Why is it that the summer seems to fly by so much quicker than winter? Whatever the reason here we are, already, at the month of August. In a few short weeks, the kiddos will be back at school. But, until then, there's lots of summer fun left to enjoy. Here is your August calendar of special days to help you plan some great end-of-summer festivities. 
AUGUST 2018
1.  Start-up day Across America, National Girlfriends Day, Respect For Parents Day, National Raspberry Cream Pie Day.
2.  National Coloring Book Day, National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.
3.  National Watermelon Day, National Grab Some Nuts Day.
4.  National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, National Coast Guard Day, National Disc Golf Day, National Mustard Day.
5.  National Underwear Day, National Work Like A Dog Day, American Family Day, National Sister Day, National Friendship Day.
6.  National Root Beer Float Day, National Fresh Breath Day, National Wiggle Your Toes Day.
​7.  Purple Heart Day, National Lighthouse Day, National Night Out.
8.  National Happiness Happens Day (What a great day!), National Frozen Custard Day, National Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Day, National Dollar Day.
9.  National Rice Pudding Day, National Veep Day, National Book Lovers Day.
10. National Shapewear Day, National Lazy Day, National S'mores Day.
11. National Sons and Daughters Day, National Presidential Joke Day (Nope. I'm not sayin' a thing...), National Bowling Day, National Garage Sale Day. 
12. National Vinyl Record Day, National Middle Child Day.
13. Left-handers Day.
14.  National Creamsicle Day, National V-J Day.
15. National Leathercraft Day, National Relaxation Day, National Lemon Meringue Day.
16. National Tell A Joke Day, National Roller Coaster Day, National Airborne Day.
17. National Nonprofit Day, National I Love My Feet (Flippers) Day, National Thrift Shop Day, National Black Cat Appreciation Day.
18. National Fajita Day, National Ice Cream Pie Day, National Mail Order Catalog Day, National Honey Bee Day.
19. International Bow Day (Every little girl's favorite accessory), National Aviation Day, National Soft Ice Cream Day.
20. National Radio Day, National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day.
21. National Spumoni Ice Cream Day, National Senior Citizens Day.
22. National Bao Day, Never Bean Better Day, National Tooth Fairy Day.
23. National Ride The Wind Day, National Sponge Cake Day.
24. National Peach Pie Day, National Waffle Day.
25. National park Service Founders Day, National Kiss And Make Up Day, National Secondhand Wardrobe Day, National Banana Split Day.
26. National Webmistress Day, National Dog Day, National Women's Equality Day, National Cherry Popsicle Day.
27. National Just Because Day, National Pots de Creme Day.
28. National Bow Tie Day, National Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, National Power Rangers Day.
29. National Chop Suey Day.
30. National Toasted Marshmallow Day, National Grief Awareness Day.
31. National Matchmaker Day, National Trail Mix Day, National College Colors Day, National Diatomaceous Earth Day.
Wowzers! That's sure a lot of great stuff to celebrate, especially if you love food. have you picked out your favorite special days? I'm working on my list and as soon as I'm done, I'm hopping off to the Lily pad part Store and then the food market. With so many wonderful days to celebrate, you'll have no trouble keeping everyone happy. And keeping the kids from thinking about the beginning of school! Come on back at the end of August for my September calendar of special days. And don't forget that tomorrow is Wednesday. And that means a valuable life lesson from my wise teacher The Dharma Frog. Until then, I wish you happy shopping and
​                                                                   PEACE.

