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A new blog to contain answers to prompts |
Since my old blog "Everyday Canvas "  became overfilled, here's a new one. This new blog item will continue answering prompts, the same as the old one. Cool water cascading to low ground
To spread good will and hope all around.  |
| Prompt: Write a poem about autumn for your Blog entry today. ------------ Autumn when summer fades, nature plays a wistful song, for soon, autumn will whisper soft and slow, wearing a cloak of red, amber, yellow and I'll remember tales from long ago, on nights wider in gentle rain, with scent of cider and fields of grain, harvest moon, and falling leaves with their tune a palette of colors they'd blend for my broken heart to mend |
| Prompt: What are your least favorite and the most favorite parts of an autumn day and why? ----- We have no "autumn day" where I live. In fact, we get no autumn here. Today is the seventeenth of September and it is more than 90 degrees outside; inside, I have the AC on. Still, when we lived up in New England, autumn used to be my most favorite season. Then, since in autumn, ragweed and other weed spores caused all kinds of havoc in immune systems, and no matter what the doctors did for mine, they couldn't cure that ragweed allergy out of my system. That part of autumn was my least favorite time every single day, until my allergies escalated to serious asthma and we decided to move to the part of the country where ragweed would not grow or at least, where it was scarce. Even so, a northern autumn day will always stay as a favorite in my heart and memory. My most favorite part of autumn up north was the changing colors on leaves and the leaf piles and the crunching sounds mixed with the sounds of laughter as my kids jumped on them up and down. Then, I also loved every single "good" autumn day. So, let me talk about such a day. Such a day began with crisp morning air when I stepped outside into the backyard and was greeted by a gentle and cool, and at times, quite cold breeze. It was fresh and invigorating, in addition to the scent of the earth and the fallen leaves, and I would watch the early rays of sunlight filtering through the tall trees on our backyard. As the sun hung lower in the sky and the day progressed, then those fabulous colors would be highlighted even more vividly. Later in the afternoon, a gentle warmth would envelop me as the sun chased away the morning chill. It was the perfect time for outdoor activities and hot cider or a pumpkin spice latte, to accompany the woodsmoke from the fireplaces. When the day would draw close, with the sky taking on soft pinks and purples, reflecting off the remaining leaves on the trees. Soon, a glowing sunset framed by tree branches would let me know that this glorious day was over and I would prepare to settle in for the night. To me, such a day invited reflection, comfort, and a deep connection to nature. Yet, it only lasted a very short time, during the first half of my life. |
| Prompt: "The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all what the world needs most are dreamers that do.” Anonymous At this point in our time, what do you think the world needs most? ------ It seems to me this quote itself is dreaming, as not all dreamers-to-doers do positive things. Take the mess in Ukraine and the Middle East, for example. Aren't those the handiworks of doers? I am also sure, those doers had their own versions of dreams and that's why they took such actions. Dreaming and doing can be a wonderful asset, but only if in the positive sense. Then, for a better world, in addition to the positivity of dreaming and doing, at least a few virtues need to be added into the mix. One should be, do no harm; not to your friends, yourself, or to your rivals and enemies, at least knowingly. Some may classify not doing harm under kindness, but I look at it as decent human behavior. Kindness, on the other hand, has more to do with action as it means being understanding and doing good thing for others. Kindness also has to do with caring about others and possibly putting the good of everyone or a specific person among one's own self-interests. Then, as a side note--as much as I appreciate most of the values of the Stoics--I find some of their values as extremely self-centered and unkind, if you check the versions of stoicism that are crowding the YouTube and the internet today. Surely, you might ask, how shall I let the other person know that I don't approve their negative or bad words or behavior? I guess it is a better idea to just walk away and leave them alone. This might let them know what they did or said was wrong and this cold-shouldering them may help to keep the peace. Coming back to kindness and caring for the good of everyone, first, one must keep in mind that all people need respect, no matter their differences. Then, maybe a few other acts of kindness may be added to the mix, such as: volunteering, helping someone with a difficult task, calling and reaching out to lonely people and friends, spending quality time with family and loved ones, and being generous both with one's time, positivity, and material things. Kindness has another side advantage for those who do kind acts. That advantage is compassion or the ability to feel with others, which is, in my humble opinion, what is lacking in this world, today. Only through compassion, one may show love and kindness to others without expecting anything in return, simply because they are human beings who deserve to be treated nicely and respectfully. We all belong here on earth, at least during our given time on it. Why not make it a place, then, where all human beings can have happy and decent lives! |
