Time. It is our lifeline to synchronized order in the world. We know time by changes all around us. We humans live our lives by the concept of how much time we have to complete given tasks. One can utilize time wisely or let it slip from their grasps. I try to utilize my time wisely, although I have been known to lose a certain amount of it.
Given one hour of my time, I've been asked to answer a question related to it and how I would spend it. I chose to answer all three questions below:
Which hive user would you like to spend an hour with and why?
@deeanndmathews is the person on Hive whom I would like to spend an hour with. You may not know her, but she is an accomplished author. She is well-known in the Freewrite House Community where she participates regularly. She has a no-nonsense approach to life that I can feel in her writings. She exhibits a discipline that I strive for, but have never been able to maintain for any length of time when it comes to writing consistently. Surely, she can impart some of her wisdom to me. Deanne was The Freewrite House's "Writer of the Week" in July, 2019, having completed her novel Black, White, and RED All Over in 17 days. She writes daily on Hive; never waivering in her resolve to produce the best she is capable of. That led her to become one of the few successful writers on Hive to be published author. Her latest in the Red, White series, The Posture of Innocence is currently available in the Hive based bookstore sponsored by The Inkwell Community. You can also obtain her series in a free e-book on Amazon.
Which person past or present would you like to spend an hour with and why?
My 2x maternal great grandmother is my elusive ancestor who, by family oral history, is a native American Indian born 1841. I'm just beginning to scratch the surface in my genealogy studies to attempt to locate concrete information that this may be true. The records during slavery in the U.S. will never be fully understood. This is why so much history is lost. My quest is to connect the past with the present.
What is your ideal way to spend an hour of your time and why?
About 20 years ago, I was cruising the Christian Bookstore near me looking for a quick study guide. The clerk recommended a book that I, in turn, would recommend to anyone interested. Reading my book entitled Time With GOD: The New Testament for Busy People is my lifeline. Time waits on no woman. Just when you take off one scarf, you put on another and keep going. I remember as a full-time, young working mother taking care of children, and helping with elderly parents. Just finding one hour to myself to relax and rewind was not easy. My book is a one-year devotional bible I can read daily when I have time. It's broken down in a daily scripture, then questions and answers part. The good thing is I can start and stop any time; then pick it up again on any given day. If I happen to need a particular theme, I can quickly jump to that section. I hope to one day complete the entire 365 days of devotional study.
I mostly try to use my time wisely, but sometimes I just do not care and spend my wisdom time in la la land just thinking. Oh well.
Sort of on that line I'm going to answer to #3 first. I make time, if that means an hour less sleep or what ever. My quiet hour starts the day, and has for quite a long time. It can include reading of devotional or meditative nature. It has a half hour of meditation (usually just quiet contemplation not formal meditation) and a 1 page journal entry. It's the most important hour of the day for me.
Wow. What I've seen so far I'm impressed with @deanndmatthews. A real live novelist. I have maybe 10 projects that were carried far enough along to call them 'attempted novels' and know just how hard that is. I'm really looking forward to 'making her acquaintance' on Hive.
My mom's family has a quite a good genealogy going back to the 1600s in Virginia with a bit of a notation about each member. There are some of those people that I'd really like to spend an hour with.
Thanks for participating this weekend! Always good to see you come to play!
That's great that you try to do an hour routine like that every day. These things are important to keep our mind fresh but at the same time it kind of is like a nice cleanse to give it a start.
I'd love to do some genealogy stuff if the companies wouldn't sell my info to the government. I know back a few generations but further than that I have no idea!
When I started in genealogy, it was so much to take in at once. I didn't know how to search or where to start. After about a year, I started to figure it out. But when you're so far behind in the dark about who and what to look for, it's almost impossible to locate anyone.
I have been known to venture off into la la land too many a time. Too many I want to confess.
You are lucky your quiet time can start your day. When I had to wake at 5am to start breakfast, rush off to school, then to work, then grocery shopping, rush home, fix dinner, help with kids homework, take care of minor injuries, listen to the days chatter from each one, cleaning, is there an hour left? Hubby worked shift work, so by the time he arrived, everything and everybody was all tucked away. Sorry...time to fall asleep and start over the next morning. Gotta luv it.
