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| If you answer twenty or more prompts during the month you will be rewarded with a Blogging merit badge. If you answer thirty prompts during the month you will be rewarded with a Welcome to My Reality merit badge. In order to qualify for the merit badges, entries must be minimum 250 words per prompt. Multiple prompts may be answered in a single entry, but the minimum word count applies to each prompt. You may still participate in this activity regardless of word count, this requirement relates solely to merit badge eligibility. To receive your merit badge, please submit a single post at the end of each month stating how many of the prompts you completed. Spot checks may be done, but we trust in your honesty. Please tag Patrece ~ Waking my Muse. and Ren During in your last post for the month so your merit badge can be awarded. 1) Being April 1st and April fools day, what is the best practical joke you have ever pulled on someone? What is the worst or funniest one you ever fell victim to? 2) Who do you spend the most time with? Is it a beneficial or harmful relationship? Is it more one sided than the other? 3) Is your life, right now, what you thought it would be at this point, either in a positive or negative way? 4) What is your typical day like? Do you follow routines or go about the day randomly doing what needs to be done? 5) Are you philosophical? Do you have a favorite philosopher or do you follow your own doctrine? 6) Are you single or in a relationship? Would you like your status to change? Why? 7) Do you smile at strangers? Do they smile back? Do you smile back at people who smile at you first? Why or why not? 8) Are you more interested in local, regional, nation or international news? Why? 9) Do you believe in fate or making your own destiny or a combination of both? 10) What was/is your best job? 11) What was/is your worst job? 12) If you could have any job, what would it be? 13) What’s something you’d like to renew in your life? 14) Do you reduce, reuse and recycle? 15) What’s your favorite thing about Spring? 16) Have you ever been stung by a bee or wasp (or bitten by any bug or spider)? What was your reaction. 17) If you have children, what’s your favorite thing to do with them? If you don’t, what’s your favorite thing to do with a sibling or friend? 18) What’s blooming in your life? 19) If you had to pick one: would you plant flowers or veggies/fruits? 20) What’s your current writing project? Are you progressing the way you expected? 21) How do you like those infamous “April Showers”? Do you even get rain in your area during this time of year? If not, you can write about when you do. 22) Do you prefer a warm/hot or cool/cold climate? 23) How many places have you lived? What was your favorite and least favorite? If you’ve only lived one place, what are the best and worst things about it? 24) Favorite vacation or planning an upcoming vacation? Give the details and why you picked that spot or why your favorite spot is your favorite. 25) What was your worst experience with a doctor or dentist? 26) What was your best experience with a doctor or dentist? 27) Are you interested in politics? Why or why not? 28) Favorite hero or heroine in a book? Why? 29) Are you a social butterfly or do you prefer to stay in the background? 30) When you joined WDC, were you confident about your writing skills? Do you feel they have improved since you have joined? Why or why not? 31) Do you personally find that the reviews given you, by others are generally helpful and encouraging? Please expand on your answer. 32) What is on your bucket list? Why are these things something you really want to do or accomplish in life? 33) What kind of big changes to the 'way of life' have you witnessed over your life time? (technology, housing, food procurement, etc) Do you think it has improved quality of life or caused it to decline? Why? 34) If given a choice, would you rather read, write, or watch TV. Explain. 35) Do you have any habits or behaviors that you believe others would find odd? Tell me about it / them. 36) Do you like music? What kinds? How does it affect or influence your life? 37) With summer on the horizon, what is the one activity you most look forward to? What is the one thing you most dread? (if you are in a country where winter is approaching, answer the same questions regarding winter. 38) When shopping for food, do you read labels, try to buy fresh produce, try to get as much organic foods as possible? Chose healthy foods? Do you just grab "whatever" and call it good? 39) How do you think your choices may affect your health? Do you even care? Do you even consider it when choosing foods? Why / why not? 40) If a stranger reaches out and touches you intentionally, how does that make you feel? How would you react to it? ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Portfolio URL: http://best4writing.Writing.Com/ "IF I can help somebody along life's way, then my living will not be in vain" ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** You're helping to open the minds,supporting those still struggling to accept gays and lesbians." ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Portfolio URL: http://best4writing.Writing.Com/ "IF I can help somebody along life's way, then my living will not be in vain" ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** You're helping to open the minds,supporting those still struggling to accept gays and lesbians." |
