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 |   A terminal for all blogs coming in or going out. A view into my life. |
Started July 1st 2019 for contests, etc. as other blogs are filling up and have other purposes.  I'm starting a new blog because
I'll be linking to
I've started an appendix (I no longer have one personally) to keep track of my Space Cadet journals for Space Blog. It's a work constantly under construction. Mind the mess.
I needed to start a folder for contests as there are so many deadlines and details to remember.
  |
I found my charger ... so I might be able to call family.  I celebrated by taking a bath. 41 degrees at midnight. Bloggers I visited: 64. soledad_moon 65. cathartes02 66. pandapaws214 67. cappucine 68. eager2write 69. whata 70. fathertymme 71. missbusta07 72. sum1swriting 73. miget_mushroom 35 at 7:37. Too early so I went back to bed. Now 44 at 9:55 with weak sunshine through clouds. Another grey day? I commented to QPDoll: "The reason why we can remember and even spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious may be because we sing it. At least I do! I've noted that Thai surnames are very long and wonder if singing the names would help as Thai is a tonal language best sung. Chinese first and last names are short." Note: Julie Andrews is now 85. She was 30 when "Sound of Music" came out. I commented to Whata: "I did much the same for my emotional pain: I came up with writing: blogs, comments, posts, many poems, some non fiction and autobiographical, longer writes. And it was good. It helped. My anger at the frustration and absolute needlessness of my sorry state of health simmered down enough to allow me to get through the day. [Whata in italics] However, those around me know when I'm unhappy. I don't hide it well. That said, when I travel the pain recedes because there are new pains if I don't focus on where I am and what's going on in the present. It's a great distraction. Which is why 2020 and being stuck at home has been so hard. The writing helps but not like before. It's as if I've become resistent to the "medication". 49 degrees at noon as sun breaks through clouds  . I got to speak with my sister but not my mother who at least had a good 99th birthday on Friday. So hard when folks don't answer their phone. 50 semi-cloudy degrees at 4:15. It will warm up beginning tomorrow. I did my wash so I'm "caught up". 47 chilly degrees at 8 p.m. At least the winds are dying down. I'm drinking milk with oolong tea. I need to cut off coffee earlier.  |
| 💤 Or I should be. Bloggers check-in: 57. cathartes02 58. marvinschrebe 59. jimminycritic 60. normajeantrent 61. nfdarbe 62. dschoening 63. carly1967 41 chilly degrees at midnight. Saturday market... Clothes... folded underwear, shirts are dry, pants are not. 41 chilly degrees at 9:41 a.m. It will not get warm today. Bright enough morning to get me out of bed but that's about it. I have kept the window open forover a week but I may have to close it. I did not get to call my mother on her birthday. I can't find my charger to charge the tablet I use as a phone. I will find it eventually. 42 and a break in the clouds. I went to the Farmer's Market but only saw one vendor that I know. A real mess. I did stop and chat with a woman selling fudge, another selling lamb and a man singing "Take on me" by AHA. Since I went to a concert in the 80s to see them perform it was interesting to hear this other version. Lovely voice. Very nicely sung. No letters, no postcards, nowhere to sit at Butterfly Herbs so I bought a postcard with a dirigible on it. Seemed appropriate considering I'm writing silkpunk. I dressed up as if it were winter. Now I'm sipping Ethiopian (didn't see my coffee-person) and eating a peanut-butter-bologna sandwich on potato bread. I'm nodding off. Not a good sign but no reason to fight it. I've had coffee, gone out, eaten, read blogs, checked news... *sigh* It's only 2 p.m. on a gloomy chilly day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-QWKCcbRFg Aye Sarunchana (Torfun) version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=mEj2v4rNXJw พลพลพล สุขตลอด (his translation of "Lom" [Wind]) Wind, your wind blows through Bring you to meet me Wind, that wind blows you through. People who used to live nearby But where is he today? O wind, where is the wind blowing? Wind, your wind meets Meet tens of thousands of people Asked that wind to blow you back. How long have you remembered every promise? Waiting for the wind to bring you again Why did your wind never return? Can the wind blow bring you? The wind blows through your wind. Take the words of love from me Asks that wind to blow it to tell you The person waiting here still misses him, misses you. That when he will meet Meet again Why did your wind never return? The wind ... The song begins at 11:40. