%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |
Reading, Writing, Pondering: Big Life Themes, Literature, Contemporary/Historical Issues |
 Welcome to the 14th century, in a farflung outpost of the Holy Roman Empire, and a new Convent outpost of the terrrifically powerful Roman Catholic Church. Sound historically dull? Hopefully not so--for this is NOT an ordinary 14th Century Convent. Back after a six-year hiatus.... From NaNoWriMo historical Supernatural novels in Scotland, Michigan, South Alabama and historical horror in Standwood Station, GA-to the Phantom Northern Woods-to singlehandedly refighting the American Civil War-to exploring Social Justice and standing for First Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution-we deal out horror, Supernatural, Historical, fantasy, mystery, and more. We do not fear outspokeness. And always, always, always, We Do History. Find it here. We write it. We read it. We hold strong opinions. We orate. Meanwhile, whether we're writing or just reading, we love to rave about books and authors right here!  |
| Today in History: The first football team formed in Sheffield, England. Make up your own sport and tell us how it's played. I call myself a writer, I've read voraciously all my long life, and I boast of my imagination. So I should be able to think something up, yes? But I admit, this one has me temporarily stumped. Sport? Sport? Oh, please. Yes, it is possible to render me speechless. This prompt just did. So....since I can't at the moment fantasise a “new” sport, I will discuss a fantasy sport. Thank you. (smile): Croquet as Alice knew it; or, Croquet in ALICE IN WONDERLAND. First of all, a brief history of the sport “as we know it”: supposedly originating in 17th century London, played in London's Pall Mall, and called “palle-maille.” Said to have spread almost as fast through the British Empire as the use of tobacco, croquet was also the first sport to practice equality of genders and to allow women to play as well as men. Croquet was played, in the snow, at the South Pole in 2005. It was played once at the 1900 Olympics, but poorly organised, and one of the winners never knew during his lifetime that he had won. Perhaps unfortunately, not enough croquet players exist to make it a contemporary Olympic sport. Alice must have been accustomed to regular English croquet, as she was an upper-tier child. But Wonderland (naturally) presented something quite different. Lewis Carroll tells us: “[Alice] had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in her life: it was all ridges and furrows: the croquet balls were live hedgehogs and the mallets live flamingoes, and the soldiers had to double themselves up and stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.” Odd to Alice, I am certain; but you know, I'd kind of like to see that. (smile) |
October 4 Blogging Challenge October 4th Prompt: Write about a lesson you’ve learned the hard way. What lessons have not been learned the hard way? LOL. I think almost everything in my life has come to me via adversity or difficulty or at minimum, discomfort. Much of what I've learned is too personal and I don't feel at leisure to discuss. So let's see what I can discuss. What has come easily to me throughout my life are my love of reading and books, my love of education and learning (autodidactism as well as formal education), and my love of research and discovery (this is why I so love Mysteries). The difficult and painful lessons have often been in the area of interpersonal relations (in general), the matter of independence vs. dependence, and that old bugaboo, patience. Also the question of whether I ought to surrender certain dreams and decide I'm a) too old, or b) unable for whatever reason, or c) it's just not going to happen in this lifetime. Oddly, I've reached a Life Stage at which I am basically (as a whole) content, although I still have daily irritations, and expectations from others I would prefer not to have. But in the wide picture, I have reading, I am writing again, I try to keep a practice of thankfulness, which helps, and I am a much calmer individual than I was when younger. Certainly life circumstances have molded me in the Crucible, and sometimes in the Furnace of Affliction.  |
These two prompts went so well together, I wrote 2 shorts on them on Jan. 24:
|
| I wrote this today, but it's from the Jan. 13 prompt at http://shewritesbooks.blogspot.com. For some reason, really proud of this one (although I despise my protagonist LOL) "Travelling the Dusty Road of Revenge"  |
| January 10, 2013: What's worse: extremely cold weather or extremely hot weather? I've always been a very cold-natured person (physically) and have lived in way too many homes with insufficient heat, so one would think I would choose "extremely cold," but no-"extremely hot," because where I can bundle-bundle-bundle against cold, I cannot "dress down" to suffer in extreme heat. |
| January 9, 2013: What is your favorite old movie? “Double Indemnity,” although ANY Barbara Stanwyck movie including the perennial favourite “Christmas in Connecticut,” plus I love the 1951 version of “A Christmas Carol” Pretty much, I love anything from the 1940’s, I wish I could live in that era/  Not even begun on today's Short Story Challenge yet, because yesterday's story is determined to be a novel, and I'm adding to that, all that I came up with (who am I kidding?? all that announced itself to me) overnight. |
 Log in to Leave Feedback |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
