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 |   Talking about life and turning it into ideas for stories and poems. |
It was LostGhost: Seeking & Learning  that inspired me to start a BLOG/PLOG. I constantly have ideas flooding my mind, at least most of the time. However, sometimes I'm like anyone else and suffer from the dreaded writers block. When that happens, I can come back here to a journal of interesting topics and lists of words fit to inspire the worst best poet.Please join me as I blog about life and plog about poetry. It's all combined into one for your inspirational needs. Feel free to use anything as inspiration for yourself. Settle in and stay awhile. Visit with Angelica. Maybe she'll be as demanding awesome with you as she is with me!    My muse is a poetry pixie dressed in pink    My Muse My muse is a poetry pixie dressed in pink Yes, from her inspiring potions I plan to drink Many nights she whispers words of inspiration Until one night I need her and she leaves me in frustration She is a clever little imp, full of spice and sugar Even with her attitude, I’ll keep the little bugger ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **
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Installment seven of "Invalid Item"  - Mummy's BedroomWith my new book and exciting knowledge of the Haunted House, I went down set of stairs leading to the Mummy's Bedroom. I opened the door with stealth like quiet. I thought that maybe I could make it through the room without waking any of the mummies. Apparently, that bit of hopefulness was quickly dashed. There were three sarcophagi in the room. It was a bit creepy when all three lids moved in unison. Hands wrapped in swaths of cloth emerged like a mummified synchronized rising of the dead. All I could do was stand there watching as their heads appeared next. It occurred to me that I should be finding the exit to the room. Why, oh why were the doors so hard to find in this house. Was there some kind of cloaking spell cast over them all? The mummies all came over the side of their cement like graves. Later I would reflect back and wonder how I could have stood there with such intent calm. "Mummies, return to your crypt," I ordered. But to no avail, the mummies continued to come at me. There arms were outstretched as they walked slowly to me. Well, if that order didn't work, let me try another. "Mummies, descent!" That didn't work any better. "Mummies, I demand you to stop and return to your resting place." To my amazement, that worked much better than the other commands. The mummies rescinded, and again in synchronized accuracy, rolled back into their sarcophagi. Now it was time to find the door. "Open the door to the lab," and again, my command worked. What an awesome display! I entered the room, and was instantly sorry I hadn't stayed where I was. |
| Installment six of "Invalid Item" - Sorcerers Library I woke up feeling refreshed and recharged. I thanked the monsters for allowing me the rest, and they pointed me to another secret passage. It was a set of steps that wound upwards in a tight spiraling circle. I felt sure I was going up to the tower area of the house. I had seen it from outside, but I didn't realize how high it was until I climbed all those stairs. When I reached the top, I was surprised to find a circular room with the walls covered in shelves. They extended all the way to the ceiling, and I wondered how someone was able to get to all those books. There was a lone chair in the middle of the room, and nothing else. I looked around at some of the titles that were eye level. There was a book on weather magic, and I tried to pull it out, but lightening shot out and shocked me. I jumped back and decided I better just look and not touch. With my hands safely behind me, I continued to peruse the titles around the room. There were books on dark magic, light magic, nature magic, and deadly magic. "I wish there was a book on how to get out of this house," I muttered. I had barely said the words when a book came flying at me like a piece of metal to a high powered magnet. I opened it up, and it was a map of the house! It explained the function of each room, and what I could expect when I entered it. Wow! I wish I had found this room first. I spent a little more time looking at the books, then decided to sit and study the book about the house. According to the map, I had three more rooms to explore before I could find my out. After a couple hours, I felt like I was ready to go. |
