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 |   Poetry and Prose about life, family, thoughts & Lesbian concerns of heart |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Come in for a visit. I write about my life as a daughter, mom, grandmother, friend and life partnership with my lesbian wife. You may smile, laugh or cry, either way you'll have learned about life in America since 1938. ANN And, my friend, I understand because all my silent years I was so deep into my church and Christian activities and feared 'sin' and felt shame when 'sex' was mentioned. Nobody spoke of the "horrible" sin they would not name (the rape of a child); At the same time, I watched ministers and deacons and Sunday School teachers sneaking around committing adultery, while I desired and lived 'without sin' as I knew sin to be as I was taught. I thought and studied the Bible and realized how today's preachers and teachers condemn only what they don't do or what a church leader has said to condemn; I've seen the woman run out of the church but not the man; I saw enough, and I knew the heart of love within me, from all through my life had its focus; it was never about 'having sex'. ...Heck, I didn't know about homosexuality until my college years; then I understood my heart and there was never a sexual thought associated with anyone before my marriage to the man who 'chased' me three years then almost murdered me 16 years later as my children heard the physical fight. After that I stayed single Mom, never dated, just had many friends and my children. Finally after raising my grandson, and knowing my own heart would never ever seek love from a man, I acknowledged that all my life, all of my relationship experiences and feelings clearly showed I had a heart that was drawn romantically with deep love that I could not ever express. Then I moved to Portland, came out and you know you can read the rest of the story. I know how God created my heart. If I don't believe God created me as I am, how could I live? It has nothing to do with 'doing' anything at all; it is 'being' as my Creator created me. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................ I retired in Idaho then moved to Oregon to show my pride as a member of the latest hated group across America: I am a lesbian and when I came "Out at Sixty", I came with pride and joy that I no longer had to hold the secret or carry the shame thrown at gay men and lesbians. With that same pride, I accept all persons and their right to be who they are and live with joy, peace, and the pursuit of happiness. I took a writing course at age 69 and began to write short stories, poems, essays, Op-ed comps and I found Writing.com where I am an Advocacy Writer, writing as an advocate for every person to have Civil and God-given rights each day as they pursue happiness for themselves and their families. Yes, most of my writing has been about gays and lesbians, however, I believe every person in the world shares the same heart and spirit to live peaceably with all peace loving people; while seeking to change the minds of those who live with anger, hatred, prejudice, racism and such. |
| DAY 759 April 5. 2016 Prompt: What are the examples of inner conflict in a main character that you can come up with? List them. INNER CONFLICTS OF A WOMAN: conflict over whether she might be lesbian, a gay woman conflict if told by a lesbian that she is the object of true romantic love being challenged for a lover by another woman conflict regarding the right career conflict when told she's in the wrong career conflict in deciding a response to a marriage proposal conflict on whether to get pregnant and ruin a perfect female figure conflict on whether to ever have a baby for numerous personal reasons conflict about what first sex will feel like, true especially days of eons now history, anytime before 1960 conflict of whether to vote for a different candidate than husband's choice conflict regarding a health problem, especially if related to sexuality conflict with another woman at work conflict when knowing the next job promotion might or might not give her a position which a man is expecting |
Blogging Circle of Friends " April 5, 2016 Prompt: Oops, Let's talk about a toy you broke as a child. 'broke'?? Well it wasn't that I broke the unique little doll, but I mussed up her hair. Just this week I was reminded of the last doll which I received at Christmas in 1945, the Christmas after my father returned from the US Navy ending World War II. That Christmas, there was no Christmas 'tree', just a branch from some tree, placed in a vase on a small table then decorated to look like a Christmas tree, in our very small house in Oklahoma. Santa Claus, of course our parents, had fun displaying the toys and gifts, few and inexpensive but of great value to us four children in the family. I still have the doll, 70 years later, and she will find her next home with my youngest granddaughter upon my death. She was the FIRST among dolls in America for young girls that was a completely breakable doll with 'real' hair not painted-on hair as on all rubber dolls before that. She was not a doll to be 'played with' but one to be adored and carefully placed as décor on a pillow or furniture as décor. But I tried to comb her 'hair' thinking it was like real hair but it wasn't so when the hairstyle was touched by my comb, it could never go back to the original style, I did try and might have cried about it. I loved that doll and later washed and ironed her pretty pink with flowers dress; it stayed wrinkly though. I never named the doll or any of my few dolls, not even the baby doll of mine when age 3-4 which lost an arm and showed I as a little child had played with it a lot. I had even sewed a patch onto her original dress; the patch was green stripped while the dress was pink. I sure didn't match it and that baby doll still does not have her arm back but she's a million dollar baby doll to me!! The 70 year old doll still wears her original dress and the hair style I gave her, bad. The perfect thing about her is that she was DEFINITELY THE FORERUNNER OF THE BARBIE DOLL CRAZE...................HER COMPLETE BODY AND WORKING EYES ARE COPIED BY ALL BARBIE DOLLS.............SO YOU COULD SAY IN 1945, I RECEIVED THE VERY FIRST BARBIE DOLL AND I STILL HAVE HER. ANN |
