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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.
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llllllllllllspringlllllllllllllllll  lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll  llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ███████ PORTHOLE ███████ SPRING: 12 Baha 177 (31 March 2020) O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá  MY THOUGHTSI'm going to try blogging every day using this new template I tweaked from previous blogs. I hope it will reflect me! That said, we'll see how it goes. I'm still struggling with anger, depression, despair ... as life is on hold. I was bored enough to read up on Portuguese verbs today. If I want to relearn Portuguese now is the time.   WEATHER 2°. midnight in Missoula 4°. 2 a.m. in Buffalo where my mother is imprisoned in assisted living. Talked to her today. 7°. and rainy at 8 a.m. in Porto where I wanted to be! 22°. overcast and holding in Taipei at 2 p.m. where it's safer than here. IMAGESLet's see: the streets were damp when I looked outside. Gasoline is $1.99/gallon. The westerly breeze brought rain and cooled down my rooms as I had the window open. Taste of rutabaga? My bed seems to be getting harder. Hushed sounds of neighbors in the hallway. Quiet day.  POULTRYNo poetry today!  PORK One flash: "Five Simple Steps [177.11] (298 words)"  .  READING"The Girl on the Boat" by a local writer, Danielle Lincoln Hanna is a prequel novelette to the Mailboat series. It's YA or MG ... not sure which ... Each chapter is told in the first person by one of the characters. So far that's working for me.  QUOTE"If you acted all right people thought you were all right," Tommy, the captain of the mailboat.  MY LIFEWhat life? I cooked fry bread for the first time in a long time. Simple recipe and it was edible but I need to work on it.  SENIOR CENTERThey have drive up meals but unless I'm interested I may pass. Standing outside is fine if the weather is good and I like what they're serving. It's a two block walk.  COFFEEHOUSEOh ... I wish! But everything is closed. No hanging out with friends for coffee.  O PINIONS!I came up with 14 prompts for Elle! and her "JAFBG". I'll revisit them and share with her and maybe even use the milder ones here. It's time to talk politics and religion and anything else that's taboo. If I write something GC or XGC I will put it elsewhere and link here.  WATT'S GNUSThis is the headline at MSN: "CDC considering recommending general public wear face coverings in public". When I entered the market last Wednesday I put on my gloves and mask. I was the only one wearing one. This Wednesday (I only go to market once per week) I'll be looking to see whether anyone else is wearing one. I got mine in Taiwan when I was there. Everyone wears masks there when they are ill.  BLOGVILLE DEUXThe last round of blogging has ended. Met new people and I have all their blogs flagged as favorites. Quite interactive this time. I won't be joining in in April. My energies will be focused on the Dew Drop Inn and poetry. Got a nice note from Cass--Spring Spirit  :![Merit Badge in Thank You
[Click For More Info]
Thanks for all your comments on my blog, and thanks for reading! :)](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Thank_You-1985.gif) |
| Congratulations on making it to the last day of the competition! What was your favorite prompt from the last month? What was the most rewarding aspect of participating in the competition? It was a rough month and other prompts were more 'important' but the prompts from the 9-12th were easiest for me. They didn't add to my anxiety and they flowed out of me best. Like this one "Wild Strawberries ... perhaps" (March 9: What is your first memory of being really excited?). The most rewarding aspect is connecting and getting to know other writers. This month many of my fellow participants read my entries and commented. And I thank-you. I don't write just for myself. I have a hand-written journal for that. For April I will reinvent this blog (figure out a format I can live with) and I will join the Dew Drop Inn for poetry. I need to catch up with travel photos and the writings they inspire. Like this one I wrote today:
I added it to a new folder for this year's poems and writings. I will read blogs as best I can. I have everyone's blog on my 'favorites' list so I'll be notified. |
| Do you write like you talk? Blogging is inherently personal and therefore leaves a lot of room for your unique voice. How do you show your reader your personality through your writing? YOU TELL ME! I used to have a template I followed so I wouldn't be bogged down in my sorry life. It was more 'eclectic' as am I. If any of you would friend me on spacebook you'd find a mix of photos (over 200 albums, over 8,000 photos?), writing and travel experiences, political opinions, et cetera. But there's no template. I really could use a web-site where things are sorted. That said, I have more than one blog here (that few read). And there's the rub. Why bother if no one else bothers. But I'm used to caring about people in my personal life and not getting much back. As a child I learned to live on crumbs. So, I blog and my entries are read or not read. My first blog "L'aura del Campo" has over 107 thousand hits; my second "Enga mellom fjella" has 56k. At one time L'aura del Campo was the number 1 blog at WDC. This blog has only 1,756 views, less than 10 views/entry. Oh well, I'm thankful for those who have commented. This round has been more interactive than average. As to how I show my personality? By my choice of words or point-of-view? I truly don't know. I don't analyze my writing that much. I just write. I was never good at essays at school and I hated editing, so I'm not as anal (disciplined is the politically correct word) as most professional writers. My comment to an entry by Kit_Carmelite  today is pertinent:"I started my journal in 2003 as a letter to a friend. It was an unread lifeline. In 2005 I started blogging here at WdC and was amazed that people would read what I had to say. A typical day was 10 comments when Blogville was doing well. I also was homeless so that gave people a window into a world they had never experienced. [but then] Some fled to Open Salon and most ended up at spacebook where we are still in touch. By 2009 or so, spacebook was my connection to the world ... but blogging it ain't; Twatter is worse. By 2011 I was seriously traveling and photos became my way to connect. I ended up with many international friends. I blog because 1. I have to. 2. I want to most of the time. 3. I'm no longer consistent and blog less when I travel. 4. there are rules? 5. I'm a success if a reader leaves a comment." I would add: to get readers and comments I read and comment. |
| Write about something positive. What is something good that’s happened in your world recently? Share a smile, share a laugh, share a success. My neighbors are getting to know and help each other. We are not a very social building. So this is positive. My world is two rooms. I managed to rearrange things a bit so I can watch movies. I have a collection of about 200 VHS tapes. I haven't watched any in over one year. I'm not in the mood to watch yet, but I'm set up for when I am. I was given another bookcase owned by a friend who died last Saturday. That will help with my books. I'm trying to re-establish routines of reading, writing and prayer. There is no laughter, few smiles, no successes. 1.741 |
| Someone shared the poem “The Trough” by Judy Brown with me today and I want to pass it on to you. I found it incredibly comforting during this time of global crisis. In your entry today, write about how the poem makes you feel, or write a poem of your own. The poem has a beautiful flow ... like water. The poem is inspirational. True. But I'm terrified of water. The metaphor will work for many people; however, I prefer green grass underneath me ... at all times. That's comforting; drowning isn't. I'm not inspired at the moment to write an inspirational poem. I'm not in the mood to play "happy, happy, happy". I'm pissed. Pissed at deniers. Pissed at leaders who cannot lead. Pissed at Americans who care more about the almighty buck than they do about their neighbors. Basically? I want to tell people to go f*** themselves. With a broom handle. 1.735 |
Fill in the blanks in this sentence and expand on it in your entry: I think people spend too much time ________ when they could be _________. I think people spend too much time calling each other names when they should be hugging each other. ... maybe squeezing the crap out of each other? IMHO, part of our political and cultural dysfunction is this lack of civil personal engagement. Talk is cheap but war is expensive. Just saying ... 1.728 |
| 30DBC: "I need your help to fill the Challenge War Chest! In your entry today, write at least three prompts you’d like to see used in future rounds of the 30DBC. Then, choose one of your own (or one from someone else if you aren’t the first to post) to write your entry on." 1. Charlie ~  posted this prompt for MHWA: "What movies, tv shows, or books are totally overrated in your opinion? Which are underrated?" I think that "songs", "poems", "essays" could be added. IMHO: the clue is 1. the dichotomy of under/over and 2. having more than one choice. An example of a too-narrow prompt would be: "what romance novel is the best" or "which 1990s song makes you want to gag?" Because ... I don't have the interest nor knowledge to even begin to write to either. 2. Those silly '20 questions' on facebook are annoying because they either give away personal info or don't apply (like ... what was the name of your first dog/cat has been used for security ... so ... no, myob. Or what's the color of your first car ... because not everybody drives). That said there are amusing examples out there. Add to note: "5 questions, not 20 and tell the truth, tell a lie, be humorous, be creative" might give you my answer to one yesterday: 1. Something people hate to find on their windshield? the neighbor's puppy. 2. Something a man might buy before going on date? the neighbor's puppy. 3. Something you cook in the microwave? the neighbor's puppy. Signed, The Neighbor's Cat. 3. What's 'normal' or 'back to normal' mean to you? I commented to something Nikola~Loving Her Gracie Girl!  posted:"I wish I had family and friends to hug. My family lives nowhere close and friends? Ah ... that's an essay. Can we bring back the 1980s or 90s. I used to have lots of friends. Now? I look forward to travel, meeting new people, eating interesting food. For me movement = life, and sitting at home is like sleep, a 'little death'." 