Sarah Johnson
Stories (13/0)
The Photograph
The sign read “Welcome to the Black Hills Powwow”. I could already hear drum beats in the distance and they seemed to call out to me. I had hoped to arrive early, wanting to get some good photos of the “hills” and surrounding landscape, but the tourists were already out in full force, which made it more difficult to get a pure image. If it wasn’t the Hills they wanted to see, it was nearby Mount Rushmore. I could see the dark hills in the distance and knew they were considered sacred by several different tribes, most especially the Lakota, who considered this land their home.
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Families
Trying To Find The People Who Vanished
Visiting the sites and ruins of the Anasazi people is like taking a trip back in time. Up to 1,500 years in the past. The Anasazi, or The People Who Vanished, also means “the ancient ones in Navajo” (Darlene & Jim). They had a region that “lay across the southern Colorado Plateau and the upper Rio Grande drainage. It spanned northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado” (Sharp). Yet they left it all behind. The cliff dwellings, kivas, the caves, the meeting houses, as well as pottery and many other artifacts.
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in FYI
The Color of Calm
The blue of the sky, the red of an apple, or the green of freshly mown grass. The newest craze is adult coloring books. Forget about the coloring books for children and coloring outside the lines. What once was a good distraction for energetic toddlers is now a multi-million-dollar hobby for adults. These intricate designs are no match for porky the pig or bugs bunny. Some designs take hours to complete, yet those people that have taken up the hobby say that it calms the soul. But what if coloring could take away depression or calm anxiety? At the very least, coloring is a distraction and it’s not just for children anymore.
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Psyche
Finding Her Inner Van Gogh
She never wanted to be the next Van Gogh, but she found pleasure in drawing and painting when she was young. These days Ruth Bywater prefers to paint landscapes, flowers, old barns, and engaging scenery. What she doesn’t know she learns by watching YouTube videos and going through books by her favorite painters Bob Ross and Jerry Yarnell. If she produces a good painting, she feels it, but the most important thing to her is if other people like it well enough to hang in their home, then she has painted something good.
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Humans
Diabetic Amputee & Heart Patient Beats The Odds!
Bob Bywater, a 73-year-old man who has lived with diabetes most of his life, was diagnosed in the last few years with CHD, or Coronary Heart Disease, which is a major risk in diabetics. Against all odds, he overcame the challenges of a partial leg amputation that was caused by a MRSA or Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus infection. He also has survived and thrived after having a triple bypass heart surgery, due to his CHD. Bob credits his survival to his determination and the prayers of family and friends.
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Longevity
Social Media After A Car Accident
Stop Right There! Have you ever posted something to social media you wished you hadn’t and then deleted it right after? Of course, you have! What is the first thing you want to do when something good or bad happens? Post it on social media! There is always someone out there, whether you have met them or not, who wants to sympathize with you, share your pain, or even offer unsolicited legal advice. Not posting on social media, under these circumstances, is like trying to avoid the deep end of the pool when you can’t swim. You really want to, and you know you should, but it’s too tempting, you just have to see if you can do it!
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Wheel
The Strength Of A Nation With A Beat
The beating of the drum is the first thing I hear. At first, it starts out slow, like a heartbeat…thump, thump…thump, thump. Then the beat speeds up and my heart tries to find the rhythm. But the beat is much faster, like excitement building. One voice begins the song. There are no words, just a melodic vocal sound, like one eagle calling to another. Then the other voices join in and it sounds like a harmonized war cry. The smell of sage and sweetgrass is in the air and I watch the dancers form a line at the East Gate. Long dark hair blows in the breeze and eagle feathers ruffle. Then the chuffing sound of moccasins gliding over the grass in perfect rhythm with the drum tells me that these are my people and I am where I belong.
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Wander
Goldie Shine
Hi, my name is Goldie and I am an undercover operative, and by nature not very trusting, thanks to my mother Barbara. In the real world, my given name is Dorothy T. thanks to the big B, who I don’t speak to unless I absolutely have to. Apparently, when she was pregnant with me she got on a Wizard of Oz kick that screwed up my whole life. Do not ask what the “T” means. Hearsay says that she watched the movie months on end, almost every day while she was carrying me. It also says that the flying monkeys in the movie made her dance crazed around the house. I think it was just the booze and drugs, but what do I know? I also don’t believe in hearsay, but in this case, I will ere on the side of no circumstantial because those flying monkeys are just freaky.
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Criminal
Journal Of A Former Cooking Hater
When we think of a holiday meal, we think of going all out and cooking a huge meal which takes all day to cook and 12.7 minutes to eat. Then you have the dreaded putting away leftovers and cleaning up the mess, which could take an hour or more.
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Feast
Journal of A Former Cooking Hater
A couple of years ago, I didn’t even know what spaetzle was. It took me that long to finally try and make it. From doing a little research there are different ways that spaetzle can be prepared. Using the simplest of ingredients, the dough can be rolled out and cut into strips, or prepared as I cooked them, moving the sticky, loose dough over a grader (you can also use a colander or anything that has big enough holes in it to allow the dough to be pushed through).
By Sarah Johnsonabout a year ago in Feast