I just found Gaby's "I  WDC Contest" then checked and found this is my tenth year to be a member at Writing.Com. Yes, Since December 20, 2006, and gradually over those years, I have been acknowledged and awarded 509 Community Recognitions. Each of those recognitions 'touched my heart' for they meant another WDCer appreciated something I did here. Sometimes I had entered, and even won, their contest. Other times it came as a gift from the heart of a WDC friend...those are truly meaningful for, after all, such a gift of recognition was not a requirement for something I had done, but a beautiful awareness of who I am and how I try to live in this family of writers. I never take a single friend for granted and I cherish so many who have shared friendship across the world with me.As I set up my port here, I wanted to show who I was and what I hoped to share with other WDCers through my formal writings and through friendly exchanges through emails, reviews, activities, and various communications while a member here. So my port intro says: "WELCOME TO MY PORT Ann Patterson writes with the goal of serving as an ADVOCACY WRITER for people everywhere. She wants you to think about your path, to serve & bless community & the world. A writer she loves the craft and seeks to constantly improve. A lesbian, Ann's path to personal freedom & joy is described in "Out at Sixty." A counselor, she informs readers of its value. Ann grew up during WW II & writes stories of those years in America. She was named in editions of Marquis Who's Who in America & the World. Is Author of ten books."Willing to take risks" turtle symbolizes Ann. N.A.F.P. name: TURTLE DOVE. Occasionally through seventy years, I had taken pen in hand and written a poem. I sent one off in 1962 to a magazine and was paid $5.20 when it was published. (I knew I couldn't get rich writing poetry at that amazing income!) Finally, a few years after retirement, on my 70th birthday, I took a writing course from LongRidge Writing Group, CT, to learn how to write a story with dialog, wrote my first short story in that course, later found Writing.com and posted that story, "Forbidden Love in 1960" in my portfolio, and became a member of this marvelous group of writers. Gabriella became my first "mentor" at this site with her friendship and I was on my way. My early reviewers of that story suggested "This would make a good novel" so I eventually took their advice and wrote "Out in Love" as the novel of two college women, one from Ghana, who met at the college I had graduated from in 1960; the novel still sells at my account at Amazon and Kindle. I've always been grateful for the WDC friends who suggested the novel. (I have a b-item in my portfolio for use by anyone wishing to go to my Amazon account and see the many books for sale there; every item in those novels and books of poetry has first been written and posted at Writing.com) At first I just came to writing.com and wrote items every day. Then I became brave enough to not just read the writings of others, but bold enough to send a review. Making new friends was the extra benefit of doing reviews and it meant more WDCers read and wrote reviews to me so I was able to learn to write better. We can always learn from others who take time to share their thoughts. Then, I got bold enough to enter some contests and got real excited when I would win one of them. Those 'wins' encouraged me to keep writing and during these years I have written well over 3,000 items that have appeared, for a time, in my Portfolio as novel chapters, short stories, poems, essays; all of which have been read by someone here as a member. Reviews helped me improve my writing and they still remind me there's still room for improvement. Since my memory works less often today, I cannot list all the early WDCer friends whom I met that first year other than Gabriella and Rhonda, I'll just say there were many each year who encouraged me and even shared fun with me as we have emailed and commented on each other's stories, poems, blogs, etc. Today Cinn  , Elle - on hiatus  , Whata SpoonStealer  , Alexi  ,Fivesixer  :joey keep blessing my WDC days by their friendships and interaction; and many others continue to share through reviews, comments, emails, when I sit here at my computer to share a few minutes with friends at this wonderful site. Who would have known this 'home' would bless my life so often as we share friendships with friends we may never see in person but with whom we share hearts and poetry? How wonderful!From the first day at Writing.com, I have kept the single word, "lesbian" on my handle. Because of prejudice and hatred in earlier years, I had not been able to live as my heart told me I was from my teenage years. I had never felt safe 'coming out' as a lesbian even as an adult living in a highly prejudiced state, Idaho, USA; therefore, when I retired at age sixty, I moved to a safe town, Portland, Oregon, USA, so I could sit across the table from a new friend and say, "I am a lesbian"; before that, my heart had never been free to love whom it loved. To acknowledge whom my heart told me I was, was true freedom; so when I wrote my story at Writing.com, it was "Out at Sixty" and "lesbian' became my freedom word so I keep reminding people everywhere that "yes, you do know a lesbian; you know me; hello!" As I left Idaho, I 'came out' publicly through an 8" by 11" item on the editorial page so all those people whom I had met through work and life would know they really did know a lesbian so it was time to quit fearing gay folks. That's why I keep 'lesbian' in my handle. The good part of that is by having it here, many gay folks or family and friends of gay men and women, here at Writing.com, have called on me for some counseling advice as they chose to either 'come out' or to treat a friend or family member 'out as gay' in the best way possible OR they needed me to know they were no longer angry as they once had been toward a gay family member. So, I still have a chance to make this world a better place while here at Writing.com. As I look forward to the remainder of my tenth year as a member of Writing.com, I know I will make new friends, enter more contests, write more poems and stories and maybe another novel, write more reviews, and more. I know this will be another wonderful year with old friends and new friends at this Wonderful World of Writers. Thank you, my friends, for all you've done to make some lonesome days of my seventies, happier that I had ever believed would happen. I'm counting on many more years sharing this home with you, my WDC friends; with special gratitude to The StoryMaster  and The StoryMistress  .ANN |