| Prompt: "Opportunity is fleeting and judgment is difficult." Let this quote from Deborah Harkness inspire your entry. ---------- I believe the original of this quote belongs to Hippocrates as, “Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experiment uncertain, and judgment difficult.” Checking up on who Deborah Harkness is, I found that she was born in 1965 and is a scholar and has written novels, at least one about black magic. I am guessing this quote is from such a novel. At first sight, the quote points to the tension between the need and urgency to act and the difficulty of making a decision before an opportunity is lost. As such, opportunities are temporary and can vanish in the blink of an eye. Most need a decision on the spot and quick action. Then, making the right decision on the spur of the moment is also challenging. It's tough to know if you're making the right choice in that moment because judgment isn't always clear. For this and other side reasons, I'm always flustered when I have to make a quick decision since my judgment may not be clear. Except for the life and death matters where I have to trust myself and dive in. And diving in was exactly what I did when a friend's baby fell in our pool and her mother just froze. This was more than ten years ago. Yet, when it comes to choosing between two plumbing companies, you can be sure I'll do some homework. In such situations, I just can't trust instinct. |
| Prompt: "Your bad luck will make for a great story tomorrow.” Let this Friday the 13th quote inspire your entry. ---- I guess this prompt is like the saying, "If life throws a lemon at you, make a lemonade." Well, okay. I hope you like lemonade. In my case, I even like the taste of lemons, which used to freak out my mother when I was a kid. I wonder if that was why I'm so drawn to written word. Lemons aside, let's first look at the word bad luck. I have to say, all our feelings about bad luck may be true, and our confidence in our sense of stability and security may be false, in the first place. If only because our planet rushes through space at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, which it can be--and has been--struck by asteroids, and also, there's that serious possibility of our sun growing larger and swallowing all its planets. Now, did I scare you enough? Still, this is all fodder for the sci-writers and similar people who are out to scare us, at the drop of a hat, from everything. And I haven't even touched the variety of viruses, bacteria, accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and fires, yet. And I won't. Not that I think of such things day in and day out, either, but the prompt made me wonder about what may be possible on a scale so large that it may even pass by our so called everyday wit and wisdom. Then, some authors do base their work on their life experiences, and if those experiences were to be all good, their stories would never be as attention-getting as the negativity that usually provides the turning point. By the way, I'm still suspecting that our love of reading about the attacks of bad luck just might have something to do with this planet we are living on, and not only for being out there in the space, either. I would write more about it, but I don't want to freak out any of you, who may be reading this entry. As for the authors who base their stories on shifts of bad luck and difficult situations, Herman Melville now came to my mind. Melville based his novels Moby Dick, Typee, and Omoo, on his experiences as a crewman on whaling ships. You and I may not be as efficient with our pens or keyboards, as Melville was with his steel point pen and an inkwell, but still we can weave a good story or two when we put our minds to it. Yet, it isn't just the fiction writers who use their experiences of bad luck. Almost all poets, our WdC poets included, use what they consider their real life bad luck and complain, with pretty and/or shocking words, similes, metaphors, etc., in their poems. Yours truly is guilty of that, too. Talking about yours truly, my writing about bad luck sometimes takes a funny turn. To adapt to a prompt or something, especially when I wrote for a contest, I used to make up a bad luck situation. Then, sometimes, I received reviews and comments from WdC friends who tried to console me and hold my hand through my fake bad time. And, mostly, I didn't have the heart to tell them the truth because I really appreciated their good hearts. This alone goes to prove how, as readers, we all are aficionados of bad luck: however, we need to remember that it helps to end our words with something positive, in order not to get our readers so worked up, and better yet, to give our work an upward turn. All this means that we can, in our writings, easily use everything and anything that is bad luck, real or imagined. Bad luck just gets better attention. |