| Installment five of "Invalid Item" - Monster's Living Room Since Draco carried the candle, I decided to follow him so I could see where I was going. There were three sets of stairs that we could take, but he took the one in the middle. When I asked where we were going, he just laughed a throaty laugh. "Mwhaahahaha You shall see my Darling, you shall see." It was slightly frightening to follow behind this man. I felt sure he was a vampire, but was too scared to ask. After all, he was pasty white with bright red lips and coal black eyes, and he had fangs. I didn't want to draw attention to this. He could probably smell my fear. Hopefully he could 't read my mind! We entered the room through a trap door in the floor. I was surprised to see that it looked somewhat more normal than any of the other rooms I had visited thus far. Although the colors were a little garish, the sofa looked comfy, and had a fur like quality about it. There were three other chairs with similar textures and a variety of different colors. At last I felt as though I could sit down and rest. Draco took my hand and led me to the purple sofa. He sat his candle down on an end table and scooted up close to me. "Now, my darling," he cooed in my ear, "isn't this cozy?" He began licking my earlobe and kissing my neck which made me decidedly uncomfortable. "Ummm... you smell so delicious my darling." I jumped up off that sofa so fast Draco didn't know what hit him. I turned around to tell him I didn't appreciate his impertinence, but he was gone. I sat back down on the sofa and ran my hands through my long curly brown hair. My breathing was beginning to slow, and I was getting my wits about me, when a hand reach up and patted me on the shoulder. "There, there, Draco is gone. Don't worry about that old bat!" I looked back to see who was patting me and talking, and it was the sofa! I searched around the room and saw them now. A total of four sets of eyes looked back at me. So, the couch and three chairs were all alive. "Don't worry. We aren't mean monsters, the chairs chimed in. But people get too upset when they see us, so we pretend to be the furniture." All of the monsters were talking at once. "Okay, if y'all are nice, then what was Draco doing?" she cringed. She certainly felt silly talking to the furniture. "Oh, Draco is bad. He isn't around human blood very often, so you'll need to watch out for him." "I need to get out of here. My car ran out of gas, and my cell phone has no reception. Can you tell me where to find the exit?" She looked around again. This house had a knack for hiding the doorways. "We have no idea," said the blue chair. "We just stay in this living room all day every day until someone visits," added the yellow chair. "I'm so tired. Are you sure you won't hurt me if I rest a bit?" I continued. "I will keep you safe from Draco as long as you are between my arms," decreed the sofa. I was so tired at this point, that I felt the need to trust the sofa. I laid back against the furry softness and promptly fell asleep. |
| Installment #4 of "Invalid Item" - Dracula Family Crypt I fell through a dark tunnel that seemed to wind itself around the house. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at one time. The adrenaline was pumping. What would I find if I ever landed at the bottom? I wondered as I landed with a giant *thud* into a pile of rags. Why would someone have a pile of rags at the bottom of the trap door? The fear began to envelope the excitement when I looked up. The casket was mahogany wood with intricate inlays and carvings. It was accented with gold trim. And though seeing a casket in the basement of this house had me a little freaked out, it was nothing compared to the squeaking noise I heard coming from inside the box.The room was small, and there was no place to hide. There was no way I was going to open up the casket to see what was inside. I mean, really? It would be too cliche` for it to be a bat. Right? I was thinking about the whole vampire and Dracula thing when the lid began to slide open. Dread filled my chest and felt along the walls. This house was full of secret compartments, passage ways, and doors. I had to find a way out. There was no way I wanted to be stuck down here with a blood sucking demon. The lid continued to move and my heart beat so loud I couldn't hear myself think. Could I go back up the way I came? Very unlikely. I sat down against the cold cement wall and buried my hands. I felt utterly defeated. All I wanted to do was use the phone. I just needed to get my car going again. By now the lid was most of the way open, and I saw a white hand push it off the casket. "Hello, my Darling," the deep male voice said. His head appeared first, but the rest of him followed as he climbed out of the box. "Wwwho are you?" I asked the man. He had slicked back black hair with ghostly white complexion. . If i didn't know any better, I'd say he was one of the undead. His golden brown eyes glowed in the darkened room of the basement. "I am Draco, and I heard you coming down the chute. I thought you may need some help getting out of here." He smiled and his fangs hung over his dark red lips that looked as though they been stained with blood. "I checked the walls and there is no way out. I don't know how you could help me," she exclaimed. "I happen to have a little secret, my Darling. Come! Look inside the casket." With trepidation, I walked over to the casket, and I was surprised to see a set of stairs that went a few steps down and stopped in some kind of underground meeting place. |
