“KITTING AROUND”
BLOG 278—WRITE BETTER!
Don’t sleepwalk through life.
I hope to illuminate your Life with my Words.
The Wanderings of Kit (Do you wander or just wonder?)
I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY OR BETTER
*** This blog looks best when viewed on a laptop or desktop computer.
*** The joy I experience in life is a wondrous thing!
*** I was hit by two trucks, but I remain happy.
*** Going through a 37-day coma–Yikes!
*** I want to help you to get the most out of life before you die.
*** If you read this through Facebook, see kitsummers.com/blog
*** I lived in my van for six years, visited all US national parks, and met Beth.
*** Beth and I married on 2/22/22 at 2:22.
*** Thanks, Beth, for editing and adding to each weekly blog.
*** I will have places to show you and tales to tell.
*** You will find secrets to unfold and good news!
*** What are you passionate about?
BE TAKEN AWAY WITH ME
ON WONDERFUL ADVENTURES!
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WHY I WRITE THIS BLOG
You will have many in your life who assist and teach; I am helping to guide you. Coaches like me wish to lighten your path toward excellence. It is up to you to generate your journey toward merit. I’m not trying to show you “the way”; I am trying to help you find “your way.” Writing this blog each week is new and different for me—I love it
I WANT TO INSPIRE YOU WITH MY WORDS –
WORDS HAVE POWER!
Are you accomplishing what you want before your eventual death?
You can (and should) make changes to improve your life–at any age.
Start today, and you can build the life you desire
YOU ALREADY KNOW
You already know much about what I write, and I want to remind you of these ideas and show that my views can provide additional thoughts, along with yours, to help you.
MY EXPERIENCES
Much of what I write about is taken from my experiences.
I have gone through much.
I hope to spread ideas so that you can live a better life.
Remember, only you know what is best for you
EVEN IF YOU START LATE,
ARE UNCERTAIN OR DIFFERENT ––
YOU CAN STILL FIND SUCCESS!
Don’t forget–you are only as young
as the last time you changed your mind!
HAVE FUN!
Keep your thoughts and self-talk fun and productive, and always reach for more advancement
VERY LITTLE IS NEEDED TO MAKE A GREAT LIFE!
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TOPIC FOR THIS WEEK —WORDS AND WRITING
ADDING TO YOUR CAREER
Writing well is a form of effective communication, which many employers see as an essential job skill. Strong written, verbal, nonverbal, and visual communication is among the nine common employability talents employers seek in job candidates.
THE BENEFITS
Regardless of your role, good writing skills can help you translate your ideas into meaningful messages, allowing you to share your ideas, build relationships, and strengthen your professional image. Good communication skills will help you in all aspects of your life.
ENGLISH?
This is written mainly about speaking and writing in the English language. In the past, I wrote a blog entitled “Write Right.” This current blog will add to and advance the blog I wrote before. The English language has many nuances and techniques that make it a complex language to navigate. So write right–you have that rite!
DO YOU KNOW THE WORD “NEOPHYTE”?
Do you want to try an activity, sport, or hobby? Maybe you’re interested in taking a cooking class, learning to ski, driving, or juggling, but you’re worried about being seen as a ” neophyte .” If that’s the case, don’t worry! We’ve all been neophytes in different aspects of life, even when learning new words.
There is no end to the words you can learn in a lifetime! 
THE KEY TO GREAT WRITING
Read as much as you can to learn about spelling and sentence structure. Find well-written books by famous authors and learn to write as you read. The more reading you do, the more advanced your writing can be.
GRAMMER OR GRAMMA?
Grammar and spelling form the basis of good writing. Writing with accurate grammar and spelling communicates your professionalism and attention to detail to your reader. It also makes your writing easier to understand. Knowing when and how to use less standard punctuation, like colons, semicolons, and em-dashes, can unlock new ways to structure sentences and elevate your writing. Your gramma knows about writing, remember?
GET YOUR POINT ACROSS
I have written various things all my life. Writing this blog has taught me much about writing and getting your point across. I hope my words have added to your life. Please let me know your thoughts on my writing and how I might improve my word choices and use.
EDITING–YES!
I was told early in my life that editing what you write is the most important for good writing. Good over what you write numerous times, you will be surprised at the number of changes you will make to your original script.
THE BEST WRITING
Writing is often a day-to-day task in many professions spanning diverse industries, from sending emails to preparing presentations. Writing skills go beyond grammar and spelling. Accuracy, clarity, persuasiveness, and several other elements ensure your writing conveys the right message.
GOOD WRITING SKILLS WILL INCLUDE:
Grammar
Vocabulary
Spelling
Sentence construction
Structure
Research and accuracy
Clarity
Persuasiveness
THORNY?
