An Attempt at Positive Karma

Transcript of Video

You know those days where, umm, you wake up and you think everything is going well, and then you realize that, umm, things are just going wrong umm, and it’s not because really of anything that anybody does and it’s not because of anything that, umm you really can put your finger on. It’s just that bad things seem to be happening, like, umm, things break down, or you just have this rash of negative things that happen, umm. Kinda had one of those days today, and uh, I don’t know, I just feel the need to put some positive energy back out into the world, I guess, so, umm, I was like I need to kinda dwell on positive thoughts.

So, umm, I kind of think that positive thinking is, umm, a way of life I guess. Uhh, I have always kind of, umm, lived by the idea that you, umm, can choose your attitude for the day. Umm, you know you wake up in the morning and you think, umm, I’m gonna be positive today, or I, you know, I’m not feeling it today. I don’t really, I’m not in the mood, or I’m sick, or you know, I’ve got a headache today, I’m not feeling it. Umm, you know, and that, it does kind of temper your day, you know? You can sort of see how that makes out the rest of your day. Umm, and you know as much as I try to be positive, I, I like to think I’m a positive person. Umm, lately I’ve realized that I am not as positive as I, as I used to be and I’m sure my co-workers can, can attest to that.

Umm, uh usually when, you know, things aren’t going all that well, and, and I feel the frustration and all that negative energy around I sort of tune out as much as I can and umm, you know they probably notice that I’ll turn on the radio and switch it onto K-Love and listen to some positive music and umm. You know just kinda try and get that positive vibe going. You know chitchat a little and get some laughter moving and umm, you know cause laughter. It’s hard to be negative when you’re laughing. Umm, I think laughter is really the cure for everything. I, I can’t really think of anything else that makes me feel better, you know? I uh, I don’t know…it’s…and there’s something about…friends, and people who, you know, can make you laugh, you know? I’ve, I’ve got some great people around me, umm, at work and, you know my friends and the people that I can turn to that I can turn to that can make you laugh at the drop of a hat. You know? Those people that all it takes is you know, hey I need, I need a break and I need to, I need to just chitchat for a minute because I’m gonna explode, and, and they’re right there, you know? And that’s such a great thing to have, especially when you’re having those days when nothing’s going right. Umm, cause that, that little bit of levity can, can make the day bearable, you know, and sometimes completely turn it around and I think that’s amazing. 

Umm, and you know I just, it’s one of those just crazy things to always be positive and to always find the positive in everything. I don’t know that there is positive in everything. Umm, but there’s, you know, those people that can find it everywhere and I, I used to think that I was one of those. And, and umm, I try to be, you know, there’s sometimes you can, and, and I find it in almost everything now, but sometimes it’s hard, and, and you know, it’s, it’s definitely, definitely hard, but you know. The more positive you are, the more positive people around you are, and you know that, it can grow and that positivity grows. And you put that seed out there and see what you can plant I guess. But, umm, so yeah, I needed to put a little positive seed out into the world today because it was kind of a rough one, so hopefully this brightens your day a little, and if not I’m sorry, and if it does then hopefully the rest of your day and the rest of your weekend is good. Thanks!

These Tangled Threads, by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller

Transcript of Video:

Ok! Book review #1. Here is.. Here is the first book. I’m gonna hold it up there. So this is These Tangled Threads, by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller. Umm, it’s actually the third book in a uh, trilogy of books called the Bells of Lowell Trilogy, uhh which is based off of a town in, I believe it’s Lowell, Massachusetts? I believe, I’m not sure that Massachusetts is the right one. But anyway, umm, so it’s the third book and I would have started with the first book, but, umm, this is the book I finished most recently so that’s where I’m starting.