| The third installment of "Invalid Item" - Skeleton Dining Room I stumbled into the dining room after I heard the voice. I didn't yet know if I was dealing with an apparition or a witch. However, I was sure I was in trouble. The dining room was dark, and it's walls were made of gray brick that looked like it had never been cleaned. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling in varying lengths and widths. Some were older and some were new. After my incident in the foyer, I watched carefully for spiders, but found none in sight. I breathed a sigh of relief for that small blessing. The table top appeared to be a large grave stone. It was squared off at one end and point at the other end. It was complete with morbid carvings and an even more morbid epitaph. I lived a haunting sure and strong Thought I was safe, but I was wrong So here I lie with no more breath Sure enough I was scare to death I cringed at the thought of the person this represented. But why was the gravestone being used for a table instead of the grave where it belonged? The voice had instructed me to sit at the table, but I couldn't bring myself to sit in the chairs that were provided. The bottoms were wooden stools, but the rest of the chair was made like a sitting skeleton. There was no way I was sitting on a dead person! Before I could further ponder the situation in which I found myself, a plate of food and a goblet of wine appeared on the table. It looked delicious. The silver plate was filled with cheese, grapes, sausage, and chunks of bread. How did it just appear like that? Should I eat it, or could it be poisoned? I was definitely hungry as it had been hours since I stopped to eat. I decided to at least pinch off a piece of bread. It was as soft and fluffy as it looked. After one glorious bite, I couldn't help myself. I continued to eat until the plate and goblet were empty. The right before my eyes, the plate and goblet vanished. I can tell you that I was a little frightened. Then I had a moment of sane thinking. Wouldn't it be awesome if all of our dirty dishes simply disappeared, and then reappeared clean when we needed them. I was beginning to get drowsy, and wondered how late it was. I could see through a doorway that led to the living room. Maybe I could crash on the couch for a little while. I walked toward the doorway, and noticed one of the wall sconces was hanging sideways. I asked the voice if I should fix it, and when I got no answer, I straightened the sconce. The next thing that happened couldn't have scared me more. The floor opened up and swallowed me. |
| This is the second installment of "Invalid Item" . Witches Kitchen In the foyer with the spiders, it was hard to tell if there was a doorway to another room. I felt along the wall and continued killing spiders as I went. Finally, I felt a spot that looked like a wall, but was actually a doorway. I passed through to the other side, and thankfully, none of the spiders followed me. I was creeped out by far, and I stood there with my eyes closed in order to get the feeling of the eight-legged creepy crawlies off my skin. When I opened my eyes, it was to a kitchen like area. The room was in an L shape. As I looked forward, there was fireplace in the corner. A warm fire was glowing a red, blue, and purple color. I had never seen fire like that before. The fire licked the outside of a large black cauldron. I know this sounds cliche, but I had the distinct feeling that this was the witches domain. On the wall to my right were all kind of tools that I didn't recognize, and I had horrible imaginings of what one would do with those. They were not your normal kitchen utensils. Some glowed various shades of yellow and red, while others looked like they could take off body parts. On the wall to the left was a large shelving unit. I cringed when I saw an eyeball still attached to the optic nerve preserved in some type of liquid in a jar. There were many kinds of spices, specimens, liquids, and items with Latin names. I had no idea what these could be used for. Where was the master of this kitchen? Did it belong to the person whose voice I heard earlier? I turned to right with the room, and studied the wall on the right side of the fireplace. Different herbs and plants were hung to dry on pegs that were placed there for that purpose. I also saw some dried frog legs and cringed again. This time, a shiver went up my spine, and I had goosebumps everywhere. I heard a large "whoosh" at the fireplace, and heard a loud cackling noise. I sensed rather than saw the witch. I knew she was in the room with me, but she wouldn't make her presence known. I was scared to go back the way I had come, but knew I had to go forward. The counters were covered with bowls, mortar and pestles, spoons, measuring devices, and all sorts of things to prepare potions. I wondered what kind of experiments this witch was conducting. What kind of potions did she make? Did she have one that could get me and my car to the gas station. As I worked up the courage to ask her, she replied before I could even form my question. "Why don't you stay and rest, my dear? Please sit at the table in the dining room, and I will bring you refreshment," the voice said. It was the same voice that bid me to enter the house. |