| DAY 1202 February 29, 2016 Happy Leap Day! Prompt: Write a story or poem about Leap Day. February 29 A maiden rejoiced one happy day when the twenty-ninth of February arrived one early morn. Leap Year meant love would come to her heart as it had for others whom she knew with a wedding in store for the few. Legends of olde trusted those days for a Leap Year granted love to all young maidens waiting with hope, could trust the gods of romance to send for their hearts, a prince of a man with open heart to ask for marriage to him, perchance she desired his love, romance. All maidens of the time gone by never doubted and were never shy, anxious for love, would never cry. With joy, excitement, kiss the guy, blessed at Leap Year, head held high. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" DAY 723 February 29, 2016 Prompt: Happy February 29! What does ‘leap year’ mean to you and, what do you think are the positives and negatives of being in one? Leap Year does not have the emphasis now as it did in the 1950's when it was a day to celebrate. To me, the amazing aspect of Leap Year, February 29, is that it happens at all because it gives us one more day in Leap Years to live, to love, to enjoy life one extra day, not 365 days but 366. That's amazing. There are no negatives, just one extra day that year. We no longer are fed television ads emphasizing Leap Year like we did back then. I have not seen a single television advertisement encouraging 'shop February 29' as if it is magical, no emphasis socially on getting married or being born on "Leap Day". The words "Leap Day" I have never even heard until 2016 as a new word/phrase in the English language. Once more, I say, 'Give me the good old days when magic seemed to be a gift' and people talked and celebrated and married and celebrated February 29. Ann |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" DAY 716 February 22, 2016 Prompt: What has surprised you the most about your life or life in general? Good question. What has surprised me about my life, or life in general? This allows me to consider the turning points in my 77 years of life. Those turning points each changed my future, and I'm thankful those times came. My early years in rural Oklahoma before 1951 limited my life to hard work, no college, and I even question whether I would ever have been happy because I would never have had the chance to meet my potential. So, the day my father told us we were moving to California, and a later day when he told friends, "I'm glad we've moved here; it means the kids can go to college if they so desire." Dad always wished he could have gone to college; he was a very intelligent man. He didn't know his decision had also rescued me from being around the old toothless great uncle who had abused my body. I did go to college and eventually acquired my Masters Degree. Marriage was a turning point for me also. Although knowing my loving heart was somehow different, I decided to go ahead and marry the man who had chased me for four years; later Dad was to tell me he knew I couldn't stay with him if he ever hurt me. Dad was right because after the husband penned me down with his knees, strangling the air from me, I did divorce him. I was wrong to have waited until the third time he did that. Later my children let me know they had heard those fights and were glad for the divorce. My three children were the best part of that sixteen year marriage. When I turned sixty and had raised my three children and a grandson...because his father my son was serving in USAF....I moved from Idaho to Portland, Oregon, to 'come out' as the lesbian I had known my heart was. I met Molly and we've been together seventeen years. Being whom I knew in my heart, living my true life, has been a great blessing as my children and grandson know. Before that divorce, I had been a faithful loyal church member and Christian but I gave all that up. I had lost all respect for ministers/pastors/church leaders and knew I would never be led by them or their interpretation of the Bible ever again. THAT IS THE SURPRISE OF MY LIFE because prior to that I would have stayed in church. Today, I don't even have a trace of belief in the Bible stories, yes the stories written for those willing to be led because a parent or someone said 'believe it' for I find all religions are built on books written by ordinary men desiring to have power over the masses, over the actions of other people. All that is created, I now believe, just happened by all those chemicals floating somewhere, eventually evolving into life as we know it on the earth and in the darkness of space. Of course, my mother would turn over in her grave if she read this paragraph while my dad would reach out, pat me on the shoulder, and smile that I quit letting others lead me around with a book which men wrote. After all, I am a writer and understand how and why we write, sometimes to entertain, sometimes to influence. I realize that every experience in my life has led me to this moment and I am happy with whom I have become because of all those experiences. I enjoy each day, mostly with enthusiasm; no enthusiasm when 'age' causes health problems, but total joy about life all the other times, that's most of times.  |
| Do you ever play board games? If you do which one is your favorite? Do you think there will come a time when board games will vanish in favor of electronic versions on computers, phones, etc. No, I do not believe computer games will replace board games. This recent New Years Eve, I was at a celebration party, mostly folks in their thirties, and board gaming was the recreation activity. If it had only been senior citizens, I might believe differently but as long as young adults of each decade still play board games, they will still be sold in stores and played among groups who gather for fun. With board games, there is room for interactions between all parties; no single person is absent from interactions because a person using the computer can't do both play the computer and interact without distraction from the interaction, conversation and laughter. Computer games will work well for a duo of two taking turns at the computer game, but not for six or eight people enjoying each other more than the game's focus. Teenagers and college social interactions of two have a ball with computer game but three adult couples sharing an evening for fun will always desire to be at a table together, looking each other in the eye, all sharing the same event of the game by interacting, even halting the play for conversational moments, challenging all parties at the table rather than losing one or two at a time while they focus on the game. I'm remember those Friday nights as a kid under age thirteen, my parents and two or three other sets of parents, playing their favorite card game late into the night with coffee to drink; all us kids, often ten playing together outdoors.........and the paired up 'middle agers' hiding in the dark "pitching woo."  (Being a lesbian even at that age, they could never get me or my friend Joanne to hook up with the two boys our age; just not interested in the boys, and often there was a boy my age whom my siblings and his would try to get us to hide in the dark "pitching woo." So Howard and I or Joel and I would sit on the porch playing a card game or chatting. Of course, I did not know then anything at all about lesbians and gay guysand now I wonder which of those kids (Joanne, Howard, Joel) were like me.So many electronic means have already stopped interactions with other folks present in the room, on the bus, in the coffee room, at the dinner table, sitting around the room watching television,around the game table AND laughing or commenting about the group interest; not so when electronic item, phone or computer or game is going on.. Too often the focus of one at a time, maybe three in the room, and nobody is paying attention to the others, good manners totally lost because of that focus on the electronic toy. Sure, at work an individual is supposed to focus on the work, usually on the computer. Reasonable manners are being lost because the phone is the focus, rudeness prevails, no apology even, when the phone rings and is answered.......so very rude, and that's what youths are doing, so are sitcom characters on television, the person in the front seat of the car; ignoring other people present to interact with is becoming "the norm" and I find that sad. I'd love to have a half dozen friends playing Monopoly through a fun evening, or see kids playing a game of marbles in the yard or a board game on the living room floor, sitting in a circle challenging each other. That rather than focusing on an electronic TOY playing solitarily, rudely. Call me old fashioned, but I know what they are missing. Do kids know how to play Hide and Seek anymore? Not a board game but worlds of fun like we loved to play outdoors at night while our parents played cards in rural Oklahoma .ann |
| Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" DAY 709 February 15, 2016 Prompt: What do you think unconditional love is, and how would you act if you loved yourself unconditionally? "I love you, BUT...." is not UNconditional love. The words used so often, even by parents and siblings, prove they only love IF.....as they prove they don't really love and are telling a bold-faced lie, they are liars because they do NOT love whoever or whatever they refer to. It's the biggest lie, such liars tell children. I cringe whenever I hear such CONDITIONAL statements to precious children. I laugh at the liar's face whenever such BUTs are spoken, whether by politicians one to another as we are hearing from today's Republican candidates for the Presidency of the United States. I find it very sad that too many people can look in the mirror and tell their own heart "I love you, BUT...." because they have such low self esteem, usually caused by critical parents who raised them. I know how that affects a child for decades in the same life as an adult who lives in fear of accomplishing personal goals. My mother was a Christian woman who was extremely critical of three of her children; only the son who became an alcoholic, wife batterer, and worse, did NOT receive her constant criticism. I was seriously affected by her personal criticism until in my fifties when I finally got counseling which helped me to understand and know myself and my strengths and goodness, instead of constantly trying to "PLEASE MY MOTHER" by demanding perfection within myself even though I had an extremely successful professional career, raised three wonderful children to respect and be proud of themselves 'exactly as they are' and never did anything or was anything I could not be proud of. I do unconditionally love who I am, how I am, what I do, and that is why at age 77 I know I am and have always been a good person, and it's why I am strong within every way, have no reason to ever 'put shame' on who I am or whom I have always been. I know I am a good person, an honest and respectful woman, and I continue to live by the ideals I set for myself long ago. In my career, my life as a mother, friend, citizen, neighbor, employee, WDC member, I have reached every goal which I set for myself in my life's circumstances. When I look in the mirror, I can acknowledge my mistakes, apologize to myself for those years I believed my mother's stupid criticism, or those of a certain Catholic nun who fired me with an absolute lie, those who show hatred at me and other gay people of the world; Instead I tell myself, "Ann, I'm proud of you, all that you have accomplished through life, and I forgive you for your mistakes and regrets. Self forgiveness is extremely important as part of UNconditional loving yourself. After all, every person has regrets for something. Self forgiveness means forgiving the regrets, the mistakes, AND still loving who you are, how you are, all that you are. It's perfectly fine, even wonderful, when you can tell the face in the mirror, "I am proud of who you are, how you are, and what you are doing to make life better for you and for others who meet you on this path of life. When you can do that, you are living life with unconditional love; therefore, you can easily share unconditional love including forgiveness of people around you. I wish every child could, would, receive UNconditional love as they grow up, so they can grow up with pride and joy about who they are. Regrets Guilt or regrets during a life Evidence of truth Virtue acknowledged Good character shown, even in strife Pretense of perfection, character flaw Proven if spoken Evidence of guilt False vanity, as if not breaking a law In every man, moments of doubt, fears, Failure, stumbling, Regretful moments, Enhance a life, even if they bring tears. Life's lessons learned Proven integrity, Virtue earned. |
"Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" DAY 707 February 13, 2016 Roses: What Colour Should You Give and How Many? Tell us about the first time you received roses or gave someone roses? How did you feel? Roses, poses, wipe the children's noses!! Ring around the roses, pocketful of posies, ashes, ashes, all fall down; a children's game based on a pox disease!! Roses, so beautiful. My dear grandmother loved roses and receiving them as gifts on Mother's Day and more. Only thing, she believed in her heart that ONE rose meant "I love you" so my sister would wire Grandmother roses on special day, ordering "A dozen Minus eleven" be sent so Grandmother received on one for "I love you". Her other favorite flower was the orangish gladiolus from the time they were the special flowers she planted on the grave of her precious twelve year old, June; so I have always those gladiolus 'in her honor' in my yard. Any gift of flowers is a precious gift. Roses carry the most meaning for me with red as my favorite. Ann |
