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For the avoidance of doubt... Yes... I definitely have an opinion... |
 Welcome to my Blog!! Having an opinion is better than not having a thought of your own. I have many of both.... Pull up a pew and grab a hot, steaming mug of your choice. |
| Prompt: Your theme song. Which songs feel like theme songs for your life? Or if you were to create a song with a message for your life, what would it say? *** Bon Jovi – It’s My Life. Hands down. I’m not sure why, bit it’s the one that immediately springs to mind. Bon Jovi was my favourite band growing up – funny as I think I was about five when Slippery When Wet came out… I think they are the band that most of my friends would associate with me (at least from my school years); them and Linkin Park (college and twenties). They were the first band I went to see. Jon… was my first celebrity crush – and I stand by it because that man is still gorgeous. Interestingly enough, “It’s My Life” is also the song I jumped out of a plane to. To me the song is about being honest and true to yourself; living your very best life and leaving few regrets. I can’t think of a bigger compliment than my loved ones standing at my passing and saying “She did it her way, and by the gods what a life it was.” I like every lyric in the song and they resonate with me: I do refuse to just be one of the crowd for the sake of an easy life. I do like to have a voice and to be heard. I don’t think tomorrow is guaranteed or that opportunities will come around that often, so it’s now or never. I do think that we have to live the life we want to live… because we only get one. I truly believe we make our own luck - as much as I love supernatural fiction, I’d rebel against anyone who tried to weave my fate – it’s mine, hands off! I’ve always found this song to be really empowering. Lyrics ▼ |
| Prompt: Writing Prompts - Is it easier for you to answer a writing prompt than come up with something on your own? And do you think writing prompts are helpful to you, and if you do, which kinds of writing prompts do you look for? *** I find writing prompts extremely helpful. They have helped me get in the habit of writing again. They are equally useful when I’m having writers block as they chip away at those internal walls, until I can break through. Just the process of writing – anything – gets my writing muscles working and loosens them up enough to get the creativity flowing again. It can be a hard and painful process. The results don’t have to be pretty or good. It’s the act itself that’s the key. It’s a bit like going to the gym or learning a language, I need to do it little and often until it becomes almost second nature. It’s why I started to blog again. Just the act of reading and considering the prompt and then responding helps my writer’s brain – without the stress of coming up with something to write about. It takes away that burden. I often find I end up bending the prompt to suit what’s on my mind or what I want to write about anyway… I think many people do - it's why we all write such different things using the same prompt. It's always fun to read other's perception and take on a prompt. It reminds me how colourful the world is with all our differences. They are also fun tool which allows me to push/stretch myself as a writer. To try a different genre or style. To just get my thoughts out of my head an on to paper/screen. All of which help me define what my voice actually is. |
| Prompt: Let's talk about naps. Do you take naps? Do you feel they're beneficial or not? When you do sleep does it have to be quiet or do the sounds of summer lull you into sleep? *** I don't sleep a lot. I suffer from insomnia, which is a blessing and a curse, as I get a lot of reading done when sane people are asleep. I'm generally very good at functioning on a few hours. I average about four to five hours a night, on a good night, and get to sleep somewhere around 02:00. Sometimes it pushes to 03:30. But then I'm up at around 06:30/07:00 and have a full day of kids and work. So, there is no napping either. Generally, it's manageable - I've only had to go to the doctors once for medical intervention and that was because it was affecting my memory and cognition. It was quite scary. I'd forget what I was saying during a conversation. I couldn't recall the way a room looked. There were big, missing, blank spaces that my brain wouldn't let me filter through - my brain hurt from trying. The medication got me back on track by knocking me out for a couple of hours. It wasn't good sleep. There was no dreaming. It was like falling into a dark void. But it was clearly what my brain and body needed to reset. I don't nap either. At least not very often. I can, when I'm ill, or if I have been on a weeklong stress/deadline driven stint - but that's more like a crash than a nap. I'm almost envious of people who can nap - like my husband. He can fall asleep quickly. In fairness, he works stupid shift patterns that change frequently and with little notice, so it's his body catching up with the sleep he needs. |
| Prompt: What is the most daring thing you have ever done? Write about this in your Blog entry today. *** I used to be an adrenaline junkie - sort of - I've been bungee jumping, and sky diving, rock climbing, and abseiling. All of which, I think, are fairly daring. The sky diving I did as a tandem, so I was strapped to someone's chest. There was little for me to control, I was just along for the ride... Fall... lol! A whole group of us went and the guys who "taught" us were ex-RAF paratroopers. You felt safe with them; useful when you are hanging outside of the plane door 10,000 feet up, strapped to some guys harness you have only known for about 3 hours. FUN TIMES!! I had so much fun, I wanted to do it again and again - but I didn't get around to it, and now that I have two kids, I have zero interest in throwing myself out of a perfectly good plane. For the bungee jumping I had to actually jump from the platform... by myself... I had to feel the weight of the cord around my ankles as I shuffled to the edge and curled my toes over it. I had to stand there looking out and down. There were butterflies rioting in my stomach - actually I think they were more like wasps or hornets. Maybe bats. They were way big and more frantic than butterflies. The guy in charge had an arm around my waist to secure me, so I didn't go too early. He instructed me to clasp my hands together and then dive off the platform. I kept bring my arms back in against my chest and laughing - nerves getting the better than me. My then-boyfriend and his cousin had gone first and there was NO WAY I was backing out... 