I've started projects also that I need to get back to. I also have a half completed novel from about 20 years ago. When I looked at it a few years ago, I realized I needed to do some more research.
Wow, back to the 1600s. That's awesome. And to have notations on each family members. My family had several old bibles from the early 1900s, but have no idea where they are now. Some family members don't seem too much interested in family history. Myself, I'm fascinated by it because I grew up without grandparents being constant figures in my life enough to ask questions. Yet still, to know what questions to ask, so I missed out on first-hand information that would have helped.
I appreciate your engagement with my comment response for this weekend. Have a good rest of your weekend and take care.
I'm the oldest son but I passed my Father's family bible on to my youngest brother (a biological child) and it's gone to his son. It was a present to the first holder from his parents when the son went to Russia to farm for Catherine the Great. Every member in the straight line is written in there from then to now. All we have is names there.
My Mom's family has kept records for a couple of hundred years, it's pretty cool. There is currently an active family tree on Ancestry and a very active FB group of my generation that publishes photographs and identities with complete regularity. It's actually a very good use of FB.
Many of us will post current photos of past places when we are traveling. I was recently at the site of my Great Grandparents store in Athena, Oregon. The place has changed some...
I certainly understand the time complications. Completely. After we both sobered up my best ex had a meditation room in every house we had. It was a little frilly for my tastes :) but when you were in there with the door closed nobody would bother you unless the house was on fire.
It was also a nice private place for conversation. She had some glorious antique furniture there and it was just comfy and perfect.
How lovely the settings and memories. The Ancestry is great. Locating information if you don't have a full subscription is a bit hard. Only a few databases are free. If a family can get together and pay for a subscription, then all can share in research. That would be cool to do.
Your ancestry is all you have of your past from centuries ago. It's to be cherished and also passed on to your descendants. I'm compiling my books now from what I can locate.
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful family history. A family member farmed for Catherine the Great. That's truly a great family find. Have a good week ahead.
These are some interesting choices here! I will have to check out the free write section a bit more often. A novel in 17 days is crazy! I think she sounds like a great candidate for someone to spend an hour with!
Thank you so much for stopping by and viewing my choices. I appreciate your support. I participate in the Freewrite House projects whenever I have the time. The daily freewrite prompts do help with writer's block. Some interesting topics to get you going. I thought I had seen your writing there. If not, please join in soon. Take care.
I also try to use my time wisely and I try to make the best of life.
Wow, I was unaware of that community here, i need to check it out ! is incredible how much we can get to know by reading other people's comments.
Very interesting about your great-grandmother, I understand why you want to find out more about it, I would also do it until I can find something that tells me the truth
I used to congregate in a Christian church and for reasons between the pastor and myself I stopped attending ... Very personal matters that I did not like, however I am still open to everything, in fact there is a book that some people also recommended me to read about God, but I think it is something where they put all the points of view, I don't remember the name but I know that I have it written in my notebook
Hello. Thanks for stopping by to visit and view my response to the prompts for the weekend engagement. Yes, the Freewrite House Community is an amazing place for inspiration, engagement, and meeting new people who love to write.
I have ancestors on both sides of my family I need to research. But it's overwhelming. I have stacks and binders of info I've printed out that I found online. But the hard thing is trying to verify it. Every time I find a clue, it takes me in another direction.
The problem with me is that I find everyone else's family interesting too. I'll start looking at my family and see an unfamiliar name. By the time I'm finished it's several hours later, and I've gone so deep off into another family, I forgot what I was looking for. What I did find interesting and a bit dismayed is that small towns in the country communities, everybody is related in some way.
I'm sorry for your unpleasant interaction in the Church. However, I'm happy to hear it has not hardened your heart, and you are still open to learning. That is the key. Never stop learning.
Have a good rest of your weekend. Hope to engage with you again soon.
Thanks for joining in this week, for selecting a fellow hive user to highlight for others and sharing how you like spend a snippet of your time when you can find it.
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Thank you for such interesting topics to choose from. I appreciate the chance to engage.
You're welcome and your input is appreciated.
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ENGAGEtokens.If only the question was if we could go back in time, when would we choose I have a lot of questions to ask concerning my past and that of my country but we just have to rely on the history we are told.
The bible or devotional is a good choice of spending your time, its nice to see you here