Umm, I really, really, liked this book of the three. I think it was my favorite. Umm, Not only because we really got a chance to see all of the characters that you’ve met throughout the trilogies umm, flourish. Umm, but it was also the most, umm, comprehensive, of, of the society and of the the things that are happening at the time. Umm, I love history, umm, I was a history major, so these books umm, are such a great combination of, umm, historical fiction, uhh, historical romance, umm, there’s some great Christian fiction in there. Umm, but it’s, what I love about the, the religious aspect of these books is that umm, it doesn’t hit you over the head. It’s umm, it’s laced into these characters in a very real and very honest way. Umm, I think that all of these characters come to their belief in, in God and, and their expression of their religion umm,and their faith is, is very, very honest and very true. And even though all of the characters are very religious, they’re not, it’s not the main theme of the book. Umm, it’s sort of just a part of how they live their lives and how they come to the realizations that they do. 

Umm, I’d say that the only thing that I don’t like about this third book is that umm, they are romances, the three novels, they sort of each focus on, on the one heroine. Umm This one being the character Daughtie Winfield. Umm, they didn’t, uh, there was not a whole lot of, umm, what’s the word I’m looking for?… uhh you didn’t see the growth of Daughtie and Liam Donoghue’s relationship. Umm. There were pieces of it, but there was so much story to be told that umm, you didn’t get to see it flourish as much as we did the two previous relationships. Umm. And that I kind of was sad about, because it’s the most controversial of the three books. Umm, because there, it’s uh, an American girl, um and a man who is, umm, Irish, so it’s one of those things that, umm, doesn’t, uhh, it’s a very huge social, umm, it’s not accepted socially. The words aren’t coming to me. Umm, so it, umm, you know,  it, it would have been great to see that all come together in, in more of a umm, plotline through the story. Umm, So that sort of I felt cheated on.

But umm, the rest of it was, was fantastic. There’s such great, you see the rest of the characters, and you see where they’ve expanded to and those relationships have continued to grow. Umm, there’s some great social controversy, and, and umm they bring in uh, the concept of the ani-slavery movements at that time. And, umm, there’s just some beautiful…uh…examples of…sorry, examples of umm, society at the time and how, you know the society was controlled by men, but how women were able to influence umm, and sort of lend their opinion into how society was run. Umm, so it’s really, really interesting and it’s really well-written and just beautifully, beautifully done. So, if you get a chance to read the Bells of Lowell trilogy I would totally do it. But if you only want to read one of them, I would read the third one, because it’s definitely, umm, got the most meat to it, umm, and is, is fantastic, umm. So yeah, that’s all I have to say about that. And , and hopefully I’ll see you again soon. Thanks!

Points of Clarification

Transcript of Video:

Ok, so a couple points of clarification from uh my first video. Umm, I’m doing this more to… it’s an outlet, so, um. I don’t claim to be an expert. I am very much not as you’ll see probably down the line here. Umm,  It’s more just something that I wanted to do and, uh, this is how I’m starting. I don’t know where it’s going to go from here. Um, so, book reviews are a solid construct that I can use…uhh, books and movies, clearly. Umm…And I’m not sure that review is really the right…word. Umm, I think it’s gonna be more like, you know, old school book reports? Umm. It’s gonna be like that, only they will be highly opinionated book reports. 

Umm, so if you’re interested, please feel free to watch. Um and I don’t know.., I’ll probably designate different , umm, you know, pages for the different types of things that are on here. Umm. So always feel free to watch and enjoy and, umm…..yeah, I think that’s it. I don’t know where I was going from there. Uh, but yeah, so, um, I’m not an expert, I don’t have um, really, any review-type experience, I’m not, umm, an English major, I’m not, umm, anything that really you can take my opinion in any way, shape, or form to heart. Umm, and really I don’t have the ability to find any negative things to say about things, umm, cause I have way too much respect for the people that, umm, are willing to write and to create these things. So it’s hard for me to, to find negative things. Umm, So it’ll probably be just lots of praise for things that I read and see. Umm, but sort of a detailed analysis of those things umm, in a book report slash opinion way.

Umm. So yeah, so hopefully, uh, you like it, and if you do keep watching, and if not then you can just never look at this page again! So yeah, Thanks! See you later.

A Way To Get Us Started