| Have you ever gotten involved with someone you shouldn't have had a relationship with? I believe everyone has had the experience of "getting involved with someone" then realized they should never have had that relationship. A few years ago, I befriended a young man the age of my wonderful grandson, age thirty, and something made me believe I could help him get into a better path of life and stay off drugs and stay out of legal trouble. Befriending him when he was lost in his way of life, was a major mistake in my life. One day while I was away from home, he and friends came to my shop and broke into my home. They stole tools including a new hundred dollar electric saw still in the box. They stole a computer, an expensive camera and other things. The police soon arrested them, recovered the camera which never worked properly thereafter, and they went to prison. I learned a major lesson from that experience. Mainly I learned never again to try to help someone who loved their drugs too much to be trusted by decent people. A hard lesson, well learned. ANN |
"Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Day 705 February 11, 2016 Prompt: "Carry out a random act of kindness, with no explanation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you." Do you agree? "Random act of kindness" is something I do often. Just yesterday as I drive by, I saw a man overlooking a large chest, furniture, and he was on his bicycle so I thought, "hmmm, maybe he's found something he would like to have but maybe he has no way to transport it. So I turned around, stopped and ask him if he needed a way to transport it...my pickup truck could do that. Turned out, he was the one who was placing it there. I smiled and said, "just know you met a nice lady who would have helped you if you wanted to transport it." He smiled, and I drove on to my destination. It never hurts to stop and offer a kindness. It's a normal thing for me even if nobody ever offers a helping hand to me. My only motive is 'to be of help' not some future reward. Doing good has its own reward, deep within the self. Just being kind has its own reward for me so it's natural to help someone when it is within my abilities to help. I know this can sound egotistical, but it is truly how I feel and what I do, naturally. ANN |
| "Blogging Circle of Friends " DAY 1182 February 9, 2016 Do you have a passion for learning? Do you feel like you are constantly trying to learn new things? Share with us some things you have recently learned. Do I have a passion for learning? Does a baby need to breathe? Does an old lady need to go? Does a teenager need to spend his allowance? Yes, resoundingly. From childhood to aging years, I've thrived on learning something new, studying, reading, thinking, seeking.........what do I not know now? What can I learn today? Where can I learn it? Read the paper, grab a book, watch Public Broadcasting Channel. Google about what I don't know. Listen to my son! In every conversation with my son, I learn something new, and ask questions to learn more deeply since just a hint of something new is never enough for me. In the last month I've read three historical novels, over 2,000 pages, not because of the characters but because of the historical knowledge offered by writers of classics. Every time PBS television or other channels offer programs about something I know nothing about, something I know some things about, or bringing me up to date on something that's happening in the world, I HAVE TO WATCH AND LEARN. I recently learned details about historical doctoring, medical care, battlefield medical care in America's Civil War and how gruesome it was for the doctors and worse for the patients when no pain medication except whiskey was available. The Author of Shaman, Noah Gordon, conducted deep historical research to be sure the history was true as he wrote about the physician's role in war and Early American life. I learned about the political and warring history of Rome in the days preceding Julius Ceasar in The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough, one of my favorite authors, whose research was in depth and the fictional characters were politically real. Now I am learning about the early nineteenth century Russia as I read Dr. ZHIVAGO by Boris Pasternak. The romantic novel is a good storyline for the novel, but the history of the rise of Communist Russia is the essence of the story. Learning once, then learning deeper, about any subject is always a desire of my mind, has always been, always will be. When I quit thirsting for learning new things and becoming up to date, I'll be dead. ANN |
| Prompt: Write a story or poem about a good and/or bad case of the Mondays. Be creative. Have fun. Mondays Only on Mondays are the dishes washed, the bugs all dead, so I have nothing to dread for six more days when the sun shines or the rains fall, as I laugh and have a ball. The prompt is : I love cooking and I will admit there have been some fiasco's. Knock my socks off with the best fiasco you've created, or been a witness too! Don't forget if you are participating in the 50/50 post those hard earned gps with your entry! OMG! No way can I remember all the days I've been cooking. At the age of twelve, my mother began to work as a store clerk so I became the cook for my family of six. Surely I had some bad situations over the stove because one really bad one is trying to find its way through my 77 years of memory. It's a hazy memory including smoke in the kitchen, but too hazy to recall. On the other hand, last week I made a great meatloaf, put it into the over, turned two timers on, then went into the living room to spend some time at writing.com. Well, I was so focused on my writing here that I lost track of time and did not hear either timer nor did I smell the very black, charred meatloaf that even the cat would not eat. That was last week and about as far back as my memory remembers. Ann PS, I sent a tens of thousands of gps last week, I do remember, so I would not have to try to remember to post gps here, so I have prepaid for this 50/50 blog challenge. ANN |