With strange, age-old rules and numerous oddities to those rules, English grammar is just plain thorny. People ignore the more obscure decrees and focus on daily rules that make regular communication easier. Yet, when you’re writing to impress, it means you need to write with passion!
SAY THINGS LIKE THEY ARE
I write like I speak. Verbs and nouns mean nothing to me, and there are writing programs that help me get this correct. However, below are some ideas to help you with your writing. Remember, if you can communicate well, you can get anything you want out of life.
YOUR SKILL LEVEL
Writing skills include all the knowledge and abilities to convey yourself through the written word. They also include a sound experience of language through grammar, spelling, and punctuation. People with excellent writing skills can tailor their tone and word choice to different circumstances and people.
20%?
American English is the primary language I am writing about. About half of the world’s population speaks at least two languages, but the emphasis on learning multiple languages isn’t as prevalent in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, sadly, only 20% of Americans speak a second language.
Başka bir dil konuşmayı öğrenecek misin?
MASTER THE FIVE “C’s” OF GOOD WRITING
CLEAR: Make sure your purpose and intent are clear to the reader.
COMPLETE: Include all the necessary information.
CONCISE: Welcome only necessary and relevant information.
COURTEOUS: Could you address the reader politely?
CORRECT: Unscramble your wording each time.
START EARLY
Research supports the idea that there is a critical age period for maximum proficiency in learning a new language — the younger, the better. A language student who begins studying before the age of 10 has a chance of becoming as proficient as a native speaker, but learning after age 10 makes it nearly impossible to become that proficient.
OTHER LANGUAGES
I would love to learn to speak German or Russian, but taking the time is hard. Learning a new language at any age is still possible, but children have an advantage. Adults are explicit learners who are better at intentionally learning a new language through lessons. They also have longer attention spans and more literacy skills. To master the language, I would need to live in a foreign country.
AGE 10?
Those between the ages of 10 and 18 still have a higher retention rate than older learners, especially when learning new grammar. Researchers aren’t sure why retention rates drop so dramatically after age 18. Still, it could be due to cultural and social changes at this age (such as moving out of the family home) or biological reasons (changes in brain plasticity).
YOUR SECOND LANGUAGE?
Any second language with a different alphabet or sentence structure will be more challenging to master. Additionally, some languages are tonal (English is not), meaning that the pitch of a word conveys (and changes) its meaning, something English speakers need to be used to. This is the case in many Asian languages, including Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai.
ADVANCED WRITING
Advanced Writing focuses on the higher-level writing skills that college students may use in their fields of study and future careers. Its authors share their expertise using a personable writing style and engaging instructional design. I didn’t graduate from college. I write words that go together well, I think. What do you think?
IDEAS FOR YOUR FUTURE WRITINGS
Start a journal or a blog (I’ve done mine for some years.)
Join a class or writing workshop.
Practice free writing.
Write letters to friends or family or Kit.
Put together an opinion piece for your local newspaper or publication you like.
HERE ARE SOME STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING YOUR WRITINGS
Review grammar and spelling basics . . .
Grammar and spelling form the foundation of good writing . . .
Study what you want to write . . .
Proofread. . .
Get feedback . . .
Think about structure . . .
Write . . .
Poofread again . . .
Know some common fixes.
PLAYTIME!
The main thing is to learn to play with words, writing, and speaking. As your writing efforts increase, your command of communication will take off. Now, start using your writing skills to send me an email letting me know what you think of my writing.
kitsummers@gmail.com
YES, YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO FIND YOUR SUCCESS!
THINK — AND THEN THINK AGAIN.
WHAT NEW STORIES ARE YOU READY TO WRITE?
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WORDS TO INSPIRE YOU!
Inspirational quotes and sayings have a unique ability to change the way we feel about life and can change our thoughts. They are attractive, challenging, and essential on our path to joy and happiness and finding ways to inspire ourselves and others.
THE BURST!
Inspirational quotes and ideas give us a quick and timely burst of wisdom to regain our focus, offering the inspiration needed for the day or occasion. I hope the words below bring a smile to your face and drive you to make this day and every day a fantastic event.
BE POSITIVE!
Just as positive words can make someone smile, and a well-timed amusing quote can make someone laugh, your thoughts react to the world in real-time. You have this control! You have complete control over only one thing in the universe—YOUR THINKING!—and that’s where motivational quotes come in!
“YOU”
How you think and feel about yourself, including your beliefs and expectations about what is possible, determines everything in your life, and it all derives from your quality of thinking. Use quotes to move ahead in your life.
SELF-TALK IS SO ESSENTIAL—THINK RIGHT!
To stay motivated, you have to use each day as an opportunity to improve and get closer to your goals. It might sound like a lot of work—and with your busy schedule—next to impossible. But you can do it! Motivational words, yes, are just words. But they are positive words; they will keep you on track.