Fred McFeely Rogers was a shy, awkward and bullied young man growing up in America's 1930. he went off to college to study what he called "his first language...music. He then prepared himself to enter the seminary and study for the ministry. But one Easter visit home changed all that. Fred Rogers saw television for the first time. He hated what he saw; people throwing pies at one another. It was demeaning. Fred Rogers, though, got an immediate sense of the capacity that TV had for connecting people. His life and the lives of millions of others changed that Easter weekend. 
Fred Rogers went on to become Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, a popular children's show that ran from 1968 until it's final production in 2001. reruns can still be found on many stations.  Mr. Rogers is most known for his quiet demeanor and button-front sweater.  Although he's been dead for 15 years now, many human adults can't stop turning back to Mr. Rogers and his wonderful lessons. He was kind of like the Dharma Frog of humans. With that in mind, I thought it might be kind of fun to take a look at a few of the life lessons that Mr. Rogers taught that are still applicable today, whether you're human or some other species.
1. It's okay to feel whatever it is that we feel.  One thing that Mr. Rogers learned early in his career and something that we often repeated on his TV show was, "Anything human is mentionable, and anything mentionable is manageable.” In others words whatever we feel, it's okay to feel...even if it feels chaotic or seems too complex to manage. naming those feelings, speaking them out loud, and exploring them with those people we love and trust are all good ways to grow inside.
2.  But those feelings aren't an excuse for bad behavior. I have a friend who does many unpleasant, irritating and often hurtful things. When asked why he continues his bad behavior even when he knows it hurts others, his excuse is always, "I learned it from my father. it's just who I am." As if that is somehow supposed to make it all okay. "What Do You Do with the Mad You feel?" was a song that Mr. Rogers sang to help kids understand their anger. Mr. Rogers pointed out that while it's okay to have feelings, it's not always appropriate to act on them. He suggested ways for releasing those pent-up feeling that worked better than taking it out on friends and family, These included punching a punching bag, pound some clay or dough, engaging in physical activities like playing tag or touch football. He told his young listeners that feeling in control feels good. And it does, no matter your age.
3.  Other people are different than us - but just as complex. In today's society, we are becoming increasingly aware of the differences between "us" and "them." The population seems fixated on our differences, rather than our sameness. Social media doesn't help and makes it very easy to say negative things to those we may not know and with whom we disagree. Mr. Rogers showed us another way.  he explained that it's easy to call others "bad" and ourselves "good." But that doesn't help or heal anything. The medicine that is needed is to remember that although we are all different, we are all the same on the inside. "Fred Rogers’ favorite quote from his favorite book was this: “L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.” In English: “What is essential is invisible to the eye.”
4.  It's our responsibility to care for the most vulnerable. Mr. Rogers was as gentle and caring in real life as he was on TV. he did, however, have an iron will and perfectionist standards. he demanded excellence from himself and everyone who worked with him on behalf of children. Mr. Rogers built his life and his work on his bedrock convictions. He is quoted as saying, "The problem is that when we deal with a group of people—one or more of whom is a child—we just can’t be impartial. None of us who have anything to do with families with young children can.” Children, and others who cannot care for themselves need our protection. Fred was certainly right on that issue. And finally,
5.  We can work together to make a difference right where we are. Fred Rogers was an activist but did so from his own TV studio. He hired black actors and, in a wonderful display of integration, on one episode invited Officer Clemmons, a gay black actor, to dip his tired feet in the wading pool with him. he even shared a towel with officer Clemmons. Marching, calling, and writing letters is a wonderful way to get involved. But Mr. Rogers believed you could make a difference in living your life by your beliefs that everyone is equal and deserving of respect. We can all work toward the well-being of others no matter where we live or the work we do.
Mr. Rogers called on us to be neighbors. "He was calling us—gently but firmly--out of our structures of power and our silos of sameness, into lives of mercy and care for one another." Perhaps he was being overly optimistic about being something better than we are. He believed that if he could instill these ideas into young children that the world could become a better, more harmonious neighborhood. Much of the good that exists in the world today we owe to Mr. Rogers. Thank You, Fred, for these beautiful lessons.
I invite you all back here tomorrow for the August Calendar of Special Days. Until then, I wish you all 
                                                                      PEACE.

