From my facebook post : Storm Survivor (reprinted)

Poem: Storm Survivor (Free Verse)

The storm's arrival was announced by a strong gust of wind
On a warm, clear day
Relaxing under an umbrella,
I had taken comfort in the doldrums
Their warm embrace suddenly interrupted
By disturbing, dark, clouds foreboding
And preventing the reflection of the blue sky
Its arms outstretched as they reached for us
Helplessly, we searched for their return
Pounding nonstop, the rain left no stone unturned
Followed by the loud thunder that pierced my eardrums
Rapidly advancing waves joined forces with each other
Lashing at the rocks that tried to hold on
But were washed ashore
Attempting to multiply and grow, in unison, they screamed
Heading towards me with full force on a collision course
Standing tall and strong, I felt tested while facing them
In a head-on collision, the instinct of survival found in me
Over my head, the rains passed as the clouds headed off
Seeking other similar watchers and onlookers
Looking down, finding my place
Where my feed had buried
Deep under layers of sand,
That's when I began to understand
That you were the storm
And I was the survivor
Beginning to recognize my own soul's reflection
In that lost warm blue sky that once formed a canopy
Over an ocean that used to be calm, and peaceful
But now was lost somewhere , deep in my memory

Spring and Summer of 2019 - Backyard Bloom

Beautiful Photos

NYTimes Article on Poverty

What is defined as "below poverty level" in US?

Following Article states "If you ask a dozen lawmakers what constitutes a "living wage," you'll get a dozen answers. Where does the term come from? And is it accurate?" - click here for full article

It refers to poverty guidelines : https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines published by OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR PLANNING AND EVALUATION

Here is the living wage calculator for Santa Clara County: http://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/06085

Annual Expenses	1 Adult	1 Adult 1 Child	1 Adult 2 Children	1 Adult 3 Children	2 Adults (1 Working)	2 Adults (1 Working) 1 Child	2 Adults (1 Working) 2 Children	2 Adults (1 Working) 3 Children	2 Adults (1 Working Part Time) 1 Child*	2 Adults	2 Adults 1 Child	2 Adults 2 Children	2 Adults 3 Children

Required annual income before taxes

$38,738

$74,709

$86,760

$113,529

$56,995

$69,809

$75,643

$91,451

$78,400

$56,995

$80,028

$92,894

$115,710

Storm Survivor

The storm's arrival was announced by a strong gust of wind
On a warm, clear day
Relaxing under an umbrella,
I had taken comfort in the doldrums
Their warm embrace suddenly interrupted
by disturbing, dark, clouds forboding
While preventing the reflection of the blue sky
From stretching its arms as they reached for us
Helplessly, we searched and seeked for their return
The nonstop pounding of the rain left no stone untouched
Followed by the loud thunder that was pierced the eardrums
Rapidly advancing waves joined forces with each other
As if to multiply and grow, in unison, they screamed
Lashing at the rocks that tried to wash ashore and hold on
They came straight at me with full force in a collision course
I felt tested as I stood strong and tall in order to face them
The instinct of survival found me in our head-on collision
Over my head, the rains passed as the clouds headed off 
Seeking out other similar watchers and onlookers
Looking down, finding my place
Where my feed had buried
Deep under layers of sand,
That's when I began to understand
That you were the storm
And I was the survivor who
Was beginning to recognize my own soul's reflection
In that lost warm blue sky that formed a canopy
Over an ocean that was once calm, and peaceful
But now was lost somewhere , deep in my memory

My Second Company

Silicon Valley Educational Services, LLC

https://www.facebook.com/Silicon-Valley-Educational-Services-LLC-199528590754683/?modal=admin_todo_tour

About the Age of Anthropocene

Recently, I found out about the relation between Global Warming and the Age of Anthropocene for a school project.  I learned about the cradle of mankind, the timeline of human evolution, and how this has led to the current state of our environment.  The conclusion that Global Warming is happening, eminent , and what this means for the future of survival of our species was fascinating.  I related this to the ancient cultures I had visited - from Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, and Polynesia.

https://www.facebook.com/anthropoceneHypothesis/

Some of the indigenous cultures could trace their roots prior to the Age of Anthropocene.  What they shared in common was a love and respect for nature and sensitivity about our environment.  What is very different in pre-Anthropocene mindset is the way society treats and raises children, women , and modern technology and medical research.  While the Industrial Revolution and advances in farming have led to technological and medical advances, conducive to advancing women in the workplace , and a prolonged childhood phase or delayed adolescense, it's fascinating how this is slowly destroying the environment and potentially causing a cataclysmic event that could impact the species as a whole!