Journal Prompts for a Sweet Summer

 

Summertime is often considered an ideal time to refresh mind, body, and spirit and using the journal prompts listed below may help you do just that. 

Journal writing can shift perceptions, alter actions, and encourage improved self-care for increased life satisfaction and joy.

 

Journal Prompts for a Sweet Summer

1. Repurpose or purchase a notebook or journal and pen. Commit to reserving time each week to journal. Then make a decision not to sensor writing and allow words to rip! For additional journal writing tips read "Tips to Recharge on Your Lunch Break" now.

2. Write about a summer adventure you’d like to experience. It doesn't have to be an expensive outing. Be creative and list things that you think or sense will bring simple pleasure. Read "Budget Friendly Activities to Inspire Joy" for ideas.

3. What books are on your summer reading list? Jot down the titles of books you think you'd like to read this summer. Check with your local library about availability and reserve at least one book today.

4. Reflect on a childhood summer memory and write about it. 

5. Describe a summer festival or event you’d like to participate in.

6. Describe a place you want to visit this summer.

7. What five things are at the top of your summer bucket list? Jot them down or list them and then describe them in detail.

8. Write about a time you overcame a fear, and how it made you feel.

9. Have you developed any summer traditions and what are they?

10. Write about your favorite summer outfit and why you love it.

11. What's the most important thing you would like to do this summer?


12. What foods and drinks do you find refreshing during the summer and do you prepare them often? The picture below shows a healthy and tasty fruit infused water. Stay hydrated and sip it as you journal write.

13. Do you try to select and prepare fresh in-season fruits and vegetables over those that come from distant lands or are out of season? Explain.

14. What is your favorite summer sport and why?

15. Are you willing to reserve a few moments during the day to meditate, pray, and/or engage in activities including yoga, tai chi, deep breathing exercises, or a body scan? All are great ways to turn over cares and unwind. Do you agree or disagree and why?

16. Summer can be a season of self-discovery and personal growth. Describe a time you worked hard for something and it paid off.

17. Write about something you love about yourself.

18. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be and why? Share that.

19. Go for a walk on a sunny, cloudy, or rainy day. When you get home, write about interesting things you noticed on your trip.

20. What color or colors remind you of summer and do you wear clothing in those hues? Why or why not? See "Tips to Help You Use Cool Spring and Summer Colors" for inspiration.

21. List ideas to help you plan a summer picnic, barbeque, potluck, or brunch for work associates, friends, or family. Can you keep arrangements simple and fun? If you want to assemble a delicious yet easy meal, here's a recipe for coleslaw to start you off.

22. Do you enjoy being outside in the summer? Please explain.

Release anxiety and worry through journal writing, and add to the relaxtion process by being outdoors

23. What does the word vacation mean to you?

24. Write about someone you care about and schedule a play date with them. Describe what things you want to do with them, and follow through. If you can’t meet with this person face to face, speak on the phone, send a hand written note to them, Facetime, or do a Zoom call.

25. Opportunities for outdoor activities abound in the summer. With time off from work or school, and freedom to do as you please, this season can be so sweet. 

Perhaps you'll use free time to visit a friend or relative you haven't seen in a while. Before you do, write a short story about a summer adventure you've had in the past and reveal why you think you still remember it.

26. In what area or areas of your life could you use a refresh? Do you want to make this a goal to work toward in the coming months? Please explain. 

Which journal prompts helped you connect with a secret longing or inspired a shift in perspective? 

Did any journal prompts stimulate ideas about things to do or places to go this summer? Please share in the comments section below. ⚾🎈🎨🎹⛱🚲🥗

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Awesome Reasons Why Mourning Doves are Fascinating

Mourning doves are fascinating birds. People identify them by their coo, a sound that is often described as sorrowful. Another inflection these birds use signals courtship, and a third warns other birds of danger.

Doves are also known for their distinctive whistling sound during takeoff, and tradition of being ground-foraging eaters. 

Want to hear a Mourning Dove coo? Click on this link on the Audubon Society site.