| So many of us struggle with change. Do you see it as an obstacle to be overcome or an opportunity to break out of your comfort zone? How do you deal with change? What is the biggest change you have had to deal with this year? I welcome change! Always have. That's proven by the changes I've made every decade of my life. Now at 77, I even brag about the wisdom I've practiced in welcoming change. From childhood in rural America, teen years in progressive California through college, young married and mother of two in my twenties, a baby and divorce in my thirties, raising my youngest and a grandson in my forties, Masters Degree in my fifties, "coming out as the lesbian heart knew at sixteen" when I was sixty and choosing a wife, a Writing Course and writing three novels along with books of short stories and poems in my seventies; and for my eighties I'll take an art course and become a painter. MY nineties and hundreds, which I believe will take me to a healthy 107, will be something else I am excited about. How boring life would be without welcoming change! Certainly the most significant change I embraced was my decision to 'come out' at sixty, the first time I felt it was safe for me; prior to that I was living in Idaho where gay folks were denied employment, even life. I moved from Idaho to Portland, Oregon, went to a gay bar for a cherry coke, and was finally free to say "I am a lesbian" without fear of pain or anger coming my way. Fortunately, my adult children and my grandchildren opened their hearts lovingly. Even my Southern Baptist mother welcomed my sweet wife Molly; that was moments after my bigoted older brother told her "you don't have to speak to her" with his ugliness. He's dead now and my younger brother has always been wonderful. I know 'change' is sometimes unwelcomed, sad, tragic and so difficult for people; therefore, I accept their choices and seek ways to help them deal with undesirable change, especially losses through deaths of those they loved. Those times are hard for me as well, but when my dear father died at 45 when I was in my twenties, I learned that change can be very difficult. Because it seems that I have the same DNA of my paternal grandmother and aunt who lived to 99, I am prepared for a long life. That makes more important than ever for me to accept change because much more change is ahead of me in this life I am living. Wish me well  {/c}ann |
PROMPTS FOR MARCH 2016 1. What animated character do you consider yourself to be most like and in what way? 2. Are you doing any traveling this month? Where are you going and why? 3. How cluttered is your computer's desktop? Do you keep it neat and tidy or random files all over the place? Why do you do this? 4. Do you have a negative memory of an event which other people found positive or exciting? Or vice versa, a positive memory of an event which other people found negative? 5. Do you like dolls, toys or stuffed animals, or do you think these are best left behind in childhood? 6. Since writing your goals down increases your chances of successfully meeting them, what are three goals that you would like to accomplish in 2016? 7. When was the last time you laughed until you cried. 8. Make a list of the five to ten most important things to you. Then make a list of the top five to ten things you spend most of your time doing. Compare the lists and see how the match or differ from each other. Discuss what you have learned. 9. What is the last new skill you learned? How and why did you learn this new skill and how have you put it to use? 10. Do you consider yourself a spontaneous person? Why or why not? 11. Each year brings numerous holidays and family gatherings. Share something about your favorite one. 12. Write about the last time you cried. 13. So many of us struggle with change. Do you see it as an obstacle to be overcome or an opportunity to break out of your comfort zone? How do you deal with change? What is the biggest change you have had to deal with this year? "IF I can help somebody along life's way, then my living will not be in vain" ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** You're helping to open the minds,supporting those still struggling to accept gays and lesbians." |
| 1.If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?{/b} What would I change about myself? I could say 'to change my face and figure into a perfect beauty, say about 34 years of age. But that's impossible even though I do wish I could again live the past 44 years. For me life has been wonderful. My personality and my talents are really me and mine; nothing I would change about who I am. So people, if they were me, would want to change my lesbian heart and identity so that I was not included among the group of people ousted from most of the world including the so called 'religious' states like the Southern States and Idaho and Montana. But the lesbian part of my life, the 17 years I have lived freely as the lesbian I have always been have definitely been my happiest years. The privilege I gave myself when I turned 60, to live as the lesbian I've always known I am, was