Yippee! It's Friday and I am so ready for the weekend. I don't have any specific plans so I will simply kick back and enjoy life. For me, this is what "going with the flow" is all about; experiencing life simply being in the present with it. That might be listening to the birds singing, watching the sunrise, or going for a swim. Musicians call it when they are playing music, "Being in the pocket," while athletes say, "Being in the zone." But no matter how who say it, or what activity you apply it to, being in the flow means feeling fully alive with whatever you are doing. In high tech terms, we might say experiencing life in high definition.
Experts have described this feeling as 'embodied cognition...a kind of mind-body intelligence. Going with the flow, for you, might be dancing. it might be playing with your dog, or ziplining down a mountainside. Flow is that place where action and awareness merge. Some experts explain it as "intensely-focused peace."  So who wouldn't want to experience more "flow" in their lives? I think it's everyone. But how can we catch more of these flow moments?
Flow moments aren't always long-lasting; sometimes we only get quick glimpses of them. I recently read an article that said most humans today walk around "with their head on a stick." I love that description. It's so accurate! Humans, and more than a few frogs, too, have of way of becoming disembodied. We miss many "high def" moments each day. remember, that flow is a full-body experience. We have to experience it, not just in our heads but with with our entire bodies. The first step to living more of your life "in the flow," is to recognize what being in the flow feels like. Start paying attention...take your head off the stick and put it back on your neck. What activities make you feel fully present and alive? If you're not sure, ask yourself these questions.​

• Who or what makes your heart sing or your skin tingle?
• What makes your mind focus like a laser on a target?
• What does it feel like to be fully engaged and fully alive

Go ahead and make your list. Make it as long as you like. Include everyone and everything that makes you feel this way. By getting to know what makes you come alive, you'll begin to notice more of those moments each day. It's kind of like deciding to by a Toyota Prius and then you start noticing Toyota Priuses everywhere! Flow is already happening. it's simply that haven't been paying attention!
If eating ice cream or walking your dog, or playing with your kids makes you feel alive, remember to pay attention to those feelings whenever you participate in your 'happy activity." And schedule these activities as often as you can. Learning to pay attention to these precious moments, no matter how fleeting they might be, is a sure-fire way of making sure more of these moments happen. 
Once you begin to live in the flow, you won't want to live any other way. The really good news here is that you don't have to, Every single day can be lived "feeling alive and present." It just requires up to pay attention. So go ahead, this weekend, and take your head off the stick. The weekend is the perfect time for experiencing more flow in your everyday world.
Whatever you do this weekend, enjoy it fully by being in the present. I invite you back here on Monday but until we meet again, I wish you more flow and more
                                                                         PEACE.

Frogs get classified into different and within those groups there can often be a few subgroups. Whether or not humans realize it, they do the same thing to themselves. They pigeon-hole people. Sometimes it's an economic thing, but sometimes it's based on race, gender, religion, etc. Most often it's referred to as stereotyping, but the real term for it is implicit bias. "Implicit biases can result in the attribution of particular qualities to all individuals from that group." And I'd add to that definition...whether those qualities are there or not.
Typically begun at a young age, implicit biases are the product of learned associations and social conditions. It is not something that is hard-wired into a human's makeup.  What's interesting, however, is that humans can assign positive or negative traits to one's own race, gender, background. For example, a woman born before the 1960's might believe that a woman's role is only as a mother and homemaker; that women have no business doing business. That is classic stereotyping.
The term implicit bias grew in popularity in 1998 when Banaji and Greenwald developed the well-known Implicit Association Test (IAT to confirm their hypothesis. "In addition to racial bias, the test has also been used successfully to assess implicit bias related to gender and sexual orientation."
Holding an implicit bias towards a particular group can determine how you treat an individual from that group. "Implicit biases affect human behavior throughout society, including in classrooms, workplaces, and the legal system." In schools, it means that teachers might treat students differently, favoring girls over boys, or white students over students of color. But implicit bias isn't just dangerous and harmful in schools, it's also detrimental to employees and those caught in the judicial system. "Juries are more likely to exhibit bias against defendants of a race different from the racial background of the majority of the jury. IAT tests have shown implicit associations between the words black and guilty."
Implicit bias and racism are related concepts but they have different meanings. "Implicit bias is an unconsciously held set of associations about a particular group. Racism is prejudice against individuals from a specific racial group, and can be either explicit or implicit." sadly, implicit bias can result in racist behavior. There is good news, though. When we become aware of our implicit biases and actively resisting them, all of us can avoid perpetuating harmful and racist prejudices.  We are taught not to judge a book just by its cover. It's important to take a good look inside before we decide if we want to read it, or not. The same is true of people (and frogs. It is important to judge people, not by what particular group that they might belong to, but by their individual actions and deeds. 
Opening our minds is just as important as opening our eyes.
I wish you a terrific Thursday and may your world be filled with
                                                                     PEACE.