 
 
 
Mourning Doves are scientifically known as Zenaida macroura, and are found throughout North America. 

This species is a common year round resident here in Tucson, AZ, and typically breeds from March to September. When weather gets too cold  for Mourning Doves who live in colder climes, they migrate here. 

Mourning Doves co-parent their offspring, and the mother lays up to six broods each year, although fledglings' have high mortality rates. 

Each adult bird is medium size with slim body, thin neck, small head, and long, tapered tail that enables it to fly speeds up to 55 miles per hour.

 
 
Mourning Doves aren't dainty eaters. When they find a food source—preferably, a bunch of seeds on the ground—they’ll quickly grab as much as they can manage, storing their haul in a throat pouch called the crop. Then, they’ll fly off to a safe spot to work on digesting. 

On average, Mourning Doves will eat about 12 to 20 percent of their body weight every day. One champion eater was recorded racking up 17,200 bluegrass seeds in its crop at once.
 

These birds often build nests fast and flimsy, which I can attest to. We have had visiting Mourning Doves in our backyard throughout the years, and seen nests in what we think are unusual places. 

After a pair of doves picks a site, the males will bring back twigs and stems for the females to weave into a loose pile—often so loose that you can see the eggs through the bottom. 

We've noticed doves aren't picky about nest locations.  While doves often seek out trees or shrubs, they’re just as likely to start nest building in flower pots, cacti, or air conditioners. 

The Mourning Dove is one of North America’s most adaptable species, thriving in a wide range of habitats from coast to coast. 

Open areas like farmland, parks, and backyards are preferred over dense forest. However, they can tough it out in harsh habitats like the Southwest desert, where their ability to drink brackish, or slightly salty, water—up to around half the salinity of seawater—without getting dehydrated gives them an advantage. 

To learn more about why these bird are so special see Mourning Dove Fun Facts.

 

This year, to our amazement, a pair of them tried to build a nest inside one of our outdoor house lights. Two days running, a messy collection of twigs and sticks littered the ground below where the light is situated.

When I realized what was going on, my first thought was that the baby birds might roast from the heat of the automatic-timed light. 

To discourage nest building there, my husband put cardboard and tape over the opening. 

The next day, we were happy to see the parent birds, who were building a nest in a shrub on the side of the house. 

Then a week or two later we heard the chirping of baby birds and knew all was well.

 

Both baby Mourning Doves, or squabs survived, and they remained in the nest for about 12 to 15 days after hatching. 

The baby birds fledged, meaning left the nest, at this age. Each remained close by to their parents for another week or two, continuing to be fed by them.

Mourning Doves form seasonally monogamous couples that can raise as many as six broods of two eggs each a year. 

Want to attract mourning doves to your yard? 

Scatter seeds, particularly millet, on the ground or on platform feeders. Dense shrubs or evergreen trees make appealing nesting sites. Remember to keep your cats inside.

As mentioned above, Mourning Doves have many intriguing characteristics. They are ground feeders, primarily eating seeds, and are surprisingly fast fliers, capable of reaching speeds up to 55 mph. 

These brown or tan or gray and white colored feathered friends drink water in a unique way, sucking it up through their bills like a straw. 

We've spotted Mourning Doves that are primarily light brown to grayish tan too. They have a speckled back, a long pointed tail, and a black "ear" patch behind the eye. Their wings are blue-gray. 

Other Mourning Doves can be brown to buffy-tan colored with black spots on the wings and black-bordered white tips to the tail feathers.

Read more about colors at Unique Ways Colors are Key to Survival.

The species’ scientific name, Zenaida macroura, is also an ID hint: “macroura” comes from the Greek words for “long tail.” The Mourning Dove’s tail—slender, tapered, and with white-tipped outer feathers—offers a key clue to tell it apart from its cousins like the Eurasian Collared-Dove and White-winged Dove, whose tails end in square tips.

I am intrigued with the daily comings and goings of our backyard Mourning Doves, and find their cooing sound soothing, peaceful,  and familiar. I enjoy seeing them scurrying along the top of our property wall or flying back and forth on their daily rounds.