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KBSJBr-QxQ 44 degrees at 4:10  I made totillas (corn cakes?) with masa (corn flour) and marionberry yogurt. The yogurt did add a bit of flavor, but I had some left over so I spread it like jam. Turned out okay! Now making an omelette in a glass covered pan. I mixed in dried mint, onion and tarragon, plus parmesan and asiago cheese, and bread crumbs. We'll see! Travis surprised me with a visit which was very good. I got to talk to him about my writing. 46 degrees at 7:36. A cold ending to a cold day. |
| 51 degrees at midnight. He found himself in Montana where he'd lost his mind. 50 degrees at 8:58 a.m. I told Joy: "I'm not a good story teller. Not that that stops me. But yes, we all have stories. Many of the famous stories are 'anonymous' in that the original storyteller is unknown. It's the embellished story or the one 'collected' (Grimm's) that we remember. Romeo and Juliet may be well-known but it's not exactly original. Poetry helps me express myself. I'm better at poetry. “Nobody is waiting for you. And you will never be ready.” Very true. I started writing in 1999. By 2005 I was ready. Now I'm just past my expiration date." Bloggers left with comments today: 41. keri5707 42. cathartes02 43. elle 44. joycag 45. normajeantrent 46. forgiveness 47. wordgeek 48. cmstarrett 49. nfdarbe 50. marvinschrebe Prayer for America O Thou kind Lord! This gathering is turning to Thee. These hearts are radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings. O God! Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government victorious. Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving of Thy mercy. Make it precious and near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (Chicago, 1912) 73 degrees at 1:30. Getting warm. Wrote: "Sky Clock [78]"  81 degrees at 4 pm. Warmest day since September 12th. 82 is the record. We did match it if we didn't break it. One day won't hurt us. We might get sprinkles. Yay! New record high! 83 degrees at 5:48. It may not get above 55 damp degrees tomorrow. Now 77 at 8:08 as the day slowly fades. |
| Response to Robert: "Yep. When I was in school a friend wanted to go visit her boyfriend (who just happened to be the brother of a friend from high-school) ... on the spur of the moment. I talked to my Spanish prof and off I went. To Connecticut. To Yale. Quite an impact on my life. It helped me decide to transfer to Kansas. These days? I thought about a mini-trip to Greece or Turkey or Iceland or Costa Rica... but it's just too risky. I've been vaxxed but countries opening, closing, changing restrictions weekly is just too much for a budget traveler like me." Bloggerz annoyed: 33. cathartes02 34. fathertymme 35. wordgeek 36. judithd 37. sumojo 38. spacefaction 39. bookmeister 40. cookson2 38 degrees, calm and clear at 7:46 a.m. I responded to Kiyasama regarding Mexico: "Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera immediately come to mind. A friend wrote and performed a one-woman play on Frida. Also... I've visited her Blue House in Coyoacan. I have heard of José Clemente Orozco. "Como agua para chocolate" (Like Water for Chocolate, 1991) and "Doña Herlinda y su hijo" (1985) are two films I remember well. I may have watched "Amores perros." History? Hernán Cortes, Antonio López de Santa Anna, Pancho Villa. American p.o.v. is skewed towards military not cultural icons or internal political figures. I decline to write an essay at this point. All of the above have been overdone. When I walked the streets of Mexico City, Coyoacan and Puebla I was impressed by the weight of history. The Aztec stones are 'light' and mostly shades of black, grey and red tuff in CDMX; they were reused as the early Spaniards were 'canabalistic' in their efforts to wipe away local culture and history. The remains of the temple in Mexico city are still impressive. The real heroes of Mexico are the indigenous people who survived the onslaught of colonialism and still practice aspects of their culture that have influenced the world without any 'awards' for over 500 years. Most know the agricultural gifts of corn, tomatoes and cacao, but a trip to local restaurants and markets reveals foods never talked about north of the Rio Grande or south of Chiapas, like armadillo and deep fried scorpions. Like China... anything edible is eaten. Me? I'm happy with dozens of different pastries at Ideal on Calle Uruguay in CDMX or a pollo con mole poblano in Puebla. I wasn't there long enough to do more than a taste test.  "Now 9:03 and a sunny 46 degrees. It will be warm today. Wrote a poem: "Delta [77] " 58 at 11:37. I scored a Little Debbie. She's history now. I told Billie Jo that I was going to hunt the wild loaf of bread, as in "Stalking the Wild Loaf". I trapped an unsuspecting Multi-Grain and brought it home. I grocery-shopped as well. Rice spaghetti. Peanut-flax spread. I'm good. 63 at 2 p.m. Not motivated to clean so I need to find something else to do. Catch up on poetry? Contests? 59 calm degrees at 9:25 p.m. I missed the sunset. I live on the wrong side of the building. If I get distracted time flies by and I miss it. |