​Berghoef, Kacie. "Implicit Bias: What It Means and How It Affects Behavior." ThoughtCo, Jun. 18, 2018, thoughtco.com/understanding-implicit-bias-4165634.

Here we are at another Wednesday. The summer days seem to be rolling past faster and faster as we approach August. In a month or so, school will be back in session. Where does the time go?
I got up early this morning; the heat was making it difficult for me to sleep. As the tea was steeping, I prepared a simple breakfast ad, just as I was setting it out on the table, Dharma arrived on my lily pad. Right on time, as always. "Good morning, Sir. It's good to see you. Isn't this heat something else?" I queried. "Tadpole, I've been around a great many summers and I can't ever remember a summer that was this hot!" he replied. Dharma says this to me every summer but I do think it's especially true this summer.
​As we sat down to eat, I mentioned to Dharma that my little brother Quigley was already starting to dread going back to school and that his school didn't start for more than a month. Dharma smiled and reminded me that I was exactly the say way when I was his age. "Tadpole, life is kind of like going to school. We are always learning new things; some by choice and some are just hard lessons that life forces us to learn. Life is all about learning and experiencing new things. Teachers, my boy, open doors for us but each frog must decide for himself whether or not he wants to walk through it." Dharma explained how this works and what it means for all of us.
The world is a big place with many things to see and do, offering us lessons as we travel. Teachers open doors to this world and expose us to things that are new and are often unsettling, be it learning math or visiting a country very different from our own. Teachers have been beyond a students smaller and limited world. And along the way, they have learned a few things that can benefit us in our own journey. teachers can help to calm us by pointing out the possible mistakes we can make in our own travels through life. That is how they open doors for us. They show us what is possible and how it can be of benefit to us in our own lives. But they cannot make us walk through it. That is a decision that we alone must make.
Dharma explained to me that not every door that is opened for us means we need to walk through it. We are free to choose and should learn to choose with care. Often, it fine just to stand on the threshold and see what's on the other side. That may be enough. We might decide that "what's out there" isn't for us. And that's okay. But, Dharma reminded me, how important it is for us to realize that the choice is ours and to take responsibility for that decision. 
How can we apply this to all the lessons in our lives? Dharma suggested that every time we are faced with going outside...not the great outdoors...but outside of our comfort zone, we look at it as an opportunity to walk through a new door. Be open to the possibility. At least stand on the threshold and peer through.  It's difficult to live with our regrets and more often than not, deciding to walk through that new door shows us something new and exciting! How often have you resisted doing or trying something new only to find out that is was far better than you ever expected it would be? 
Humans, as a species, are kind of uneven. You excel at some things and not at others. No one is great at everything, There are times that humans get so excited about something, they don't wait for the teacher to arrive. Instead, they just kick the door open themselves and barge through it. Other times, those same people are more timid and afraid to experience that thing that makes them more uncomfortable. Maybe it's trying new food, or meeting new people. Perhaps it's traveling to a country that vastly different in culture than where they grew up. 
Some doors are more appealing than others. That's what makes life interesting. Be cautious though, the appealing doors don't always yield the best experiences. This is where teachers can come in handy. It's good to note that most doors are two way...meaning that if you walk through and don't like what you experience. You can walk back through it...or find another door to open. Teaching us to think for ourselves and to make good choices is what education is all about.
Every day is a new beginning, some doors will open wide while others will close. Everything we do is a decision. And learning from the teachers we are provided in life gives us all the opportunity for growth and advancement.
After Dharma left and I cleaned up the kitchen, I decided to become a teacher myself. So later today, I'll hop over and visit my little brother. I want to teach him some of what Dharma taught me today. Kids are never too young to start learning valuable lessons.
​Some of us become teachers as a trade, as a way to earn a living while, at the same time, helping others to explore new possibilities. But everyone is a teacher. We may just not realize it.
I invite you back here tomorrow but, until then, I wish you all
                                                                      PEACE.     