| Installment #1 of "Invalid Item" It was a crisp sunny October day. I went for a drive through the countryside in order to enjoy the colorful view that only happens this time of year. I took my camera in search of that one special photograph for the season. I made all kinds of twists and turns, following old back roads and one lane dirt tracks. I wasn't worried about getting lost. After all, I had GPS and my cell phone. The one thing I didn't count on was running out of gas before I found my way out. It happened in front of a rickety old fence that surrounded an even more rickety old house. I got out of my car and looked around. When did the sky get dark? I wondered. I looked at my watch and it was only two in the afternoon. It wasn't like it was time for the sun to go down. I walked up to the black, wrought iron fence and pushed the gate open. It took a little doing, but it gave way with a loud creeeeek. Lights shone through the windows, so someone must be home. I shook the chill of the a day off my shoulders and walked up the squeaky wooden stairs to front door. Before I could knock, it opened with the same creek that the gate made. I heard a lady's voice urge me to enter the house. "Do you have a phone I could use?" I called out to the voice. "My cell doesn't have any bars way out here, and I've run out of gas." No one was visible, and no one answered. I heard another long creek and the door shut behind me. The slam brought with it a multitude of spiders from out of the woodwork. I don't have to tell you that spiders give me the creeps. There were brown, black, red, and white spiders, all of different sizes and textures, and they were all coming towards me. I stomped my feet and screamed as loud as I could as I tried to yank the door back open. It was locked and no matter what I tried, I knew I was trapped. I continued to stomp, wave my hands, and scream as I searched for another way out of this room. What kind of place was this anyway? |
I was challenged to do this blog post and forgot all about it!  Nothing like the last minute. It's due in 28 minutes. I am excited about the new group, "Level Up! " . It's awesome to have the support to start putting yourself out there past writing.com. I have submitted to several publications at this point. In fact, I think it's been about ten-ish. I've had three rejections, but Jay's debut novel is out now! is working on a system for us to get rewarded for so many rejections. If we are getting rejections, it just means we are getting that much closer to publication.  When I think about being rejected, I feel like I am in good company. I don't know the exact times they were turned away, but some of the greats are Sylvester Stalone for his screenplay of Rocky, JK Rollings for Harry Potter, and Tyler Perry was homeless and decided to put himself out there and do his play himself. Now we all know how funny Madea is. Within the same context, I am in good company in the group Level Up. Many have gotten rejections, and we know there are some great writers in there. However, some have had acceptances. What an amazing feeling!!! We have several resources listed in the group to help you get started. Jay actually works as a slush reader, and has been giving us some good insight to our comments. I encourage you to join us if you are interested in going to the next level with your writing! I want to take this moment to express my thanks to Jay's debut novel is out now! for starting this group and offering such great encouragement. |
| So, I have decided to get back to blogging. There's been so much going on since early summer, I just got out of the habit. I looked back at some of my blogs from earlier in the year, and I decided I kind of missed it. Here goes... I'm a mom, so I hear at least once a day, probably more, "... but Mom! That's not fair." Then somewhere out of the blue, I hear my mother say through my mouth, "LIFE ISN'T FAIR." There I go again, sounding just like my mother!  Funny how that happens. But it's true, life is just not always fair. I am the epitome of the phrase, "Life isn't fair." Before you think I'm having a pity party, I'm not. I'm going to qualify most of what I say at the bottom of this post. I have many, many cousins. My mom is the youngest of eight kids, and my dad is the fourth in a line of five boys. To say I have many cousins is indeed an understatement. Out of all of my girl cousins, I am the only one I know who grew up as a "fat kid." I say that for lack of a better choice of words. I have one cousin now that's a bit plump, but not like me. Now, you may think this is from my own choices, but I don't believe that completely. Why could they eat all the cookies they wanted, but the adults smacked my hands away? Because I was the chubby one. My cousins were all beautiful. Maybe I just saw it that way, but it seemed so. Maybe a couple of them could just be classified as "cute," but you know what I'm saying. I was told on a regular basis that I would be so pretty if I just lost some weight. It is no wonder I needed counseling as an adult.  