| No motivation. Which is no problem at the moment but will create problems later. Blog comments left at the doorstep of: 24. sum1swriting 25. pandapaws214 26. keri5707 27. nfdarbe 28. dschoening 29. grcubby 30. miget_mushroom 31. nannamom 32. brothernature 45 and at 9:14 a.m.Up so many times to pee last night. Not sure why. Better than blockage or dehydration. Still, a minor annoyance because I don't have my own bathroom. Noisy morning. It's a dull throb. They are working on this end of the bridge. I'll be glad when they get the concrete poured for the corner. I hope their reconfiguration makes it safer for everyone. Depression drones in dulcet tones — die — die — die. Just a random thought. It's alliterative, rhythmic, 8/6. 59 degrees at 1:55. The skies can't decide. Earlier I sat in the sun with friends and it sprinkled. Nothing to bother us, but still... Now it's darker but spring is fickle. I'm blocked with cleaning... so I need to write or do anything else until I'm unstuck. "Under a pink umbrella [65]" "Between cardboard covers" "Doubts [66]" The above written today... but I must now go through this blog and another to find pieces I did not number. Today is the 45th of Spring. I should be at #45; but, I have surpassed that. "Tucked away [67]" "April in Costa Rica [68]" "Ulpiana beckons [69]" Numbering the steampunk stories is crucial as well. I had to search for them... no fun. If I don't number as I go along and give everything titles (they can be changed later) then I can't keep my ideas sorted out. "Riding the water dragon (silkpunk): intro-excerpt. [70ab]" "Krait Bite or Bright Kite? [71]" "Enter Mrs. W. W. Walker [72]" "Oink Oink Lane [73]" "Steampunk Story for assignment 4 [74]" "Steampunk Assignment #5 Běidì (北帝) meets the boys [75]" "A little bag of tea (silkpunk) [76]" I should note here that I remembered to pay the rent yesterday. If only to remind me that I remembered.  54 cooling degrees at 8:40. Bit of a breeze chills the room. Ate beef bailey soup with extra beef and catsup added. |
| 33 degrees at 7:03 a.m. Low clouds shrouding Mt. Dean Stone. Back to itchy and dry swelling legs? Headaches? I hope not. Odd dream. It's a noisy Monday morning. Bridge work started early. Better get something done today! Blogs visited: 15. artimismad 16. sinbad 17. tigger 18. maurice1054 19. judithd 20. reamie (here many years but new to me?) 21. joycag (after 2 month? hiatus) 22. siscok (first blog entry in 6 years?) 23. jimminycritic A comment left at Sinbad's blog: "Here in Missoula Montana some friends have mentioned that I should shop at the Good Food Store because the food is a better quality. But they have money to spend on food, a car to go there, or a car to haul bulk items from warehouses (like Costco). Then covid hit and they thought that getting food delivered would be grand, ordering on-line would be better. It's 'convenient' they said. Must be nice to have a phone, a car, your own bathroom... I shouldn't complain because I have a cheap place to stay and the buses are free. But... the trend towards privatization is a major problem as is the gobbling up of property by the wealthy who weren't properly taxed for 3 years. This has been a trend for 40 years in the USA. The concept of working as a community isn't dead but it's on oxygen and gasping." Not eloquent, but I haven't had a second cup of coffee yet. I'm normally not up this early. Weekly goals: Progress 1. Clean and unclutter. Take things down to the dumpster. Yep. 2. Visit friends every day. Have a friend visit. To post office. 3. Get across the river to the post office and library. Nope. 4. Send a postcard. Good progress. 5. Write every day. Flesh out my silkpunk characters. 38 degrees at 9:15 but it'll warm up. I took a nap. Now 47, sunny  and warming up at 11:45. Just got this in the mail  :![Merit Badge in Dark Poetry
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Congratulations on winning Second Place in Round 44 of [Link To Item #darkpoetry] with [Link To Item #2249530] !