QUOTES WILL BENEFIT YOU!
Positive and inspiring quotes can be like beams of sunshine on a cloudy day. They inject optimism into our thoughts, brighten our mood, and help us focus on the good in life. They remind us that even in the face of adversity, we can see the silver lining and embrace a positive attitude.
PEARLS OF WISDOM
In a world filled with challenges and indecisiveness, the power of inspirational quotes cannot be exaggerated. These pearls of wisdom uniquely uplift our spirits, can spark positive change, and fuel our motivation often when we need it most.
I HOPE THE FOLLOWING WORDS ADD TO YOUR LIFE >>
1–“They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream by night.”
— Edgar Allan Poe
2–“The ability of writers to imagine what is not the self, to familiarize the strange and mystify the familiar, is the test of their power.”
— Toni Morrison
3–“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.”
— William Wordsworth
4–“The writer is an explorer.
Every step is an advance into a new land.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson
5–“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking.
What I’m looking at.
What I see.
And what it means.
What I want and what I fear.”
— Joan Didion
6–“Any writer worth his salt writes to please himself…
It’s a self-exploratory operation that is endless.”
— Harper Lee
7–“If you have built castles in the air.
Your work need not be lost.
That is where they should be.
Now put foundations under them.”
— Henry David Thoreau
8–“Significant moments in everyone’s day can make literature. That’s what you ought to write about.”
— Raymond Carver
9–“You fail only if you stop writing.”
— Ray Bradbury
10–“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”
— Isaac Asimov
11–“I’ve written because it fulfilled me. Maybe it paid off the mortgage on the house and got the kids through college, but those things were on the side — I did it for the buzz. I did it for the pure joy of the thing. And if you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.”
— Stephen King
12–“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
— Toni Morrison
13–“We write to taste life twice,
in the moment and in retrospect.”
— Anaïs Nin
14–“Don’t bend; don’t water it down; (and) don’t try to make it logical; don’t edit your soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly.”
— Franz Kafka
15–“Just write every day of your life.
Read intensely.
Then, see what happens.
Most of my friends who are put on that diet have enjoyable careers.”
— Ray Bradbury
16–“How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”
— Henry David Thoreau
17–“What is written without effort is, in general, read without pleasure.”
— Samuel Johnson
18–“90 percent perfect and shared with the world always changes more lives than 100 percent perfect and stuck in your head.”
— Jon Acuff
19–“You can’t fail if you don’t quit.
You can’t succeed if you don’t start.”
— Michael Hyatt
20– “Write something worth fighting over.
Because that’s how you change things.
That’s how you create art.” — Jeff Goins
21–“Inspiration may sometimes fail to show up for work in the morning, but determination never does.”
— K.M. Weiland
22–“Exercise the writing muscle daily, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, or a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.”
— Jane Yolen
YOU IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR THINKING,
YOU CHANGE YOUR LIFE’S DIFFERENTIA—SOMETIMES INSTANTLY!
COMPOSE A NOBLE BOOK AND WRITE A BEST-SELLER.
YOU ARE AMAZING—PLAY YOUR PART!
YOU CAN TURN THINGS AROUND FAST AND ACHIEVE YOUR
WILDEST DREAMS NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN LIFE!
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MY DAILY JOTTINGS >>
Each week goes by so quickly, don’t you think?
It seems like time is going by faster and faster.
You must live joyfully, daily, for each day!
Do you know what you did last Monday?
Do you remember what you ate for dinner last Thursday?
Keep track of your doings for a few weeks; you will see your time differently.
Remember, the quality of your life depends on what you do each day
6/22–After seeing the second video below, I wrote to Peter Davison,
Here is a video of Peter >>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcHEqsMN_V0
about this dancer, I saw >>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auYSu5exnp8
Peter wrote that he does some of those moves.
He also said he enjoys reading my blog, which is excellent.
My teeth are not hurting as much today. I hope my mouth heals right and I will have no more pain. Yet, that is age; you lose your hair, you lose your teeth, you lose your life. That is just how it is. I am comfortable with the end, the loss of life, but at 65 now, I think I will still wait a couple of decades until that endpoint—timing to reach at least 100.
I will keep going, but did you know that in 1800, life expectancy was no more than 40 years in any part of the world? This was somewhat due to high infant mortality rates, which remained at 25% until 1800. Diseases like typhoid and scarlet fever also impacted life expectancy in the 1800s and early 1900s.
6/23–We watched a movie today that Beth found called “Lucky.” It was about a 91-year-old man who doesn’t believe in any god. He was well known in the small town he was in. It bothered Beth that he was old and basically alone.
Using fresh-picked cucumbers, Beth made a salad with Cukes, our home-grown tomatoes (yes, they are ripening), red onions, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and spices.
6/24–Once again, last night, very little sleep.