Oh, and on a lovely note, all of my cousins, except one who was a step cousin, could have bunches of beautiful babies, and I could have nary a one.Skip to my early twenties where I married a man that I knew I wasn't in love with because I thought it would be my only chance. Ha! Thank God I got out of that one! But not without more dents to my self-esteem. Why would a man go looking outside the home for something he had at home? You know what I'm saying, but trying to keep it rated PG. Skip to my thirties... Where I was suddenly, and I mean without any warning, struck with two auto-immune disorders and severe arthritis. I went from working one day, to literally laying in bed the next day wondering why in the world I was writhing in so much pain. And I know there is no cure for any of what I have... I have had a total knee replacement, two oral surgeries, and shots out the wazoo. I don't think I've ever revealed all this about my life at one time, but I digress. We are talking about fairness. How was any of the above fair? Life isn't fair, and doesn't always play by the rules you think it should. I serve a risen Savior, and have a personal relationship with him. I knew that what the devil meant to harm me, God used for His glory. So, my life as the chubby kid, was still pretty good. I wasn't abused at all, not physically or sexually. My dad drank until I was about one and half, and then quit. My parents didn't party, they didn't do drugs, they were always there for me and my brother. I had plenty of hugs, kisses, and encouragement. When my parents found out how much I loved to play the piano, they paid for lessons at a sacrifice to them. They also paid for me to have voice lessons, but I think that was more for their benefit. I was encouraged in school, and I made good grades. In fact, I was the valedictorian of my graduating class. Not one of my cousins achieved that. Only one cousin could play the piano, and none of them sang. None of my cousins are writers, nor are they jewelry artists. On my dad's side of the family, with the exception of one other family, my cousins all had broken homes. Some were abused, and some were not. So when you compare all that side by side, what does it mean? It means there is a balance. You have your burdens to bear, and I have mine. Going back to the part of not being able to have children, well, most of you know about the joy that are my kids, and God allowed me to adopt them both. They are my babies, and I can't imagine loving a biological child any more. And as for being struck with illness, well... I'm on disability which pays me less than a third of what I was bringing home when I worked. Interpreters make good money, really good money. But what is money compared to the time I have to spend with my kids. As it is, they are growing up way too fast. My son just became a teenager. Lord, please help me! He's 6'3" tall now, and he has these dimples... and the girls are already fighting for his attention. He's just easy going about the whole thing. He cracks me up. Then there is my brilliant nine year old who can't stand for me and her daddy to even look lovey dovey at each other. Of course we exaggerate things then, just to mortify her!And that crazy guy I married, well he's history and I have the most wonderful husband in the world... maybe the universe. He was on disability before me due to a bad car accident which left him with permanent nerve damage in his back. And yet, he takes on so much to help with the kids and the house because most of the time, I am just not able. Is there really fair? I would actually say that life is not fair most of the time. Sometimes I feel like my blessings far outweigh any of the bad. For me life is unfair, but in a good way, not a bad way. I hope that somehow you take a look at my life story here and realize that no matter what happens in life, you can have a positive outlook, and you can have a positive attitude. I want to add one more thing... Without my relationship with Christ, my life has no meaning or purpose. I often hear people say, "What is the meaning of life?" Well, I can answer that, and I'm not some highly spiritual being on another plane of existence. We were put on this earth to give Glory to God as His creation. He is what tips the balance in my favor! |
Well, it's been a few months since Angelica (my muse) and I sat down together to write in my blog. It's not that I don't love to blog, it's just that there are so many other things going on, sometimes I just forget. So, my dear friend Elle - on hiatus  challenged me to write a blog post, and gave me a kick in the.... well, we won't mention that! I've had a busy summer. Can it be time for school to start again? Well, we homeschool and choose when we school, so we are actually starting in about a week. On one hand it doesn't seem like the summer has gotten good and started yet, and on the other it seems it has gone on and on. We ended up spending almost a month at my folks because my grandpa was deathly ill. Unbelievably he has made a full recovery. I can blame that on no one but God!  