*^*Moon*^* [Link To User dmadison] *^*Crown*^* & [Link To User rolandeld]](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Dark_Poetry.gif) Dark Poetry This badge was given to you by: 🌑 Darleen - QoD  Congratulations on winning Second Place in Round 44 of "Invalid Item" with "Call us Boss" !There were 24 entries and I was entry #24. This was written out of desperation on the last day. I should not do that. But still... 2nd place.  I wrote for another contest at the last moment because I had made a promise. This month? I promise not to wait until the last moment.55 at 1:35 p.m. We easily warm up 30 degrees in a day. Thursday is supposed to warm up to 83 after a low of 42. A Newsfeed comment I left: ""Winter Morning Walks" by Ted Kooser really hit me. Not just the story behind it (postcards to a friend while fighting cancer) but because I lived in Nebraska. I know that landscape. Richard Hugo's "31 Letters and 13 poems" gave me the affirmation that writing poetic letters to friends was more than okay. It drew me to Missoula. He taught at U. Montana. I think any work in translation. I was gobsmacked by Rabindranath Tagore and Ko Un. Or works in another language like Jose Marti (Cuban) or Verlaine (French). Another time, another place, another language, an 'alien' culture. They all add to my own experiences. Although my first exposure to reading as a young child was Basho, Busan and Issa, I didn't write poetry. Books and Plays from the Norwegians, Ibsen and Vasaas really influenced me. And "Cry the Beloved Country" by Alan Paton showed me that poetry and prose could be melded." 60 degrees at 5:05. I need to make a list of poems that placed in contests: Grand, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, HM. I really should just make a small chapbook of them. Why? Because they have already been judged 'acceptable' by someone else. Like: "Wavelengths [105] (17 lines)" . It received 3rd place in the Taboo Words contest for June '20. I came across it in the original form and thought... this is good... but forgot the new title and that it had actually won.  By focusing on 'winners' of different contests it takes away the angst of deciding which of my own works are best. If asked why I included it I could shrug my shoulders and truthfully say, "so-and-so thought it was good.' Like the poem for Dark Dreamscape... it's not my favorite but it was chosen for 2nd place. I'm not about to argue with the Queen of Darkness. I value my flesh.   ....................................................................................................4348 |
| As I commented to Brian: "I pick up the 'trash'. Of course, that can be meant various ways. I've taken in refugees and friends and others. No longer, because my place is too small, but I took in people for years. I've also been taken in. I believe in connections. When I travel I connect people all the time. This past year though... In other ways... I wear second hand clothes, buy food that's about to expire, use grocery bags as garbage bags. I've written poems from trash I picked up, written poems about people being treated like trash. I know a thing or two about trash." "Trash.1 (after the melt)" "Picking up the trash" "'bargain basement bin'" Blog comments left for: 8. ripglaedr3 9. amethyst78 10. sumojo 11. eager2write 12. marvinschrebe 13. pandapaws214 14. nannamom 48 calm degrees after midnight. ![Merit Badge in You Can And You Will
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Happy Worker's Day!
All our experiences in the workforce have helped shape who we are in some way. Thanks for sharing your stories! *^*Bigsmile*^*](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-You_Can_And_You_Will.gif) You Can And You Will I'm not Prinz Charmin. I'm not Laud Likable. It's hard to survive in the world without connections and I don't seem to do well in that category in spite of (or because of) reaching out to others. I feel overwhelmingly lonely some days. 49 degrees at 10:30. It may be a cool damp day. River is rising. Lost in thoughts. Back to my program, "Lovely Writer". 50 degrees hazy? at 12:34. I need to write "Sloughing Off Old Skin". Whether it's a short story or novella or screen play it doesn't matter. A bird must dare to fly to leave its nest. For a snake to grow it must cast off old skin. Like it or not, a caterpillar spins a cocoon to become a butterfly. It was time for me to brave the Unknown." I'm not getting much done. 49 degrees at 4 p.m. Never did warm up.  Rain + sun = rainbows. 44 degrees at 8 p.m.  |