I think clearly still, even with no sleep.
It’s a perfect sunny day for solar power. Yes, we are having solar power put on our house right now. Dave initially contacted us about solar energy. His presentation was excellent; he showed us how we currently pay about $150 monthly for electricity. Our monthly solar bill to cover the insulation cost is around $120, so we are already saving money. In the end, we get to keep the solar on the roof.
I was concerned that the solar would not last through the night. I thought we’d have to have a battery. In talking with Dave, I found out that extra power generated by our solar is sent to the power grid/electric company. Then, at night or in the winter, we can use that solar power we put into the grid. It works out perfectly for us and is suitable for you, too.
Here is Dave and Homestead Solar:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554005559497
952-484-0040
david.majzner@gmail.com
It would help if you looked into solar energy, preferably through Dave or any solar company that can help. I think it’s great to have solar power at our house—it’s free electricity! Once again, you look into it for your home.
6/25–I woke up at about 1am and don’t know why sleep is so hard.
Terry, who lives next door, lost his dogs the other day, they are huge dogs and can’t be missed. We will help him find them by posting flyers and posting them on the Internet. Rex and Luke always come back when they get out, but it has been four days, and they haven’t returned.
Being so close to Beth
Adds so much to my life.
I remain happy.
6/26–I recently discovered my daughter’s business is off the ground and growing.
Check out her website >>
https://shoprevu.com/
And, here is about Jasmine >>
“Jasmine thrives when working at the intersection of product, people, and story. She began her career as a fashion designer in New York City but pivoted to marketing and communications after living and working abroad in Cambodia. In her international development work, she expanded programming alongside strategizing and repositioning in-country branding and communications for a nonprofit organization that operated a fashion incubator and workforce development center in the capital city of Cambodia. There, Jasmine witnessed the true impact that clear communication, proper branding, and innovative marketing can provide.”
“As the founder of her circular fashion brand, Revu, Jasmine possesses an entrepreneurial spirit and is excited to experiment with innovation in the occasionwear space. In her client work and business, Jasmine is solution-oriented, adaptable, and resilient—attributes that have taken her from corporate to nonprofit and into the agency world.”
This impresses me.
I am so proud and happy for my daughters.
Jasmine and April.
6/27–Starting with the garden, as soon as the sun had risen, I was off to the races with work around here. It will only be 90 degrees today, and Beth says it feels like such a relief! She despises the heat. We moved her older rabbit into the house in a spare cage. She wants to bring them all in. That is just not possible.
In the afternoon, I planted many seeds: new spinach, lettuce, green beans, broccoli, cucumber, cabbage, zucchini, and tomatoes. We have been pulling much from the garden, but new plants must grow. So, how does your garden grow?
6/28—The big debate took place last night. Rest instead, I didn’t watch it, but I knew videos featuring the highlights would be out today.
DO SOMETHING NEW–DAILY!
THEN, KEEP DOING IT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!
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THE GARDEN THIS WEEK
A self-supportive life can be a better life.
A garden would be a part of that life.
You must look into it.
People often say I have a Green Thumb.
Yes, I do gardening, and I am good at that.
The heat has come down on us, and the plants are withering, which is sad to see. I water thoroughly each morning so I know they get enough H2O. Hmm, do I have a green thumb?
Yet, no need to rush me, your green-thumbed friend, to the doctor — the expression simply means that I am excellent at growing plants. The term was first recorded in the Ironwood Daily Globe as “horticultural slang” in 1937.
I am bothered when people put their grass clippings out for the trash. This is the perfect ingredient for compost. Also, fresh-cut grass should always be placed in your garden around growing plants. It will hold water for the plants, keep weeds out, and eventually become compost for garden growth.
Things are starting to mature and become edible. We are enjoying lettuce, broccoli, zucchini, and tomatoes. The red vegetable will be a bumper crop (whoever thought of the word bumper to mean many, hmm.) Did you know? Tomatoes are botanically defined as fruits because they form from a flower and contain seeds. Still, they’re most often utilized in cooking as vegetables.
I look out my office window, where I do most of my typing and blog work. All I see is nature, the garden, growing things, and wildlife. What a lovely view every time I am on my computer.
START YOUR GARDEN TODAY!
IT MAY BE NECESSARY FOR YOUR LIFE!
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YOUR CHALLENGE FOR THE WEEK >>
Just today, I looked into Beth’s eyes and said,
“Thanks, you’ve made my life much better.”
This week, in private each time.
Say these words to people you love.
ALL OUR LIFE, WE MUST CHALLENGE OURSELVES!
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NEXT BLOG >>
The solar panels are up now.
They have yet to be connected.
Next week, I’ll let you know how they work.
And how much we are saving.
AND WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING FOR YOUR UPCOMING WEEK?