Climate and the weather are big topics to discuss; too big to discuss here. I did, though, come across an interesting article on the world's first climate classification system that I think you might be interested in hearing about. At least I hope so.
​The world is a big place and that means that there are literally hundreds of weather or climate zones encompassing the globe. The weather where you are can be very different from that of your friend who lives only a few hundred miles away. Just imagine people who live thousands of miles away and how different their weather is. Give the many different types of weather around the world, it made sense to classify them into groups putting together those with similar climates. The first attempt to do this was, believe it or not, Aristotle, the ancient Greek philosopher, and scientist that lived from 384 B.C. to 322 B.C.
Yep. Aristotle came up with a way to classify weather. Pretty amazing, I know! 
Aristotle believed that the earth's hemispheres, Northern and Southern, could each be divided into three zones; torrid, temperate, and frigid "and that Earth's five circles of latitude (the Arctic Circle (66.5° N), Tropic of Capricorn (23.5° S), Tropic of Cancer (23.5° N), equator (0°), and Antarctic Circle (66.5° S)) divided one from another." Because these climate zones are classified based on latitude—a geographic coordinate—they're also known as the geographic zones.
The Torrid Zone - Aristotle believed that the areas centered around the equator were to hot too be inhabited. The region we now call Tropic was what he called the Torrid Zone. Both areas shared the equator as one of their boundaries; in addition, the northern torrid zone extended to the Tropic of Cancer and the southern border was the Tropic of Capricorn.
The Frigid Zones - These are the coldest places on Earth, without summer and generally covered with snow and ice. These two regions are located at the Earth's poles. Therefore, each one is bound by a single line of latitude; the Arctic Circle in the Northern Hemisphere and the Antarctic Circle in the Southern Hemisphere. 
The Temperate Zone - In between the torrid zone and frigid zone lies everything else. The rest of the world then was classified as being temperate. The temperate zone has features from the other two. In the Northern Hemisphere, the temperate zone is bound by the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle while in the Southern Hemisphere, the boundaries are the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle. The biggest feature of the temperate zone is that it has what we know as the four season; spring, summer, fall, and winter. it is also considered to be the climate of the Middle Latitudes.
There were few other attempts to classify climate until the beginning of the Twentieth Century. Then, German climatologist Wladimir Köppen developed a tool for presenting the world pattern of climates; the Köppen climate classification.  Although Köppen's is the best-known and most widely-used system, Aristotle's ideas weren't far wrong. "If Earth's surface was completely homogeneous, the map of world climates would very much resemble that theorized by the Greeks; however, because Earth isn't a homogeneous sphere, their classification is considered too simplistic." And believe it or not, Aristotle's three climate zones are still used today when generalizing the overall weather and a large "swath of latitudes.
I hope you've enjoyed learning about Aristotle's climate classification system. Those Greeks really had it going on in more ways than just language! I hope you'll join me tomorrow for another life lesson from my dear friend and teacher, The Dharma Frog. Until then, I wish you all much
                                                                      PEACE.

​Means, Tiffany. "Aristotle's Climate Zones." ThoughtCo, Jun. 4, 2018, thoughtco.com/aristotles-climate-zones-3443710.