| I have softly shouted "mayday" this past month. Softly, because I don't want to upset people and do-gooders can get overbearing at times. Yes, I need lots of help. And I've carefully asked for it from certain people. I'm using the s l o w approach. See something = do it. Focus on one area... yeah, yeah, but I forget. Do something every day. Don't go down the stairs without something in hand for the dumpster.  That last bit really helps. My back was sore, probably from disuse. When I feel weak I can sit and go through papers, boxes, etc. I didn't enter many contests in April. Wrote 3 things yesterday out of desperation. Even if I don't place it has helped at times to encourage others to write and can encourage contest owners to not give up on their efforts. Some contests give out more awards with more entries, so my entry may help someone get a 3rd place or HM. It's worth it; but, my inspiration was spotty. I'm not a part of 30dbc this round; but, I have every blog marked as a favorite and will read and comment, time and energy permitting. I can be a 'cheerleader' without the frustration and traumas triggered by some of the prompts. I might answer respond to some here if inspired. Few of the participants blog in the off months and fewer comment. So it's not like I 'owe' anyone. I try to make contest lists on the 1st of the month. That way I can actually find the list! One works within one's limitations... MAY CONTESTS: DNP  Shadow and Light free verse by 14th for "Shadows and Light Poetry Contest" :DNP Stormy by 15th "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contest" : in "Under a pink umbrella [65]" 2nd  Children for "Writing 4 Kids Contest " : in "Goats 4 sale" & "Goats 4 sale" DNP Senior for "SENIOR CENTER FORUM" in "Response to a prayer" & "Response to a Prayer for America" DNP Taboo poem "The Taboo Words Contest ~ On Hiatus" : in "Between cardboard covers"  Taboo story "The Taboo Words Contest ~ On Hiatus" : DNP Traditional "Poetic Traditions Poetry Contest " : old or new in "Brenpoet Trad" "Hidden " Sharmelle "Poetry Topic of the Month Contest~Closed" DNP  Dialog only "The Dialogue 500" : in "Early Spring in Okmulgee [89]" "Early Spring in Sapulpa" DNP Oriental Round 85 for "Invalid Item" : in "Rubaiyat for May [86]" WDC 3rd  Fantasy poem Jack & the beanstalk for "Invalid Item" in "Jacking off the beanstalk" 1st  Letter for "Invalid Item" in "Dear Mrs. Shelley [88]" 2nd Nature "Invalid Item" : "Be happy with what you have! And who you are." Bard's Hall "The Bard's Hall Contest"  Whatever "The Whatever Contest -- Closed for Now" MAY - JUNE Second time poetry May 15 - 6/14 "Second Time Around ~ Birthday Special" Second time prose May 15 - 6/14 "Second Time Around ~ Birthday Special" Cross timber by June 19 "Cross Timbers Contest" in "Ragnvadrs River by June 20. " < 3000 Parenting May 9 - June 20 "Parenting Short Story Contest ~ CLOSED" Onward and upward to the stars through difficulties. 56 degrees at 10:01 a.m. It won't get as warm as yesterday but 50s 60s is quite acceptable. I live on the 3rd floor facing south so it can get toasty in my place. Doing the contest list took some time. I already started on a couple.  Maybe I'll do better this month? I also need to write a couple silkpunk stories and flesh out my main characters. Maybe this years NaNoWriMo? Blog comments left at: 1. normajeantrent 2. hawaiifoeva 3. biddle.connie 4. soledad_moon 5. nfdarbe 6. cathartes02 7. pandapaws214 I should try to leave 5 every day. Vaxx rates in Montana per 1,000: Missoula County WMT 1,007; McCone County EMT 388. Of course, that doesn't quite correspond with fully vaccinated. But Missoula is over 50%. The outbreaks in Bozeman, Billings, Great Falls and Kalispell go unabated. Possibly due to "I'm young; I don't care", anti-vaxxers and anti-everything. The USA is just playing whack-a-mole. I'm parking this here because any writer (like Gene/Wizard) can empathize with these opening scenes of a writer going places s/he doesn't want to go and then getting blocked. Most of us understand the frustration. Even the books scattered on the floor looks familiar. Best Day / Worst Day at Work: "The Angel Lounge" One gets old and life tends to blur. I remember having a machete in hand going down the rows of milo cutting velvet weed and shattercane. I remember Laura. I remember helping a secretary find her glasses and getting yelled at by a boss who thought I should be 'working'. What about that day my coworkers helped me prepare breakfast for everyone. It was Ayyam-i-Ha, a Baha'i season of giving. We did our best. I remember being kept after work to explain why I wouldn't donate to the United Way. They had to pay me overtime just to hear me repeat, "No." But in Nebraska I worked for a year in a nursinghome/hospital. I wasn't good at being an orderly. One night though we had an emergency. A diabetic came in drunk. Head Nurse Welch stationed one nurse in his room. Two other nurses were also kept busy. I got to stay with the old man down the hall who was dying of heart failure. Nurse Welch called Doctor Trávníček and told him what was needed. As head nurse at night she was the ultimate boss. I'm sure she asked nicely... but I'm also sure that doctors knew better than to question her judgment. She was the most competent nurse in the county. After running around all night she thanked everyone in the morning and smiled. I think that was the only time I saw her smile. But over 40 years later... I still remember. 63 mild degrees at 7 to 7. One thing noticed today: it looks like the concrete is finished for the pedestrian pathway along the bridge connecting me to downtown. Maybe this means it'll open soon? They need to pour the concrete for the 'off ramp' and intersection at the south end and put the railings up. |
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