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and I dived. I remember the fall. Holding my breath. The relief when the cord went taut. The adrenaline that didn't dissipate until well after I'd been lowered and released on to the air/crash pad. That took more guts (insanity), at least in my opinion. The physical effect was more intense with the bungee as well; my insides were shaken about like a pop bottle, and I had the shakes for ages. I threw up about twenty minutes afterwards. The sky diving was very gentle in comparison. Serene. I'm glad I did them - but I wouldn't do them again. I don't think my joints would take it. Nowadays, the most daring I get is submitting my writing for others to see/read. I feel a sense of vulnerability each time I do it. Opening myself up for critique. But it's also thrilling, and I think I'm equally nervous and exited to hear feedback. |
| Prompt: Worms - “A man may fish with the worm that hath eat of a king, and eat of the fish that hath fed of that worm.” William Shakespeare. What do you think Shakespeare means here, and what do you think worms are for, especially the earthworms? *** This is a quote from Hamlet and, like most of Hamlet, is meant to be morbid and dark. The message is that death doesn’t care who you are, that it comes for everyone, and that even a king feeds the worms eventually. It also reminds us in a macabre way of our insignificance - in our death, life continues. Fun facts about worms you didn’t know you needed to know, but now you know – you are welcome: • They are an important part of the ecosystem as they turn scraps into nutrients and minerals in their stomach and poop them into the soil for the plants to use. • They have existed since before the dinosaurs with the oldest fossilised record being around 514 million years old and found in China. FYI dinos only go back 252 million years. • They have five hearts which they use to pump their cold blood around their system. • They do not have teeth or eyes, instead they have a muscular mouth and receptors under their skin. • The largest worm ever measured was 6.7 metres long... a Rapper Giant Earthworm was discovered in 1967 in South Africa measuring 6.7 m, which was well above the average 1.4 m. • A worm expert is called a vermiculturist. • There are 6000 different species, and they are found all over the world, except Antarctica. • Perhaps the most famous is the humble earthworm. |
| Prompt: Library "A library is thought in cold storage." Herbert. Samuel Do you go to a public library? Are libraries still important in our lives? *** That makes libraries sound cold and unwelcoming… or clinical like the seed bank… A safety net for when everything goes wrong in the world and society is forced to live in the real world once again – not the digital one. Yes, they are full of information and ideas that are housed there on shelves and between covers until someone comes along to find them, but so are most things. Libraries have evolved. They are not just static, brick buildings anymore. I have kindle unlimited, which means I can swap books in and out at the drop of a hat from an online library at 02:00 when insomnia has set in, or when I’ve just finished the first book in a series and want to find out what happens in the second immediately… it’s not good for my patience level or my insomnia, but I don’t have to leave the comfort of my own home. I will then go and buy the book to add to “my at home library” as a little souvenir – sometimes in paperback and hardback… There are still public libraries, although I admit I do not use them, but I know many people who do, and I think they still play an important part in our communities. I have a friend who uses the library the old fashioned way – to read books (crazy I know), another uses the e-book function. I know writers who purposely go to the library to write because it’s quiet and helps them focus. Kids/students who go there to study and use the facilities – printers, copies, computers etc… if they don’t have them at home, or if home isn’t the best place to study… or be. The libraries around us are also multifunctional and serve as toy libraries and as places for the community to connect and meet. There are often baby and toddler groups there for story time. They often also house detailed, historical information on the local community; films, pictures, newspaper articles etc… most of this is available online, but it’s also handy to have access to it locally. And if the Day After Tomorrow, taught us anything they are a great place to wait out a snow storm… |
| Prompt: Think about the last time you cried. If those tears could talk, what would they have said? *** I cried today. Not a big, tsunami type of cry that leaves my face puffy and blotchy. Just a quiet, few tears. My husband laughed and shook his head (in a sympathetic way, not a jerk way). We have an elderly Akita (big fluffy dog for those that don't know - think Husky, but bigger). She is thirteen. She is old and stiff and definitely slowing down. She has arthritis in her joints, and it takes her longer to stand. She isn't as confident on her feet as she once was, and we've had to install a stair gate to stop her following us upstairs, because she can't come down safely on her own - her hackles come up and she's slipped a couple of times. Luckily, we were able to catch her (not a mean feat for a 50kg dog). It's sad because she has always slept in our room - overall she seems ok with it, though I have to come down to let her out in the middle of the night and occasionally just to reassure her. She has also started to regress in term of house-training; something she has always been amazing at. There are more accidents, and more near misses. She also seems more confused - going to the wrong door etc... We think she has dementia. It explains a lot of her symptoms, which are building and becoming more frequent. This led us to the topic of conversation in the car. The one that no pet owner really wants to discuss. We spoke about the practicalities of it and that it is something we may have to consider and some point, closer in the future than perhaps we would like. Location. Whether we want to kid's there to say goodbyes etc... The thought of saying goodbye is heart and gut wrenching and so induced my quiet tears - yes, they may have returned while I write this, because, well, I'm an emotional person and she is my fur-baby... I'm ok with my tears though. They are a mark of how deeply I love her, and how much I treasure every moment we have shared. They are a reminder that the day is coming when she won't be around, and to make the most of the days we have left - not to be too frustrated when she gets confused, or makes a mess, because there will be a time when I wish she would shred the pizza boxes, or hound me for scraps of ham. |