the best gift I ever gave to myself. I would never change that. Being my authentic self may have caused some relatives to turn against me, but that's their problem of hatred between them and their 'god' and is nothing against my true heart and life. If I were not me, but met me in ordinary life, I would like the person who is me. The personality and gifts which are me, are good. I've not been led by hatred, religions demands, even society's demands, but have always been true to myself, who I am in every way. Sure, I'd like to have found my writing talent much earlier in life, but it was something I thought about, but was just too busy living a happy life while dealing with the importance of divorce, a regret that would not have happened if society had given me the freedom to be the lesbian whom I knew I was. I never regretted the necessity of divorcing a man who became cruel and almost murdered me three times before he found his suitcase and a 'bye bye' note on the front porch. No, I would not change anything about me unless I could wave a wand and be 34 again. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 2. If you were incapacitated, by illness, accident or old age, how would you cope with being cared for? Would you be able to accept such a situation? The reality is, I am reaching the age when my situation could change overnight and my adult children would/will need to decide how to care for me, where to leave me for help, and I know that decision will/would be traumatic for them to make. I hope when I reach that time, that moment, I will be mentally/intellectually capable of giving my assent to the decision and accept reality. At 77 and knowing I have the DNA to exceed 100, I expect to be full of mind and to help make such a dreaded decision. I expect to be 107 then and hope/pray that I will not need to ever leave my chosen home. Yes, I expect to outlive my dear lesbian wife, Molly, who is younger but has serious 'brittle diabetes' so I am prepared for that. I expect to know when I should make the decision when I can no longer survive living alone and I can make the decisions along with my adult children. I have, however, talked with them and left a message for them in case I am unable at any time to make the decision myself. I know I will be near my youngest daughter or my son; either of them will want to be near to be sure to visit and hold my hand even if I cannot communicate. I am not afraid of their decisions if that time does come someday. We all know dementia and Alziemiers cannot be avoided just by hoping and praying, so if either comes, my children will take care of me. The greater possibility is that I will outlive all my children and some of my grandchildren so I don't know who will try to make that decision for me. That's how I see my future Reality. Ann ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: "IF I can help somebody along life's way, then my living will not be in vain" ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** You're helping to open the minds,supporting those still struggling to accept gays and lesbians." |
| religious differences as with race and national origin and being gay, DO cause > prejudice to be showered on those 'different'. I wish the world was different. > I've seen so much chaos and broken relationships because of prejudice. The bigots are > all around us but we must not fear to be who we are or choose to be. If I were you, I > would be like I have been since coming out as lesbian; I pay close attention to > individuals' reactions (be aware of a negative attitude expressed when you wear or > show a symbol of your faith....if it is negative, make note and be aware of other > responses from that person; if that person is in authority, keep written notes from the > first sign of prejudice. When I came out, I always made sure to speak my truth early on > as normal conversation "Molly and I are a lesbian couple" were my words to every > neighbor when we moved into our home; I still find an instant to say that in various > settings.............that has kept prejudice away if it did e > xist; either the person thereafter avoided me/us or it didn't make a difference. > From the beginning, if I were you, I would wear "a Christian cross around my neck" > "put the gay flag outside my front door" do nothing to hide who you are from the > beginning. Just don't show fear or prejudice yourself; wear a pen or whatever symbol > you wish to FOR YOU and let it speak for you unless someone actually asks you about it, or > any other question, ... just go about your life in the workplace doing the best job you > can. If at any time, the prejudice of someone shows, keep written notes AND tell your > supervisor what made you uncomfortable. Keep notes on the supervisor's reaction and > action and words. That will be what you give to your lawyer if you get > fired.............keep good notes because lawsuits about prejudice are important to all > concerned. Just be yourself, never telling them 'why' you are Islam unless they > ask, and even then say "I'll glad to share with you after wor > k"...............then you can't be accused of prostelysizing on the job. > > Most of all, go without fear, be your peaceful self as worker and co-worker. Keep good > written dated notes if others are not peaceful, if remarks are made. I always wear, when > I'm not home in the neighborhood, a symbol of my being lesbian: a rainbow colored > Christian cross, other pins on a vest or jacket with the rainbow symbol. They are not > meant to offend, they just are mine and my way of showing my pride in who I am. You can > do the same, your way, quietly. > "IF I can help somebody along life's way, then my living will not be in vain" ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** You're helping to open the minds,supporting those still struggling to accept gays and lesbians." |