I'm so happy to see him up walking around when I Skype home. My grandma is going the opposite direction. She's quite a bit older than grandpa, and we think the stress of watching him be so sick has taken it's toll on her. We are getting ready to go spend a week with them. I've always been close to my grandparents, and I'm thankful that they've been a part of my life for so long. My kids seem to have grown along with the weeds this summer. My son, who will be thirteen in two weeks is almost 6'4" tall. And yes, he likes basketball. And yes, he likes football. We missed the opportunity to get him signed up for football this season, but we won't make that mistake again. He will play basketball this winter. My daughter will be nine next week, and is really into shoes and boots. She is so girly, but never misses an opportunity to be outside, either. Her favorite pastime is aggravating her brother, who just rolls his eyes at her. Yes, these are the beautiful children who will be annoying me soon because it will still be pretty out, but they will be stuck inside doing their schoolwork. Why am I doing this, again? Well, the biggest changes have taken place with me. I have lost a total of 30 lbs since the beginning of the year. I kind of leveled off for the summer, but hope to get back on my routine with school starting back. I have a fantastic new doctor who has given me these fabulous new shots!!! I know... right? Fabulous and shots in the same sentence? Well, they do hurt in the beginning, but then something marvelous happens... These are lidocaine shots. They only go skin deep and not into your blood stream, so you need many instead of one. I got over 50 pokes today. Once the soreness wears off, this is what happens: the medicine desensitizes the nerve endings and make it so they don't act all screwy and send crazy messages to my brain about how much pain I am in. They last a good two months, and it is awesome!!! Last time, I went that whole time without being in a flare for more than a day at a time. And it wasn't as bad as normal even then. For the last month since the shots wore off, I remembered how bad my flares could get and how long they could last. It was back to get more miracle shots for me. Okay, I didn't mean to ramble about all that. It was probably way more than you wanted to know. The final thing I must share is a congrats to some fine friends who were promoted to MODs (you know those scary blue cased people) tonight. Special congrats to.... Elle - on hiatus Mandy  PatrickB I know others were promoted, but these are the ones I'm close to.... Don't worry, I sent out a special treat for all of them!!! Sincerely, Me |
| Prompt: What treasures do you display inside your home? When I look around, I see the typical pictures and whatnots. But are these really my "treasures?" No, they are pretty and decorate my walls nicely, but there is something far more valuable hung on the walls, the fridge, and bookshelves in my home. If you have kept up with me, you know I homeschool my kids. Now to some people, that would conjure up images of little socialization, no opportunities, poor education, etc. If you ever met my kids, you would change your mind. My kids are bright, energetic, intelligent, social, and we give them many opportunities to experiment, learn, and put themselves out there. My daughter has been taking painting classes since she was five (she is now eight), and her art teacher is phenomenal. I'll have to upload some pics when I get a phone that actually works. Anyway, these are part of my treasures.Both my son and daughter have taken Tae Kwon Do for a year, and would still be in it if it wasn't so far away, and gas wasn't so expensive. Anyway, they both have upped their belts a couple times and won trophies in a tournament. These are some more treasures. My daughter has been a beauty queen in a few pageants, and she has won crowns, sashes, and trophies. These are some more of my treasures. Then there are the cards that the kids make me without anyone telling them to. I love these, and have some taped up on the wall, and some near my chair. They are very special treasures, indeed! Maybe they don't mean anything to you. Maybe they aren't worth any money (well maybe 1 or 2 of the crowns), but to me they are priceless. I love to see my children do things they love, and succeed or fail, I want them to have a wonderful time. They are young, so I expect my house will continue to be filled with such treasures.  |
| DAY 57 - April 29, 2014: What's the thing you're most scared to do? What would it take to get you to do it? This is no joke. I can't do anything where I think there is a possibility of falling. It's to the point that I have anxiety attacks when I'm asked to do certain exercises or when I walk across a perceived slippery floor in my house. This fear keeps me from doing many things that I really want to do. Anxiety and panic attacks can be overwhelming. Read: "Invalid Item" I guess that's why I'm addicted to being online. No chance of falling when I'm safe in my recliner. See post "Invalid Entry" . I mean, I have a reason to be this way. It seems that I have fallen more than my share in recent years. A couple of those times sent me to the ER. But now I have had a knee replacement and I need one in the other knee, I also have arthritis in my hips. Falling could pose potential problems. Does anyone else have this much fear, though? I looked it up, and it is called... "Basophobia" or "Basiphobia" These fears are associated with the inability to stand, but I don't have that part of it. I just have the fear as described above. Okay, I'm done talking about this one for now.  |