| Prompt: It's not what the world holds for you. It's what you bring to it." *** They are so many variations on this. It's a well-trodden turn of phrase. The world owes us nothing... Life is what we make of it... The only one that can make you happy is you... If you want things to change, you have to make a change... It not the destination, it's the journey... Leave the world a better place than you found it. It all amounts to the same thing. If we wait for things to just happen for us, it's unlikely it ever will, though we might see those willing to put in the effort seemingly get what we think we want or deserve. Most of the time we have no idea what we want... and even less about what we deserve. The world itself is just a big ball of possibilities. Countless difference places and paths that we can choose to journey down and experience. It's up to us to bring meaning to it and our lives. I like the idea of leaving the world in a better place than I found it, and by world I mean situation. I will have very little impact on the world - that's just fact - very few of us do. My name won't be remembered in 1000 years... it probably won't be remembered that much in 100 years unless future grand, and great grand babies are investigating their family tree. I doubt I will invent anything groundbreaking or discover a life altering cure.... In the grand scheme of things, I'm insignificant to everything and everyone - bar those I hold dear. I'm ok with that. But it doesn't mean that I can't make a small difference to the people around me; my family, friends, colleagues, and communities. I can make their lives a little easier by supporting them and in turn give my own life meaning. Since having children this seems to resonate so much more. At some point it became less about me and more about them. Making sure they can survive and thrive in the world. That they are not scared to take risks. That is ok to fail. That there are more important things than success and money. That they can contribute meaningfully, and be decent, good people. So far, I am doing and AWAMZING job - I pat myself on the back regularly!! I also have to give my husband and kids credit to... its definitely a group enough lol!! |
| Prompt: Birds *** I've been threatening to make friends with crows for a while now. My husband rolls his eyes and says "Of course you are" whenever I mention the idea, in truth I think he's fine with the idea as long as they stay outside. I've already brought a baby beardie into the house, which he's hasn't quite forgiven me for; Bernie is tolerated and entirely my pet. But birds... they are a no go... I often wind him up about getting chickens, but apparently, we're too suburban for chickens, so they are packed away with my dreams of mini goats and ducks... I may swap the chickens for ducks... we live on a lake so I might be able to disguise them. Crows are smart and calculating. They can hold a grudge and teach their offspring to hold it too. For some reason this amuses me. I also like the idea of getting little presents from them. I am definitely making progress... they hop away from me less; we have very meaningful - one-way conversations; and slightly odd staring competitions where we tilt our heads back and forth at each other. We'll be friends in no time. Part of me would prefer a raven, but I am not an ornithologist and can't really tell them apart, they are both black, feathery and huge... everything in Australia is huge in comparison to its UK counterpart. The only way I'll be able to tell the difference is to blow on its feathers to see if it's down is white (crow) or brown (raven), and in all honesty - we are just not there yet... I will keep you posted. |
| Prompt: “Anything with the power to make you laugh over thirty years later isn’t a waste of time. I think something like that is very close to immortality.” Stephen King Do you laugh at anything that happened in the past? In what ways does laughter help us? *** Laughter helps us put things into perspective. The way we see things often changes over time, as we grow up/older, as we experience more. Nothing ever really stay as important (negativity) as it once was. Even our worst experiences can pale as we move forward with our lives. Instances where we may feel embarrassed initially, can become funny later on. Especially if there aren't any dire consequences attached to them - they just become life experiences that we learn from. One of the most important lessons we can learn (at any point) is not to take things so seriously - some things yes - but not everything. There is little point getting ourselves twisted and bend out of shape over something that people will forget about within a few days, weeks, or years. There is a fab quote - though I forget who said it - "If something won't matter in 5 years, don't let it matter now." or something like that - I'm paraphrasing. I did a lot of stupid, naive things when I was growing up. Now I look back and think "really"... and I shake my head and laugh. I reminisce with my friends and family over the stupid things we did or believed. Those activities/events certainly shaped us as people, but they are also relatively insignificant against other things that have happened in our lives. They often remind us of a simpler time. They are fond memories that bring smiles and giggles and can brighten even the dark days. They remind us there are pockets of brightness, and again, can help put current experiences into perspective. |
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. My cat Macavity does a great job of hounding me whenever we have turkey because I always give Pumpkin and him small pieces. But Macavity starts from the time it comes out of the oven, impatient. And I learned the hard way not to leave the turkey unattended because he will help himself.