4. I like it when (insert name) says/does x, y ,z. I don't like it when (same name) does/says a, b, c. I think this would apply well to politics. One of the issues here on WdC is that people shy away from discussing religion or politics because (insert reason) and on spacebook it's s***-flinging which, imho, is no better. The inability of writers to communicate or critically think? Heaven help us all. A. I like it when Donald Trump makes us question how things are done. B. I don't approve of Mr. Trump when he demeans and demonizes others. My overall personal opinion of him isn't printable here ... 5. Religion needs a prompt. Not sure I can come up with one other than "which is your favorite version of the "golden rule" and WHY". Why is important ... I can look up the golden rule on the internet ... but I'd rather know why (personally) and maybe how you apply it. There are various forms in the Baha'i Faith. One is "Blessed is he who preferreth his brother before himself. And if thine eyes be turned towards justice, choose thou for thy neighbour that which thou choosest for thyself. Ascribe not to any soul that which thou wouldst not have ascribed to thee, and say not that which thou doest not." For me it's more empathetic than a quid-pro-quo "don't hurt me and I won't hurt you" and demands thinking of others rather than oneself. An example: I try not to negatively label others ... having been called names throughout life ... but this is still a struggle for me. 1.721 |
| 30DBC: Start your blog with these words: “Five years from now...” Five years from now ... will you remember me? Five years ago I was in Japan. I could tell you where (Okayama? Beppu? Fukuoka?) but I'm feeling too lazy to dig out my journal and check. 10 Years ago? Not sure. I traveled a bit in 2010, so maybe Costa Rica; my journal knows. 15 years ago I was homeless and penniless in Kansas ... yeah my journal recorded that too. 20 years ago I was sitting in a new-to-me vintage house. I didn't journal. I didn't realize how bad things were going to get. 50 years ago I had a broken arm ... or was about to break it. One of the best events of my senior year in high-school! I got out of swimming but kept book for the baseball team. We were champions. This year would be a big reunion ... if it's scheduled and not cancelled. I haven't received word. Five years from now isn't promised to anyone, especially those of us old enough to remember 50 years ago. Five years from now ... will you remember me? Those silly "20 Questions" on facebook: 1. Something people hate to find on their windshield? the neighbor's puppy. 2. Something a man might buy before going on date? the neighbor's puppy. 3. Something you cook in the microwave? the neighbor's puppy. Signed, The Neighbor's Cat. What's 'back to normal'? I commented to something Nikola~Loving Her Gracie Girl! asked:"I wish I had family and friends to hug. My family lives nowhere close and friends? Ah ... that's an essay. Can we bring back the 1980s or 90s. I used to have lots of friends. Now? I look forward to travel, meeting new people, eating interesting food. For me movement = life, and sitting at home is like sleep, a 'little death'." My flash for the day:
1.707 |
| What is the best way to spend a rainy afternoon? Looking out a window. Jumping in puddles. Staying warm. Listening to drumming on the roof. Depends on where I've been. I love storms and fury but I prefer to watch them from a safe place. I grew up with cold rain-at-a-slant; I prefer snow. In Montana it seldom 'rains'. Time to jump in puddles. The downpours in Costa Rica drum on tin roofs. Amazing! With rain comes sound, sight, touch, and after ... a fresh earthy smell ... petrichor. If it's going to rain all afternoon then I'd rather be inside looking at a garden than in it working. A book, a cat in my lap, coffee (always), a wee bit of warmth if it's chilly? We don't have much rain here = not an intense green. Not like a Kansas prairie when it rains after the burn = a hurtin'-eye green. A couple of flash fiction:
Two days of humor ... rare for me ... and completely ignored. |
| 30DBC: Write a letter to your younger self. Tell them about something or someone they should be wary of as they move through life and about a specific event they should look forward to. You should have bloodied a few noses. Sat in detention, turned your anger outward rather than inward. Maybe someone would've helped. But you wouldn't have grown up to be me. Maybe that would've been best, along with new eyes and enough food to grow strong and straight. At least they sank a fortune in fixing your buck-teeth. Maybe you should have trusted them, reached out, made peace. Bitterness doesn't heal wounds. The scars you bear are worse than flesh-deep. Oh, you'll survive long enough to make loneliness your friend. Too bad you never trusted anyone except ... but even then you felt betrayed. You will look forward to meeting Death. Like Max van Sydow in "The Seventh Seal" you'll play a game of chess, always knowing you cannot win, always befuddled by Life's twists and turns before the expected end, happy to leave hand-in-hand when the game's over. Until then, don't listen to anything I've said. |
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