Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Writing Prompts, Before WDC, Spare Time, Recipes & Poems

Today's blogs....

Blog City – Day 556

Prompt: What do you think is the difference between a writing prompt and a polling question?

To me a polling question requires a 'yes' or 'no' response or some semblance of short response geared to some aspect of a researcher's interest. A writing prompt is not bound to hold you to its response... you are free to go where your mind takes you. It is meant to simulate thought and get you writing... whether that is to respond to the prompt or to follow a different track, it is up to the writer. There is freedom within the writing prompt that is not there in the polling question. Deeper thought can be achieved as well with a writing prompt.

Welcome To My Reality - Week Ninety

September 7th - September 13th, 2015

2. Before you found and joined WDC, what did you do with your time that is now spent here?

To be honest, I can't remember. I know I was writing more, thanks to doing NaNoWriMo in November of 2012. I joined in March... I think I had been seeking an online place. I found Writing.com and Writer's Carnival. Writer's Carnival was smaller and I was in on the ground level of a newly developed online writing community, but once I got more comfortable on Writing.com I began to spend more time here.

I found both online communities on Facebook, so I know I was spending a lot of time on Facebook... probably playing those games that can suck hours of time out of your life. By the time bedtime rolls around you wonder where all your time went.

I still read about the same amount... which is a lot... but now there is more focus to it, I think.

There was no challenge to try other genres and styles of writing... Writing.com helped me with that.

I probably watched more TV... NaNoWriMo cured me off a lot of that, but it was still something that would take a bunch of my time.

3. What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time? Why? How often do you get to do it?

What besides writing and reading?

Much of my spare time is spent here at Writing.com - reading, reviewing, and writing for particular challenges. I read to meet the Challenges I set for myself on the Monthly Reading Challenge that Fran 💜 💜 💜 organizes.

4. If you had your choice between housework or something else, what would you choose to do? Please expand on this.

Who would choose housework? When so many other things are out there. I clean because it is required, not because I like it. I would much rather read or write. I also enjoy taking myself out on 'Artist Dates' time by myself to recharge my creative batteries and refill my creative well of ideas. It is a concept put forth by Julia Cameron and her book The Artist's Way. You can do anything.... but you must do it alone. Being an only child, I have no problem doing things on my own. I've gone to movies, museums, shopping, trail hikes, even taken a 'picnic' at a park.

Time with friends and family is also a great way to recharge and reconnect with the world around me... sometimes I spend too much time alone.

6. Share one of your favorite recipes, and why you like it so much.

My father used to make the spaghetti and my mother the chilli. To me they are family recipes, in a way... I have put my own spin on them... to make them more palatable to Brett, though he still doesn't like my chilli so I haven't made it in eons.

My family Spaghetti sauce... my modified version.
Hunts Original Spaghetti sauce
Add healthy doses of thyme, oregano, basil and parsley and two bay leaves.
Cook ground beef with a medium onion and a medium red pepper.
When cooked fully, add to the sauce mixture and stir.
Then cook the mushrooms with a healthy dose of pepper.
When they are soft, add them to the sauce mixture.
Add in another cup or two of water.
Simmer for two hours.
Prepare you favourite pasta and add the sauce and any cheese you may like - I like Parmesan.

My chilli recipe:
Ground beef
Canned tomatoes
Canned Kidney Beans
Tomato paste
Green peppers
Medium onion
Mushrooms
chilli powder
salt and pepper to taste.

When it comes right down to it the original spaghetti recipe is not that different from the chili. It had different spices and no red pepper. I have added the peppers to have more veggies in it and I cut the tomatoes and tomato paste to make it ready faster. It is possible to eat it in half an hour if I don't put all the extra water in it.

7. Relay one experience from this week as a poem, short story or vignette.

I wrote this poem for the Construct Cup that tells how my week has gone... or how my relationship is going....

Broken Dreams Of Us  (13+) My marriage hangs in the balance, broken and frayed by past grievances. #2057272 by 💙 Carly

The First Week Back

It has been the first week
Back to school
But for me
A mere Supply Teacher
I expected no work
Yet Thursday
A call, I got
And in to work I went
Half a day
In a grade of two
Just enough to let me know
I could still handle
Being in charge
And teaching
Elementary Children
Now I know
Summer is
Officially over
Teaching
Has resumed.