The 'religious nuts' live in a world all their own, blindly disagreeing with evidence of science and other truths about this world and humanity. Those raised from infancy to believe ridiculous interpretations of the Bible, changing decade by decade, never based on truth proven by scientists. Of course, I know their minds, even their hearts, always trusting the pulpits to tell them the truth while ignoring or damning scientific truths. I know because I spent my early years under their tutelage. Once I turned away, first by doubts then by evidence, I have to laugh at their ignorance, ignorance chosen for deception such as heard, give them some peace of mind. Ignorance chosen is such foolishness. Every scientist who has looked at the environment which humans have changed to the present by human foolishness, knows there is danger because humans have taken, taken, stolen from their heirs of tomorrow. The way humans have lived, especially since finding oil and its properties which have made life better by providing warmth, transportation, electricity, technology. Humans use of oil, and other natural properties of the earth, are definitely changing the environment which, in turn, changes the atmosphere, dramatically reducing the future of life on the planet. This past year there has been more proof that humans are, in fact, destroying our home, the only planet where we've proven we can survive. Future years will prove to be even warmer than 2015. Even the Chinese now suffer because they have done less than the rest of the world to protect earth's environment; they can hardly breath the air their pollution has caused, wearing masks, staying indoors, becoming ill due to the air pollution. Now even they know the magnitude of what they have done. Is it too late? Will humans learn and change their ways? I doubt it. How many future generations will survive the pollution of the past 150 years? Will they make the changes called for in the next century or will they just continue what humans have done during the recent century? The religious groups will not change for they have that 'glorious heaven' that takes away their responsibility for this earth. The real question is whether science and human attitudes along with human practices, be willing and able to make the required changes for the earth's survival. Cinn & Charlie , I don't blame you for being so angry, knowing the denials and those who shout their denials, are not worth the bother of those of us who understand the value of scientists. I'm angry too!! |
| "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" AY 687 January 23, 2016 Think about these three things ... Play, Passion and Purpose In my life, where do I play? What am I passionate about? What is my purpose? Are there any commonalities among these areas? What do you answers tell you about your intrinsic motivation? Play, passion and purpose together determine the value of a life, I believe. In every life there needs to be play, enjoyment with delight and laughter. There must be passion, a zeal for life and all elements making it possible to reach beyond oneself. Purpose must enter a life even during childhood so there's a goal to strive to complete in the years given the life. Play includes childhood enjoyment. Children living in fear within their home can never find true enjoyment through the remainder of their lives for they will always fear change, their environment, the world in which they spend their adult years. Fear in the childhood home prevents a child from believing in themselves. At the same time, such children fear being themselves, as they hide deep within their psyche, daring no amusement, no enjoyment on the playground with other children, for their sense of self does not allow them to feel joy, happiness, glee, laughter, interactions with other people for fear of criticism and abuse. The children living in a home where trust and love is evident can enjoy play, entertainment, and what it means to enjoy life without fear. I remember play in my childhood at home with parents and siblings, alone doing what I enjoyed as I observed nature, reading, school activities and those times when I was free to laugh, run, read, sports, and simple games with friends whether playing the girl's game of Jacks, sports like softball or laughing with friends on the school merryoground. To play is to feel free at every age to be happy, funny, delighted, all the wonderful joyful times whether alone or with friends and family. Passion is more than emotions for it is having intrinsic goals and plans which are important and lead a person to develop fully during the adolescent years, adulthood and especially in the aging years. The energy driving a person to always move forward reaching goals both mini-sized or major goals which require study and focus to reach. Passion in finding and experiencing love is the primary human condition that drives the heart, the intelligence, all that a human is. Passion is the emotional energy which drives humans to set highest goals then push forward day by day to exceed those goals. That passion has driven me for my seventy-seven years and still gives me a reason to get out of bed each morning with energy and joy, to become the person I am today, to reach and exceed every goal I remember setting before myself. Raised in poverty during World War II, not much seemed to be available to me. I had no thought of going to college, just expected the same hard life of my mother but my father moved us from a poor rural life to California when I was just thirteen. California was a forward moving environment where all things became possible. I remember the day I overheard my father tell a friend, "By moving here to Modesto, California, my kids can have better lives. With a college here, they can go to college if they want to; something that was not available to them in Oklahoma." I heard him say that, and in that moment, my heart was filled with passion like I had never known before. Suddenly, I knew I could go to college and have some amazing opportunities. Purpose is critical to a life for it gives each person who has that internal power to dream and to make those dreams come true. Like with the college dream, I knew it could happen and could change my life. That alone made a difference in the goals I could make and could reach. I continued decade after decade seeing possibilities that led me to set new goals and make them real. After marriage, children and wonderful years of employment, and when the spouse turned angry and hurtful, I went my own path raising my children, then in my fifties going back to college, and in my seventies studied 'writing' and became a successful writer, and now I plan my eighties will be the years I study art and become an artist. Without living purposefully, setting and reaching goals, I know my life would have been drab. I have lived my dreams because I had a purpose for living and for adding good things to the world around me. Yes, Play, Passion and Purpose are necessary to live a life from deep within the spirit and to become more than might be otherwise. They have made me who I am today, late in life yet I've loved living so well, I just wish I could start over again, say about thirty years of age, and do it all over again. Life is a gift and these three elements make that gift the best it can be. ANN |