| DAY 56 - April 28, 2014: If you could post only one more blog entry FOREVER, what would you say? I am an awful sinner. A Savior died in my place. Though I was undeserving, I've been saved by amazing grace. This is the greatest story ever known, written or told. It's my pleasure to tell it, for His love has made me bold. |
| Prompt: How much time do you spend on the internet on an average day? Do you think it's too much? Let me just start out this prompt by ... I can already tell you that I spend too much time everyday on the internet, but in my defense, I don't spend a lot of that time just playing. So, many of you may know that I am not extremely mobile. I have arthritis in my knees and hips, and I had a knee replacement a year and a half ago. I have a fibromyalgia along with a whole host of other issues. I could be worse, but I could be better. Anyway, not saying that for any kind of pity sake. I only mention it because, if I didn't have my computer or the internet, specifically writing.com, I would go out of my head with boredom. I used to sit and do other little crafts, but they tend to be tedious and hard on the hands, which are sore and stiff more often than not. Writing or using the mouse does hurt them some, but nothing like some of the other things I do. So how much time do I spend on the internet each day? Probably around twelve hours.  I'm almost ashamed to say that. Almost.... Addicted! |
| Prompt: What scents bring back vivid memories for you? Whenever I smell the spices of Autumn such as cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice, I think of home. My mother is a baker, and many of my fondest memories happen in the fall and early winter. Though I live on the coast of South Carolina now, I grew up in the middle of Michigan. I was not a huge winter fan, though I did love walking indoors from the cold walk I took after getting off the bus, and finding my mother had made an apple pie or snickerdoodles. My mom still bakes for us, though in a little more moderation. However, when I go home for a visit at Thanksgiving and Christmas, those luscious smells from the kitchen take me back to that time of warmth and security! |
| Prompt: Which 5 characters from a novel or novels, would you have dinner with? I can't wait to read the entries. Have fun with this. Well, since we are creating this make believe dinner, we might as well include the setting as well. I love historical romances set in the chivalrous days in the Victorian era. I would be the innocent debutante and invite some charming friends to my dinner party. Of course, the heir to the Cambridge Dukedom would be the first on my list. Roland is such a flirt, but he doesn't stand for the foolishness that a few of the known rogues of the day partake in. Then, there is the dashing second son of the Earl of Northbrook, Jeffrey. He is the twin to my best friend, Mary. Finally, I would invite Mary's intended, The Earl of Southridge, Wendell and his cousin Eleanor. You know, of course, something is going to happen that makes Roland feel protective over me, and he will need to rescue me. We both will be very attracted to each other, but we will find reasons in order not to admit it. Finally, we will fall into each others arms, and have to get a special license in order to get married quickly! Do you think I read too many romance novels? |
| What 3 favorite books would you take with you to a deserted island? Well now, I hope I never have to be on a deserted island. I'm not an outdoorsy sort of gal. However, I understand the pretense of the question. 1. First and foremost, I would take the Book that is above all Books, which is the Holy Bible. With God in my heart and His word by my side, I can never truly be alone. 2. The next book would be one of my all time favorites, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. It is completely timeless when speaking about the struggles we face in life. I may just have to get it out and read it again soon, now that I'm thinking about it. 3. Finally, and totally opposite of the aforementioned books, I would like a complete volume of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The rhythm and imagery in his poetry continues to inspire me. I hope if I'm stranded on this island that I will magically find a stack of never ending paper and pencils, because I must write, lest I perish!  And if that happens, then you can read my eulogy poem from entry "Invalid Entry" . |
| DAY 49 - April 22, 2014: List ten things that make you smile. This is the easiest prompt ever, and I'm going to make it into a poem. (okay to make it work, I'll have to name twelve things) When my dog is being silly, and my daughter is all frilly, and my pickle is so dilly, it makes me smile. When my hubby isn't speeding, and the birds are happy tweeting and I'm not late for a meeting, it makes me smile, When my son cleans up his bedroom, and the flowers are in full bloom, and I find the perfect perfume, it makes me smile. When my family's together, and there's pleasant sunny weather, and the fields are full of heather, it makes me smile. |