A Book: A Change of Life PROLOGUE She smiled as she looked through the window watching her children playing with their friends. Autumn leaves were falling around them and she remembered the autumn day just a year earlier when she was with someone. She didn’t dare tell her husband of twelve years about that day. Just remembering those perfect hours, warmth soothed her body as she felt her breasts tingle. She shook as if to readjust her thoughts and memories; at the same time wishing it could happen again. How, she wondered, would things be if she just admitted she was a lesbian. Would she regret changing from the home she shared with husband of nine years to live as her led her to love? Nine years earlier, she had graduated with honors from Stanford University the married Joe just two weeks later. It seemed that her family and Joe easily forgot about the graduation ceremony and wholly focused on the marriage on their schedule. Even on the drive back to Modesto, the conversation was all about wedding plans. Didn’t they realize just how important her degree was to her? For five years Joe had waited for her to complete college. During that time, he had spent Sundays with her parents, her siblings and their children; had he interjected himself into her family just to trap her into the decision he desired. Yes, she had been there some Sundays, not very often though. Just the weekends associated with days off for holidays and between semesters when she could not be in the dormitory. As the norm for her family, she joined them for church services where Joe was always at her side. He never mentioned his interest or need to get a college education after spending four years in Uncle Sam’s Navy, traveling the world’s oceans and spending nights in special locations in Japan while stationed there. She knew he was no longer a virgin. After all, many Japanese women were available to sailors whose ships docked for a while. Now, he had docked himself at the two places she would be when returning to her hometown occasionally, her church and her home. As expected, she spent time with him. She never dated much during high school, mainly because she did not want to be distracted from her goal of getting a college education. Her sister and friends who dated often had married shortly after high school graduation even though she had heard them speak of plans to go to college. As times passed and they were wearing a boyfriend’s ring on a chain around their neck, those college plans faded, a wedding day was planned and now they had children to care for while taking a low-paying job as a retail clerk, waitress or other job without a future and opportunities to move up the ladder into management or other well-paying opportunity. She never wanted to be stuck without an opportunity to feel like she was successful as a human being instead of at some ‘dead-end’ as those friends now existed. Sure, being a mother had many rewards. While each of her three children were in her womb, she knew joy. When they were born, she was excited and marveled at the privilege of bringing a precious infant into the world. Their birthdays each year were special days for them; she made sure they had happy memories on those days, and she reminded them each day just how much she loved them. They were the core of her life and she never wanted to leave them behind when, if she decided to live as her heart had always knew what would make her coupleship more perfect. Joe often told her, ‘the first time I saw you, I knew I was going to marry you.” Maybe that was why she had married him. After she turned down his request for a date several times, he would eventually as again. Finally she said yes and they went to a movie. Those months before she left for college, they had several dates leading him to become determined to stay close to her family as a way to ensure being with her during college vacations and each summer when she returned home to work to earn college expenses for the next year. His pride blossomed whenever he reminded her of his initial plan for marriage to her; even now, he mentioned it. Now she wondered why she just fell into his plans instead of taking a year or more after college ‘to find herself’ before marrying. Perhaps she would have found her heart’s true desire. Marrying Joe was a mistake but she thought “at the time and in the circumstances, it was the right thing to do. Didn’t girls like boys? Didn’t girls marry boys?” In those days, that was all she knew. Now, nine years later, she knew far more about relationships, romantic love and being happy through each day. Now, she wished she had not been rushed by Joe and her parents. Perhaps she would have understood her heart, why it was never passionate about Joe and marriage. She looked through the window again and saw Joe’s truck park in his usual side of the driveway, something she had seen a thousand times. She heard her thoughts which seemed to shout at her, “you don’t have to stay and be so unhappy.” Happy noises of the children as the excitedly followed their father into the house, filled her ears as one thought passed through her mind, “but I can’t upset their lives.” |