Talk is cheap. And thank goodness for that because it's how we all communicate. Even the smallest and simplest of creatures have their own way of communicating with each other. As a writer, I am most at ease when I communicate through the written word. Not everybody likes to write, though, But whether we prefer to communicate through speech or through the written word, it can be very beneficial to know how to effectively communicate our thoughts. So while talk is cheap, here are a few tips on how to get more bang for your communication buck.
1.  Know yourself. When you talk or write, do you tend to leave out too much information? Or do you tend to include too many unimportant details? Either way, you don't communicate clearly or effectively. Correct yourself as you go.
2.  Customize your message to those you are speaking to. Are your talking or writing to peers, children, or professionals?
3.  When dealing with details, repeat the message back to the speaker. If they say to you that they want to meet at 4;30 for coffee, repeat that that back to them. It a) confirms that you were listening and b) verifies that you have the correct information.
When someone in your life tells you some good news, here are the do's and don'ts.
Do respond enthusiastically while maintaining eye contact. Smiling displays positive emotion. 
Don't point out the negative or downside of their good news and don't display negative nonverbal cues. Don't display your lack of interest by adding something about yourself, "A promotion, eh?. Will you pick up a loaf of bread on your way home from the gym?"
To work on perfecting your responses, each day take a look at how you replied to others when they gave you their good news. Where they active and constructive or passive and destructive? Only by looking closely at how we communicate with others can we then make the necessary changes to improve it. Sometimes, our responses can be so bad, that they will require a sincere apology, followed by a better, more positive comment. 
When it comes to speaking, words aren't the only way we communicate. Bodies and faces have a way of saying things, too. Folded arms in front of your chest can signal that you're closed off or feeling defensive. Lack of good eye contact can signal your disinterest in the subject at hand. it can also mean that you're ashamed of something or that you're finding the current topic uncomfortable to discuss. And when your use your loud "outside" voice, it sends a clear signal that you are escalating the discussion and becoming more emotionally involved. it can also mean that the speaking isn't feeling hear or understood. The eyes and mouth convey meaning, as well. Research shows that we use our eyes and out mouth to interpret emotions and gain context. And finally,
​Is it a man thing or a woman thing? the answer is "No." Human men and women are more alike than they are different when it comes to communicating supportively. Everyone wants to be heard and to be understood. I have found that when someone is speaking to you, especially about something that is important to them (good or bad) the best thing that anyone can say is, "I hear you" or "I understand what you're saying." This doesn't mean that you always have to agree with them, it simply means that you understand their message and get what they're saying. Using either of those two simple sentences can de-escalate nearly any heated conversation.
I hope these tips and tricks help you to communicate more effectively. We all talk so why not make that talk work for you instead of against you?
I invite you all back here tomorrow but, until then, I wish you much 
                                                                      PEACE.

I always try to end up the week with a fun blog. And this Friday is no exception. Today, we'll look at a few of the world's most adorable birds. Some of them are cute because of their teeny size while others are cute because they are, well, kinda goofy-looking. But whatever their reason for making the list, I hope you'll take a little time and look up a few of these adorable creatures.
8.  The Dunlin - This bird is a widespread species of the sandpiper that inhabits a circumpolar region in the Arctic and Subarctic.  Dunlins breed along the coastline of Alaska and northern Canada. During the winter, they're found along the more southern coastal regions. The species is quite diverse.
7.   Coming in at #7 on the list is the Blue-footed Booby. Yep, that's his real name. This strange-looking bird is a cross between cute and awkward-looking. They have large, blue webbed feet, like a duck. They are a seabird and are rather clumsy when on the ground. The Blue-footed Booby belongs to the same group of birds as pelicans and tropicbirds. They call "the western coast of Central America and South America and various coastal islands in that region, including the Galapagos Islands, home."
​6.   Costa's Hummingbird - By virtue of their tiny size, I think all hummingbirds are adorable and the Costa's Hummingbird is no exception. They are found in the deserts of the American Southwest and Mexico. They are "nearly as light as a postage stamp with an average mass of one-tenth of an ounce." They feed on the nectar of desert honeysuckle and saguaro cactus. (For those of you not familiar with saguaros, they are the tall 3-prong cactus you see in all the old western movies.)
5.   The Adelie Penguin - This penguin shares its cuteness and toughness with the smaller black-capped chickadee. They "inhabit a circumpolar region along the coastline of Antarctica. Adelie penguins are the classic penguins, with black plumage on their back, head, and the top side of their wings and white plumage on their belly and the underside of their wings."
4.   The Northern Saw-Whet Owl is found from coast to coast in North America. These are small owls that have a round facial disk and large golden eyes. "Like many owls, northern saw-whet owls are secretive, nocturnal birds that hunt small mammals such as deer mice and white-footed mice."
3.   The Black-capped Chickadee - Often found at bird feeders in many North American backyards (aka gardens) they are hardy little birds that remain in their region even during the coldest winters. To cope with the extreme winter temperatures, these birds lower their body temperature at night, entering into a state of regulated hypothermia. This saves them lots of energy.
2.   The Atlantic Puffin comes in at number 2 on our list. He's a charming seabird that nests in large and friendly colonies along the coastline of the North Atlantic. When it's not breeding season, the puffin flies out over open water hunting for fish. The Atlantic puffin owes its cuteness to its small, rotund stature and distinct coloration. 
And topping our cute bird list is...
1.   The Eurasian Wren. A charismatic little bird that is so small he can fit into a teacup. Often referred to as "the little brown bird" they are found in Europe, North America, and parts of Asia. So why do they make our cute list? Mostly it's due to their tiny size and plumb body which is emphasized when they puff up their feathers. "Eurasian wrens weigh a mere one-quarter to one-half an ounce and full-grown birds are just 3 to 5 inches long, from bill to tail."
Every area of the world has lots to offer the bird-watching enthusiast. They aren't all tiny or adorable. But all birds have their own unique beauty. If you don't have any other plans for this weekend, perhaps you can spend some time observing the birds right in your own backyard! But whatever you decide to do, please have some fun and do stay safe. I invite you all back here on Monday for another week of interesting (I hope!) blogs and advice. Until then, I wish everyone 
                                                                   PEACE.

