can always protect yourself by immediately throwing 3 pinches of salt behind your left shoulder.
6. Swedish
Pepper pepper touch wood
similar to how we say knock on wood in English.
Swedish say this to avoid jinxing themselves. The idea is that you sprinkle pepper on your metaphorical lug to protect it from evil forces.
often only the first part of the expression is said
7. Portuguese
To start with the right/left foot.
In Portuguese, to start something with the right foot brings good luck while to start something with the left foot suggests bad luck.
In other words, if you have a bad day you could say I woke up on the left foot. 
If you have a job interview, your friend might tell you to 
enter with the right foot.
8. Indonesian
God forbid.
this is used almost exactly like its English equivalent especially in situations where you might feel compelled to cancel out any bad omens.
9. Russian
Don't show on yourself.
This phrase is generally used in the very specific context of discussing another person illnesses or wounds.
When speaking of another person health issues you should never indicate them with gestures on your own body. The superstition goes doing so will predispose you to the same wounds or illnesses.10. polish
Grab a button.
In Poland, it's believed chimney sweepers luck and if you ever happen to see one walking down the street, you should immediately grab a button affixed to your clothes. If you happen to be caught sands buttons, well too bad for you11. Chinese
Giving a clock.
.In China, it's considered very rude and very bad luck to give someone a clock as a gift. That's because the expression for giving a clock  sounds very similar to the expression for attend a funeral/bid farewell to someone on their deathbed .
So, giving your friend a clock is sort of a passive aggressive way maybe even aggressive way to say that their time is up, and you'd like to see them Croke.
12. Greek
Touch red.
In Greece, according to Greek superstition, accidentally parroting each other is a sign that two people are about to get into a fight and that in order to prevent an argument the two much touch something red right away.
13. Pilipino
knock knock
This is a common expression Filipinos use when knocking on someone’s door, but it's not as straight forward as it sounds.
The word tau"  means person which is a way of letting the people inside know that the person knocking is in fact human and not an evil spirit or supernatural creature.