8. What music have you been listening to lately? What influences your choices of music? I can't even name a single 'present day' music that might be on the music scene. When I relax, I turn my radio on to a station that plays 'smooth music' from the fifties and sixties. Other music I may listen to today is Country Music, not of the present, but of the fifties and sixties when we had Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and numerous others who have died. I'd listen to Elvis today too. No, I don't go for the teen music of today nor any other loud hard sounds that fray the nerves. Slow dance music is still the best. It doesn't hit hard on the nerves and ears but blends softly with physical and emotional me. |
| . Tell us about a book you read recently. Was it good? Bad? Tell us YOUR reaction to it. After nearly sixty years I just finished re-reading THE SCARLET LETTER by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The old classics are still the best. Reading about early America when there was so much Puritanical influence in those days, is a good reminder to all of us Americans that we must be alert to negative attitudes that have no part in this country of life and liberty. Presently the evangelical protestants continue to judge other people negatively and they have power through the Republican Tea Party in Congress. Judgmental of other people based on beliefs which are not hurtful to other Americans is totally Unamerican. Those who try to put Biblical standards of eons ago into present day life cause trouble in so many ways. I was once a Baptist but now I would never agree with all the ways they use the power of words and Bible Quotes from centuries ago. Sadly they treat children very negatively and require their children to do and be what is opposite and disliked by the majority of children. I see it in my elder daughter's life and family whose judgmentalism like the Puritans of olden days shown in The Scarlet Letter are just plain wrong. Too often the person point the finger at an ordinarily good person has four pointing back at their meanness. Forgiveness is not even one of their ways of living. They overlook their own bible saying "judge not" and show hatred instead of the Biblical love required. Religion is the basis of nearly every war between humans in the past and continues to incite wars in the present. ann |
| 7. Share a photo, and tell us about when it was taken ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The young lady standing behind her parents is my paternal gramdmother who was born in 1888 and died two months before her 100th birthday, August 4, 1988. As a child born in August 1938, I knew and often visited her parents Ma and Pa Robinson; that was a rare privilege for any youngster. Melverdia Robinson, called Verdie by her friends, Mama by her children and Grandmama by her grandchildren, lived a very hard life not only as caretaker at home because her mother was not well, and because she bore twelve children, one died at age two and another deceased at birth. she married a very handsome man who kept her so pregnant so many times, raped her on the living room floor in front of her young teenage sons, daring them to stop him. Grandad was either just plain mean or mentally ill until , in anger at his sons, he went to their home shared with a granddaughter, then in their kitchen, he created bloody hell by putting a bullet through his skull. He knew he was due to be arrested and sent to prison for extortion. Can you imagine how the sons and granddaughter dealt with the bloody mess and having to continue to eat in that kitchen until the house burned down? My dear resilient grandmother then continued the raising of two teenage daughters and lived in her home purchased by her youngest son to age 92 when Alzheimer's trapped her. A few months before she died, I visited her bedside as she lay in fetal position. I kissed her on her forehead and told her "goodbye Grandmama." Any photo of me as a teen shows how like her I am physically and believe I will live past 100; may God leave Alzheimer's at bay is my prayer. |
| Apart from next week's winning lottery numbers, what are some unanswered questions that you have? Why do you want or need to know the answers? I would like to know: What can I be doing now that will give me additional years of long healthy life? I do all I can to remain healthy but want the absolute maximum number of productive years of life ahead of me while having excellent health. with one-fingered typing, my answers are shorter than the 250 required.: sorry. "IF I can help somebody along life's way, then my living will not be in vain" ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** You're helping to open the minds,supporting those still struggling to accept gays and lesbians." |
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