| Prompt: Right as rain. Write about this term in your Blog entry today. --------- "Right as rain" is a hopeful expression that is usually applied to health. It means something or someone is completely ok, well, or healthy again, especially in the case of recovering from an illness or a bad experience. Charles Dickens's Pickwick Papers uses a different form of this expression: "right as a trivet." It wouldn't surprise me if "right as rain" is the grandchild of that expression since, in England in those times, Dickens's work had infected common speech. There is a farewell-to-a-lover song by Adele with the title Right as Rain. Here are its lyrics. Right as Rain Song by Adele Who wants to be right as rain? It's better when something is wrong You get excitement in your bones And everything you do's a game When night comes and you're on your own You can say I chose to be alone Who wants to be right as rain? It's harder when you're on top 'Cause when hard work don't pay off And I'm tired there ain't no room in my bed As far as I'm concerned So wipe that dirty smile off We won't be making up I've cried my heart out And now I've had enough of love (of love) Who wants to be riding high When you'll just crumble back on down? You give up everything you are And even then you don't get far They make believe that everything Is exactly what it seems But at least when you're at your worst You know how to feel things See when hard work don't pay off And I'm tired there ain't no room in my bed As far as I'm concerned So wipe that dirty smile off We won't be making up I've cried my heart out And now I've had enough of love Go ahead and steal my heart To make me cry again 'Cause it will never hurt As much as it did then We were both right And no one had blame But now I give up On this endless game 'Cause who wants to be right as rain? It's better when something is wrong I get excitement in my bones Even though everything's a strain When night comes and I'm on my own You should know I chose to be alone Who wants to be right as rain? It's harder when you're on top 'Cause when hard work don't pay off And I'm tired there ain't no room in my bed As far as I'm concerned So wipe that dirty smile off We won't be making up I've cried my heart out And now I've had enough of No room in my bed As far as I'm concerned So wipe that dirty smile off We won't be making up I've cried my heart out And now I've had enough of love, whoa Yeah, enough |
| 1. Prompt: James Earl Jones died. Were you a fan of this man? What do you think were his crowning moments in acting, meaning his best acting parts? *************** 2. Remembering 9/11/2001 ------ I liked James Earl Jones just fine. I think he was an excellent actor and gave his all to the characters he portrayed and his low voice was adaptable to many other voiced-in parts. Having said that, I am not a fan of anyone in Hollywood or anyone who has anything to do with the movie business. I feel there are many other areas in life that are more efficient in helping us humans survive, but those people in those other areas are never paid half as much as the Hollywood people, nor do they become half as famous or revered half as much. Still, it is sad to see the people who are close or older -as in relation to my age- pass away. RIP James Earl Jones (Jan 17, 1931--Sep 9, 2024) I'll always remember and respect him as Obi Wan. Here is what Wikipedia has about this actor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_Jones ################### 9/11/2001 On a much more serious note, today is the 23rd anniversary of the attack on the USA by some thugs that took down the twin towers in New York City and attacked the Pentagon. The New York's ABC station says this on the ceremonies of remembrance, today: "The National September 11 Memorial & Museum hosted its annual commemoration ceremony to observe the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, honoring the 2,983 men, women, and children killed in the 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, aboard Flight 93, and those killed in the February 26, 1993, World Trade Center bombing. The September 11 commemoration on Wednesday was for family members of the victims, who are invited as always to participate in the reading of the names. Families of those killed clutched photographs of their loved ones, leaving flowers by their names at the 9/11 memorial and take rubbings where the names are etched on parapets surrounding the pools. Many of the names were read aloud by a generation of children who never met the people killed in the attack -- instead they shared memories preserved by family." Also, here's another Wikipedia article on the memorial here in Florida, for the victims of 9/11/2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_Memorial_(Windermere,_Florida) |