​Klappenbach, Laura. "The Cutest Birds in the World." ThoughtCo, Dec. 1, 2017, thoughtco.com/top-cutest-birds-129602.

I was reading an article yesterday about a supercontinent that existed on Earth millions of years ago. I was so fascinated with this information that I would like to share it you this morning. 
This supercontinent, named Pangea (also spelled Pangaea), covered one-third of the planet's surface.  It is believed that Earth's seven continents were, at one time, all connected into one giant landmass that began forming about 300 million years ago. It was fully-formed 270 million years ago but then began to break up about 70 million years later. The name Pangea in Greek means "all lands" and the named popularity in the early 20th century after Alfred Wegener made the observation that all the continents seemed to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Wegener later developed his theory which is known as "continental drift." The name Pangea was first used by Wegener at a symposium on the topic in 1927. 
Once Pangea was formed, it covered one-third of the planet. The supercontinent was surrounded by an ocean that covered the rest of the globe. That one massive ocean was called Panthalassa.  Pangea was formed by the movements of the Earth's tectonic plates and mantle convection pushing everything together. Those very same kinds of movements then began to cause the breakup of Pangea (rift zones) about 200 million years ago. Scientists believe that the new rift began as a result of weakness in the Earth's crust. At that weakened area, magma started to push through and create a volcanic rift zone that was so large. over time it created a basin. That basin then caused Pangea to start splitting apart. The ocean was affected, as well. When the Thathalassa Ocean poured into these newly-formed basins, they formed what we call central and southern Atlantic Ocean. Approximates 180 million years ago, the central Atlantic opened up between North America and northwestern Africa. At the 140 million-year mark, "the South Atlantic Ocean formed when what is today South America separated from the west coast of southern Africa. The Indian Ocean was the next to form when India separated from Antarctica and Australia and about 80 million years ago North America and Europe separated, Australia and Antarctica separated and India and Madagascar separated. Over millions of more years, the continents gradually moved to their current positions."
The continents looking like parts of a jigsaw puzzle isn't the only evidence that suggests Pangea did, in fact, exist. Other evidence for Pangea includes fossil distribution, distinctive patterns in rock strata in now unconnected parts of the world and the distribution of the world's coal.  And based on scientific evidence found in plate tectonics, it is widely believed that the formation and breakup of Pangea wasn't unique. Archaeological data found in matching rock types as well as fossils shows that the formation and break-up of supercontinents like Pangea are a cycle throughout the Earth's very long history.  
It's hard for me to imagine a million years, let alone 200 hundred million years. But what I can grasp is that no matter how things look in the here and now, this moment in history will be a minute blip on the radar screen of history. The whole world evolves, shifts, and moves on...continually. While all we can do is to strive to do better and to be better...improving the world one human and frog at a time...it is comforting to know that "This, too, shall pass" and in a few more million years what happened today or tomorrow or ten years ago won't mean much in the long long. Science teaches us, if nothing else, that change is constant. 
I really hope you enjoyed this brief and scientific look at the history of the supercontinent, Pangea. Science, as you know, is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science is important. Enough said.
Yippee! Tomorrow is Friday and I invite you back for my final blog for this week, a week I can't say I'm sorry to see end. It's been a wild ride, no? I don't know about you, but I am more than ready for a little relaxation. 
​Until then, I wish you all
​                                                                       PEACE.