| DAY 49 - April 21, 2014: What's the funniest thing you've ever heard a child say? Unfortunately I didn't keep a blog or a journal of what all my kids have said while growing up, like Elle - on hiatus . But even in the past weeks and months they have both said things that crack me up. We are never without entertainment in our house full of kids and dogs. Actually, the same as Elle, I have an eight year old daughter, and a twelve year old son. Then we have our two little dogs. Well, this is more about the kids, of course. So, about an hour ago, my brother asked me when I was going to make him a book of poems. I've made one for my hubby with a bunch of my love poems pasted in it. I've made one for my mother with a bunch of my poems about mothers and parenting. Well, my brother is a preacher, so he wants one of all my Christian poems pasted in it. Well, I was teasing him, my mom, and my hubby tonight saying how much these little books will be worth when I'm dead and gone. My twelve year old was telling me not to think like that, and I was explaining how art is usually worth more when after the artist dies, but that I'm not planning on going anytime soon. My daughter, in all her wisdom, says, "It's getting closer everyday, Mom. You better start your bucket list." In my house, she is usually the one who's a hot mess... or very very silly. Although, I don't think she always really realizes how funny she is. Well, recently we have decided that, as much as we love them, we need a break from the kiddos once in a while. We are at home with them 24/7 since we homeschool, and we are both at home full time. We are really particular who our kids stay with, and all my family lives about 4 1/2 hours away. I do have a couple of friends who will keep them, but they are 30 -40 minutes away, so we can't really be very spontaneous. Our son is really old enough to stay at home with his sister for an hour for me and my hubby to go out for lunch. And if someone did try to mess with them, Trae is already pretty intimidating as he stands six foot two inches tall, so I don't really worry about that part. The only think I worry about is the fighting between him and his sister. Well Abby has informed me that Trae is not "fasisticated" enough to babysit her. I'm assuming she means "sophisticated." Where does she come up with this stuff? Personally, I didn't know that one had to be at a certain level of "fasistication" to babysit her. I crack up every time I think of this. Like Elle, I think I could write a major list of hilariousness. I have decided that if every parent kept a log of all the funny things their kids say, we would all be rich. You remember that show, "Kids say the darnest things"? I never missed an episode. However, I think the funniest thing I've ever heard from little kids is in their retelling of Bible stories and what they think mom and dad are doing behind closed doors! |
| Prompt: What types of things do you avoid asking for help with? Getting a little personal now, are we? I'm not really sure how to answer this question. For the last few years I've had to be more dependent on my children and my hubby. It is quite a humbling experience. Before the fibro and arthritis, I was a very active mom with two little kids, a hubby who is just a big kid himself, and I had a fulfilling career working with deaf children. My poor daughter doesn't remember me being active. Fibromyalgia struck with the arthritis right on top of it when she was only about three. My son kind of remembers it, but just barely. Now, they don't mind getting me anything I need, and they do it with a sweet and helpful attitude. But it hurts my heart so bad to ask them to fix me lunch or get me a drink when I used to be the ones doing it for them. I will say that my symptoms are finally getting a tiny bit more under control. I've also finally recovered from my knee replacement, which was about 18 months ago. So I am more able to take care of myself, but I still don't do much to take care of my kids physical needs. Everyone pitches in when it's time to clean, do laundry, etc. But you know this house doesn't look like it would if I wasn't disabled. I'm not really whining, but it's the middle of the night, and it's raining, so I'm in a lot of pain tonight. Most of the time, y'all would never know it unless you specifically asked, so I'm not going to dwell any further on this. So, the answer to the prompt is that I can't avoid asking for help if I truly need to. Now, on the bright side of things... I never would have realized my love for writing if this wouldn't have happened to me. My kids are homeschooled, so I get to spend a great deal of time with them. I do help them with their school work and such. My poor hubby has a lot on him. He is also disabled, but he was in a bad car accident about 8 years ago that left him with 3 back surgeries and permanent nerve damage. I know that God has ordained things to be the way they are. We are both as active in our church as our health allows. And we are raising two kids in the "nurture and admonition of the Lord." How can we go wrong? ********************************************************************************************************************* If any of you watched the newsfeed today, then you know that I have been playing with smileys and animations. It was quite fun. So here are a couple for you to enjoy! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
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