| Sent to members of "30-Day Bloggers Group" January 15th Prompt. On this day in 1913, the first telephone line between Berlin and New York was inaugurated. Are phones a necessary evil? Could you get by without one for a month? Of course I could get by without a phone for a month or forever. I grew up in the days when few people outside of cities and towns had phones so nobody really depended on having one. I would be glad for there to be no phones (except for on used for EMergencies ONLY) so people would communicate again. Today, those with cellphones on their person ignore everyone around them while focusing on the phone in their hand or pocket or earpiece. It's so unmannerly and inconsiderate whether in homes, markets, on trains or wherever. Rudeness has become the primary public attitude; so very sad. If telephones were not around, people would write letters again, putting themselves in touch on purpose, not just because they have a ring, buzzer, music or whatever tone their cell phones have. Children, adults included, might send a post card or birthday card or even a letter written with love, to their parents and grandparents and grandchildren. People might talk to each other face to face once again. Dear God, eliminate all those phones across the world and let people learn what real communication means once again. What a wonderful world it would be without telephones to cause such habitual rudeness, neglect of family, and all the impersonal ways people with phones on their person treat other people. Ann ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::BLOGGING CIRCLE OF FRRIENDS January 15, 2016 If you could sit down with any outlaw or criminal, (past or Present) who would it be? Why? What would you ask them? I would talk to any child molester/rapist who killed the child and ask him why didn't he commit suicide once he knew he wanted to rape and destroy precious children. Then I would tell him to go rape himself and kill himself the ugliest way possible. This world needs to round all of them up and put them in a prison for the rest of their life so we can protect the children of the world. |
| January 13, 2016 Prompt: "Tire tracks in the desert sand." Write a story or poem using these words somewhere within it. Be creative and have fun. Old Western Days Western skies thundering, dark clouds cascading into storm desert sand darkening, visibility dim, an army of horses racing one early morn. Riders with blazing guns, silenced then falling down, leaving blood paths everywhere. Screaming warriors ride through town shouting death to all they see. Arrows piercing, blood released as marshals and friends try to hide. all life drained where arrows ceased. The wars continued all the years across America's conquered land 'Til modern life with inventions and tire tracks in the desert sand covered all signs of early days when "Indian" wars lost by early man as "white man" and reservations ended and the First People lost beloved land. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Day 677 January 13, 2016 Prompt: "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you." Maya Angelou Do you agree? I agree with everything Maya Angelou has ever said or written!! I know from experience "there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you" for I held my worst experience deep inside me until I was forty years of age, a very long time to let that horror cause my suffering. Once I learned how in counseling to take that horror from inside me and tell it to others, was I finally freed bit by bit gradually over the next years through counseling and self-application leading to being finally free. That is why I studied in my fifties to have a Masters in Counseling so I could help others who came to me desiring help in letting go of the 'untold story' and the 'agony' suffered. I know just how true the statement is. ANN |
| January 9th, 2016 blog city "Books affect us in profound ways, don't you agree? Tell us about a book that struck a chord with you, was it in a good way or a not so good way? Definitely, books can do far more than 'strike a chord' for those of us who lov to read know how often we have been filled with emotion during the reading or at the end; some authors have an amazing way of reaching deep into the heart of the reader, to something important, then encourage the reader to take a stand, to have a response, to be human emotionally. We know that historically, Thomas Paine wrote a book that led to major changes in the American colonies. Who didn't cry when reading "Little Women" or sorrow with "Doctor Zhivago" as Lara was lost to him twice? Perhaps as children, "Dick and Jane" and their adventures, influenced our days of play; or reading "The Bobsey Twins" gave us an appreciation of what a happy family was like; yes that is how the Bobsey Twins affected my childhood thoughts because my own home was not nearly as happy because my young father loved his alcohol and other women so he made Christmas Eve unhappy too often and so many evenings of anger and fighting...........so I could pretend the lovely home of the Bobsey Twins was a reality in my dreams and hopes for future days and nights and celebrations. Recently I read a book, and at the close I sat in silence for several minutes, thinking through the value of the story to my own life; asking what I had learned through the emotions of the character whom the author created, could make my own life better. Profound responses to books can add good and positive things to our lives. Entitled "The Unfinshed Life" had an influence on my life. I look around my room this moment and see more than 300 books right here; I've read 90% of them, some more than once, some I am planning to read again, and a few I haven't read yet even though I've owned them for a long time. I have three children over forty yrs of age, all three hoping, planning to 'get Mom's books when she's gone"...............I think its wonderful to have raised three children who love reading books even as children reading on their own, not just what a school teacher required. I believe books have influenced them all their lives. And, you have to admit, The Bible with its many 'books' still "strike a chord" with millions of every generation. ann ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; "Blogging Circle of Friends " Day 1151 January 9, 2016 Prompt: Write a goodbye letter to an object you've lost. |