​Briney, Amanda, Contributing Writer. "The History of the Supercontinent Pangea." ThoughtCo, Jul. 11, 2018, thoughtco.com/what-is-pangea-1435303.

I consider myself to be a fairly mild-mannered frog. I stay on an even keel and rarely lose my temper. But I did yesterday...and in a big way. I said something to a complete stranger that now I wish I could take back. But I can't. I kept rehashing the incident over and over again while I prepared breakfast for my wise teacher, The Dharma Frog, who comes to my lily pad every Wednesday to help me grow with a valuable life lesson. I managed to get breakfast prepared, the tea steeped, and the table set just as Dharma arrived.
"What's up, Tadpole?" he asked, "I see you're looking a little peaked and worried." "Gee, Dharma, does it show that much?" I replied. "I said something yesterday in anger...and in haste...and I can't take it back. I feel awful about it, too. You know I'm not the type of frog who easily angers and quickly blows off steam." "I know you're not, Irwin. Many, many others have hopped in your flippers, myself included. I've said things I've later deeply regretted. But know this. Not even the fastest frog can catch a word spoken in anger. Once something is said, my boy, you cannot take it back. Life isn't like a computer. Neither frogs nor humans come with a delete key." over breakfast I asked Dharma for advice on how to prevent this from happening again. Here is his advice.
​We must weigh our words, Dharma advised, to be certain they are what we want to say and that we truly mean them. Words, either spoken or written, don't convey tone meaning they don't show character or attitude and, therefore, can easily be misunderstood. That's under the best case scenario. The possibility that our words will be misunderstood goes up dramatically when we're careless with them.
Having a little patience is one of the most important parts of good communication. A quickly said and poorly chosen word can happen in an instant but once it's out there, it's out there forever. This is especially true on social media; Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, etc. Words said hastily in anger can haunt you for years, even if it was meant in jest.  Stopping to think before speaking and weighing your options is the smartest way to go. 
But what happens if you, or a friend, is tact-challenged?  it's a congenital defect and one that's not easily cured, says Dharma. if you or your friend is lucky, the defect is caused by a lack of compassion, empathy, and/or sympathy. The good news is that all three of these can be overcome with a little effort. Remembering to stop and think about the "other guy" and what challenges they themselves might be facing, is the first step in showing compassion, empathy, or sympathy. Put yourself in their place for just a moment. Think before speaking. The most common way to stop the speeding tongue is to pause and take a deep breath. Count to ten. Then speak, or as Dharma reminds me, "Think twice, speak once."
I asked Dharma what I should do, to try and undo my hurtful remark. His advice was to apologize; sincerely apologize and hope that the offended party will forgive me. But, he said, this incident should stand as a valuable lesson to prevent future outbursts.  
Dharma and I finished our tea and chatted for a few minutes, before he hopped off to see his next pupil. As I cleared away the dishes, I decided I needed to go back to the grocery store and hope that I can find the cashier I offended. If he's not working, I'll keep checking back until I do find him.  I need to make peace with him and with myself. He may not remember my face, but I have no doubt he'll remember my words.
Dharma's lesson today can be of benefit to all of us, frogs and humans. When we're hot under the collar, that is the time when we need to step aside and think before we speak or write. It's also the hardest time for us to remember to do that. Staying present and not letting our emotions get in the way is difficult, but it's also one of the most important lessons any of us can learn.
Until tomorrow, I wish you PEACE.