| Prompt: "Fine Mess" Oliver Hardy often said to Stan Laurel in several Laurel and Hardy films, "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into." What is your definition of a fine mess and what kind of images does the word "mess" bring into your mind? ------ I remember Oliver saying those words to Stan so well, and if for nothing else, but it is because my grandmother was a fan of the duo. During those pre-TV days, she never missed going to the movies if an Oliver-Hardy flick was being shown. And, lucky me, because their fun was "clean," she would take me with her. And they charged my seat half price, too! Looking back, I can now see that "fine mess" was a catchy and ironic phrase with humor hiding in its nature, in the juxtaposition of the two words. Hardy used them when in a troubling situation. The word mess has a chaotic nature and points to a disorder of some kind, be it in a physical space or a complicated life situation. In addition, it can describe a person's emotional and mental state of being overwhelmed and in a bind due to complex and problematic situations. Come to think of it, in its other uses, mess can carry several different meanings. Remember "hot mess," "making a mess of things," "messing around," "Mess Hall," or "messing with someone"? In many situations, "mess" may also allude to a scandal, corruption, social injustice, joking with or about people, pointing to a time leisurely spent, and even a public dining room. All these ways of using the word "mess" show that "mess" does not only carry negative meanings. Imagine describing a child's play area as a mess, which I know well about since I raised two rambunctious boys. The word "mess," therefore, is a flexible, adaptable word that is full of many nuances. Now, did I make a mess of this entry or not! Well, at least, I answered the prompt, didn't I! This is because this blog is my very own "fine mess."  |
| Prompt: Dreams What do you think about dreams in general? And if you wish to elaborate, what recurring themes or symbols appear in your dreams? Are there any patterns you can identify? -------- Aren't dreams fascinating? I like them a lot because they often present us vivid images, emotions, and complex, sometimes senseless, narratives. Some dream analysts insist that falling, flying, being chased, or losing teeth, etc., are symbolic. I used to recall my dreams a lot. It was so that I would recall six dreams a night with all their details. This was so tiring, though! Luckily or unluckily, during the recent few years, I recall no dreams at all, unless I wake up at night and a snip from the dream still remains. I don't recall ever having dreamed that I was falling but I had many dreams and some losing teeth. I also recall that I was dreaming about family members, friends, and strange places a lot. It is difficult to write about any patterns in my dreams because I don't recall dreams anymore, and whichever patterns arose in the older dreams they usually were there for a while and then another pattern took their place. I'm guessing, during sleep, the brain puts together memories and emotions and mixes them up, and the recurring dreams are the ways that show the brain's attempt to process intense or meaningful experiences. According to Jung, some dreams use symbolic archetypal images to bring up what's in our unconscious to our consciousness. It may just be that repeated dreams and dream patterns point to some trauma or stress in the dreamer's real life. One way to figure out what a dream is trying to tell us is to pinpoint the feelings it evokes. These feelings and emotions can provide clues to the dream's message. This is because dreaming let's us peek into our inner selves and helps us confront unresolved issues and feelings. This may lead to better self-awareness and healing. Unfortunately, for me, as I said above, I don't recall my dreams, anymore. |
| Prompt: "Within the character of the citizen, lies the welfare of the nation." Cicero In what ways do you think one person's character can affect or represent or bring down a nation? ------- Definitely, there's some truth to that quote. Just look at what Hitler did. Then, look at what George Washington and his friends did. And then, just think what a great world we would have if every single person worked toward the betterment of his or her own character! The beautiful possibilities of this are endless. If a nation's citizens are ethical, responsible, and committed to justice and the common good, these qualities will reflect in its leaders and the society at large. This will lead to a more stable, just, and prosperous nation. On the other hand, if the citizens of a nation are corrupt, apathetical, and selfish, that nation will have economic, social, or political issues to deal with. In such a society, how can there be civic responsibility when everyone is extremely self-centered and