| > Every year has it's highs and it's lows, what was the best and > the worst of 2015? 2015, another year of life with many joys as well as the unjoyful. I prefer to dwell on the best. That's what keeps this life worth living The best: This past year I met two lovely women; one with physical beauty so wonderful and outgoing personality who adopted me as her new friend. In response to meeting her, I feel totally romantically in love with her, a truly overwhelming physical-emotional feeling like walking on air in great love. Our friendship continues and will grow for as long as I do not tell her of the romantically feelings of love. We'll see each other often. The better best: just last evening I sat at a table next to the most beautiful woman I have seen in all of my life. Her dark hair clipped extremely short not intruding with the perfection of her eyes dark brown framed with amazing design drawing me in, her lips so perfectly formed, her smile so genuinely radiant with glorious dimples when she smiled and her perfect skin tone so heavenly. In addition was her genuinely sweet personality for she saw I was sitting alone at the dramatic stage production so she drew my chair next to herself, welcoming me with a smile. Later a New Years' Hug and greetings. Youthful beauty melds with my soul so I enjoy perfection once more. |
| Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Day 649 December 16, 2015 Prompt: "Live in such a way that if anyone should speak badly of you, no one would believe it." Audrey Hepburn Do you agree? What a wonderful thought. I loved Audrey Hepburn in every movie as a young teenager to her elder years. I love what she said. That is how I have lived my life. There are three people through my life who would say bad things about me, but none of the others who have known me for over seventy years would believe those three. Heck, I've written about their horrible meanness against me in poetry; the poetry of villans We have so few years to do something in this world and the better way is through understanding, kindness and treating others like we ourselves would like to be treated. Sometimes we run into someone who tries to use us for their own ends and when their tactics backfire, they turn against us. On the other hand, the good lives on beyond us. If we helped a child find a good life's path, we met with elderlies and encouraged them during their last days, we were gentle to children and all others even when needing to disagree with a word or action, we will be remembered kindly. That is how I have tried to live. Occasionally we meet a jealous or angry person who may then say something bad but what they don't see are all the fingers pointing back at them from the many whom they have hurt with their jealousy or anger. On the other hand, when we have left behind us a path which helped others, given joy or sought peace, nothing the angry jealous few will say will even be heard over the din of approvals. I'm not worried; my life and reputation are in tact, in peace. Ann :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: DAY 1127: December 15, 2015 Prompt: Write a poem, story, or something using the following words: angel, tease, shivering, hamburger, satisfy, loud, pancake, study. Little boys love pancakes Little girls love hamburgers Moms love their little angels Everyone loves something or someone, especially those who love to tease and shout out loud whether they study or not, or shiver so much they're tied in a knot. I prefer little angels and grandmothers too, for their behavior satisfies me and you, while the exceptions are angry women and silly old men, and terrible men wanting to get rid of their semen. I used all the words; some as terrible as turds. |
| of "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" DAY 648 December 15, 2015 Prompt: Do you prescribe to the idea that everything imaginable is a skill that can be learned or do you think there are exceptions to that rule? Skills must be learned, talent comes naturally, I believe. Even talents must be developed with work and practice. I believe every skill can be learned but a talented natural musician would learn more easily how to play a harp, but an untalented person like mewould take a long time to learn to play a harp. Talents with a voice for singing might never be learned by an untalented musically person like me; I have so often wished "I could sing" and I try hard to learn but my voice is between soprano and alto and my sense of musical keys/notes is dismal. For two weeks now I've been trying to learn a new wonderful poem I recorded when "Celtic Woman, Destiny" was on PBS. I so very much want to learn and sing that song, have written down the words, played the recording dozens of times but I keep being far too off key and off rhythm, I 'll never learn it................but sense poetry is right down my line, I intend to fully memorize the words to that song/poem so I can repeat them whenever I wish. The name of the song I "Walk Beside ME' as a song of friendship love; it is so beautiful and the Celtic woman who sang had the most amazing voice....high soprano. Personal motivation is required to learn a skill that a person must have in order to learn a skill that might be very hard to learn. With strong motivation, every aspect of any skill can be accomplished. I wanted to learn to be a personal counselor, so in my fifties, I went to college earning my Masters Degree; If I wanted to be a welder today, I could get the training and learn that skill. hmmmmm, maybe I should do that............at 77, what a laugh. Of course this ole gal plans to live to 107 so I have enough years to learn any new skill and even develop skill for a talent; music classes as I turn eighty? When I turn 80, I intend to take a community college class to learn painting; then I'll paint as fully as I have written in my seventies, and maybe I'll become "GranMom Moses" to the world Remember I took a writing course at 69 and started writing at 70 so there're real possibilities in my future.ANN |
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