Have you spotted Mourning Doves where you live and do you like hearing them coo? Some people find it annoying and others like me find it pleasant. Which camp are you in and why?

What other kinds of birds live near you and which ones do you enjoy seeing? Please comment on that too.

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Cinnamon 101 with Sweet and Savory Recipes

Cinnamon is recognizable to most of us, because it is one of the world's most frequently eaten spices. However, this spice's description, handling, and possible health benefits may not be as familiar to you.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines cinnamon as

a: the aromatic, dried bark of any of several tropical trees (genus Cinnamomum) yielding a culinary spice, oil, and flavoring

especially a small roll or quill of cinnamon bark

b

: the tan to dark brown spice that is prepared from cinnamon bark by powdering and has a somewhat sweet and spicy taste

Note: Ceylon cinnamon comes from a tree (Cinnamomum verum) of Sri Lanka and southern India and is usually considered to be true cinnamon. Chinese cinnamon, Indonesian cinnamon, and Saigon cinnamon come from several related trees and typically comprise most of the less expensive cinnamon spice sold in stores. This spice, also known as cassia, tends to have a stronger, spicier character than true cinnamon.

 

Whole quills of the inner bark of cinnamon keep indefinitely, but is hard to grind. Store-bought ground cinnamon loses flavor quickly. Buy small quantities of ground cinnamon and keep it dry and out of the sun.

Cinnamon is widely used in both sweet and savory dishes, adding a warm, comforting flavor and aroma. It is popular in baked goods like banana bread, apple pie, and baked apples, as well as in breakfast items like French toast and oatmeal. 

Photo Credit Nancy Andres, Steel Cut Oats with Banana and Cinnamon

Cinnamon also enhances the flavor of savory dishes including chili, stews, and curries.

Photo Credit Nancy Andres, Vegan Bean and Veggie Chili, Brown Rice, Salsa, Guacamole, Corn Chips  

Cinnamon is a potent spice, rich in antioxidants and other beneficial compounds. 

My research suggests it may help regulate blood sugar, prevent bacterial and fungal infections, protect against heart disease, and reduce inflammation.

Keep on reading to see how simple and exciting it is to incorporate cinnamon into delicious recipes and take advantage of its many nutrition benefits.

Note: This post is intended for entertainment and educational purposes only. It is not to be taken as medical or nutrition advice. Consult with a nutrition/health professional before trying any new food. 

First up is "Tempting and Easy Baked Apple Recipe," one of my original/favorite cinnamon flavored healthy desserts.

Recipe and Photo Credit to Nancy Andres at Colors 4 Health

Serve warm, and this cinnamon-spiked baked apple tastes scrumptious. I love it as it's a snap to make, has no refined sugar, is gluten free, and oil free as well.

Next up is a moist, scrumptious sweet bread recipe from Julie West, the food blogger at the Simple Veganista. "Vegan Banana Bread" is easy to put together and so satisfying.

Recipe and Photo Credit to Julie West at the Simple Veganista

This recipe tastes sweet from the cinnamon, and is egg and dairy-free. It has an oil-free option, and is the BEST banana bread recipe ever!

Cinnamon adds a savory note to a warming, fun recipe for Cinnamon-spiced Chickpea and Lentil Stew.

Recipe and Photo Credit from Nava Atlas at the Vegan Atlas

Last but not least is a colorful main dish, an original from food blogger Nava Atlas at the Vegan Atlas.

No matter how we serve it, cinnamon shines with an aromatic presence in both sweet and savory dishes. 

Recipes that contain cinnamon are eye catching and vibrant, with a pleasing reddish-brown color. Cinnamon is particularly noticeable, when used in baked goods or as a garnish.

Do you enjoy the flavor of cinnamon, and do you keep some on hand? Please comment below.

Which recipe or recipes do you think you'd like to try out? 

If you see a recipe from one of my fellow bloggers that you enjoyed reading, please drop by their website to let them know.

Have you made similar dishes and when do you like to serve them? Breakfast, lunch, or dinner? 

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