egotistical! Which brings me to the current political situation. Why is it that one candidate says he or she will fix the economy alone and everything else is secondary, while the other candidate promises to deal with some certain groups' rights alone? Where does it say that any leadership has to concentrate on specific issues and groups instead of the whole nation! I think our leaders do not know how to think and consider the welfare of an entire nation. Instead, they pick on specific issues to placate certain groups for getting their votes, as if we are a flock of sheep that will follow them blindly. I really feel insulted by all this political hoopla. No candidate has said, so far, something like, "You're all responsible for this nation. Leaders alone won't cut it. Let's do this together, so each of you has a role in shaping our country's future." But they wouldn't dare, would they! |
| Prompt: Since this week is Birthday week at WDC, write something about Birthdays for your Blog entry today. ------- I do like birthdays. In fact, I deeply value them, except for my own. Too many candles on my cake, and that's why I don't care too much about my own birthday. I don't also care too much about recalling or celebrating my work and education successes and failures as milestones either. On the other hand, the milestones I care about are the important people in my life like my sons, my husband (RIP), and our families and friends. I also care about WdC as it has been a friend and a nest for me the last 23 years I have been here. Needless to say, birthdays mark another year of life. A birthday is a time for reflection on the past year, recognition of achievements, and setting new goals for the future. A birthday shows the uniqueness of an individual or an entity like WdC. Such celebrations show our appreciation and reinforcement of a relationship and allow a mental reset or renewal. And why not celebrate? A celebration is a opportunity for fun, relaxation, and indulgence. That's why we treat the birthday people with special experiences and those things that may be important to them. This, together with the festivities, creates happy and meaningful memories. As far as Writing.com's birthday is concerned, it is the birthday of a site that has become so important because--due to its vast resources, probabilities, and privileges--it has provided a common ground and a give-and-take opportunities among like-minded writers and artists in any stage of their development. After all, aren't these excellent reasons to celebrate and appreciate Writing.com? So, Happy 24th, Writing.com! |
| Prompt: Hope "The caterpillar feet were gone, the wings unfolded. One should never lose hope," Tomas Transtromer Write about this in your Blog entry today. ====== Are challenges ever inevitable? Good for you if you can hide from all the challenges that are thrown your way. I can't do that. What I can do, though, is hold on tight to a lifesaver, which is called hope. Hope is our greatest and the best ally, no matter the circumstances. It is what makes life meaningful. It is the light that guides us through darkness. It is the strength that propels us forward. Hope is more than a feeling. It is a state of mind and our conscious belief that something good or at least more acceptable could arise from the difficulty at hand. Why is hope so wonderful, then? It is wonderful and doable because the more I am hopeful, the more resilient I become. Hope inspires me to act and to seek solutions, however with small steps. Then, in doing so, it improves my mental health, and as a result I feel more connected to other people and I become more open to learning from our joint experiences, embracing change, and developing new skills or perspectives. Have I done all that in the worst of situations? To tell the truth, NO! I always allow myself some grieving time, but during that time, my mind, by my urging or by its own rote and experience, finds some hope somewhere. This is because hope is a source of inner strength and it keeps dreams alive, no matter how undoable. Better yet, hope lets me remember that I am human and what makes me human is (to me), creativity, empathy, and my capacity to dream of a better world. This way, I feel aligned with with uncertainties where hope helps me with a sense of direction and a belief in a few possible and positive outcomes. To put it in a nutshell, there's always a way out. Thank you, HOPE! |
| Prompt: Neighbors At where you live, what are your neighbors like? What do you think makes a good neighbor? Do you have any dramatic, funny, or annoying story about your neighbors that you'd like to share? ------- When we moved into our house in 1992, we were almost the youngest couple on the block. Now, I think I might just be the oldest one around as all the others went to live with their children or checked into nursing homes. Quite a few moved to other states. also, and unfortunately, several people passed away, some from Covid. At this point, I only know the neighbors to the left of the house well enough. The ones on the right, moved away about three months ago and the people who moved in are a young couple who are into jeeps and trucks. I haven't met them yet. All other neighbors are quite nice but, since they are probably much younger than me, they wave as they pass by and I wave back. So much for the street I live on. I think a good neighbor could be someone who is friendly, offering help if needed, and checking often on the neighbors to see if anything is amiss with any one family. Also, a good neighbor is respectful, and values everyone else's privacy, and doesn't cross any lines, such as blasting music at 3 AM. Talking about 3 AM, the people we bought the house from had moved next door to us. They sold the house to us because his wife (RIP) liked the floor plan of that house better because its living area was one open space and she used to have large parties as she was a member of several local organizations. Her husband David (RIP) was a retired businessman who was also a World War II pilot-veteran. They both were the nicest and the most gracious people. Now, coming to my mention of "3 AM", one night at 3 AM, David came to the back porch door and was banging on it like crazy. We both woke up and rushed to see what the trouble was. He said, "There is a guy running through the backyards of the houses. Be careful, he may be a burglar." We really hadn't seen anyone or anything, simply because we were sleeping, and we were quite confident that our neighborhood was probably the safest one in town. That night, David also went to a few houses on the street and woke people up with the same warning. Some thought he was getting soft in the head due to age, but a few days later, we found out what had really taken place. Four houses down from us, someone's granddaughter from Atlanta was staying with them for a while. This was because her parents wanted her to be away from the bad influence(!) of a boyfriend. It seems the boyfriend drove down to see her here, that night, and she was talking to him secretly in her grandparents' back porch after midnight. When the grandparents woke up to their conversation, the young lover had high-tailed it through the backyards of the houses. I don't know the rest of the story of the young lovers, but at least, everyone found out that David was really trying to warn everyone and there was nothing wrong with his head. I neither have those neighbors now, nor the ones I know are close to me. Maybe it is not the neighbors or the neighborhood that changed, but what changed us may just be the times and the "smart homes" with cameras that now electronically survey the area. |
| Prompt: Newspapers In the month of September, 1851, the New York Times newspaper was first published. In your opinion, in our day, are newspapers becoming relics? And if you were to establish your very own newspaper publication, what would its features be and what kind of news it would mostly contain? ------ The old respectable ones, yes. Such newspapers are already relics. But why should we be surprised? In the first place, the ease, price, and comfort of today's technology aside, the new newspaper people and columnists lack the intellectual capacity and the respect we used to get from the old and now defunct professionals. Unfortunately, journalism, or the art of writing fair, unbiased articles for newspapers, magazines, and other paper media is very nearly dead. To tell the truth, I can't even blame publishers and paper media that still insist working in an industry trying to take its last short breaths. Then, after saying all that in the above paragraph, who can expect me to have my own newspaper publication? It's now the newspaper trade that has become the news by shutting their doors one by one. If you take any newspaper today and look at its articles and opinion pages, you'll see that the content has become simpler and much shorter. This may be due to the social networks all over the internet and our ease of taking photos and videos of the incidents ourselves that would take pages to write about and evaluate. Would I try to establish my own newspaper, now? It would only take a miracle. But for argument's sake, let's say that such a miracle happened, or maybe all the digital and streaming media went kaput for a while. Then, that would be the rebirth of paper media. Wouldn't it! In which case, my newspaper would contain more reader interaction and fact-checking and strict editorial rigor. So, I guess, my newspaper would be something close to what the newspapers contained in the olden times, say 1950s to 1970s. To put it straight, all the news media today can be much more nuanced because a deep understanding of the evolving needs of populations is necessary. Even so, if we were to apply such reformations to newspaper publications, it could only be possible when and if a miracle or a catastrophe happened to all other digital and electronic media. While people are used to the new stuff nowadays, oldies like me still yearn for good journalism. I guess we are all paying the price for evolution. |
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