Music Notes

The Bard's Hall, June 2025, Entry 7

Ẃeβ࿚Ẃỉtcĥ StephBee "The Bard's Hall Contest" 

Sometimes all I think about is you
Late nights in the middle of June
Heat wave’s been faking me out
Can't make you happier now…
"Heat Waves," by Glass Animals.
video ▼

Ever since this song came out, I felt it perfectly captures the mood that comes around every June. Stifling air, short nights and long days mess with my head, and I feel as though I spend most of the fleeting darker hours lying awake, wondering what's become of my life. Things get done, somehow.

My writing goals are rolling along pretty well this month. I've cleared the third week of Rachel's Beatles Challenge, with twenty drabbles located at "Pocket Size Stories" . I'm all caught up on "Promptly Poetry Challenge (2024-2025)" , and a few weeks ago I passed the threshold to receive the PPC award on my "Promptly Poetry"  book. I've written three "Reflections"  stories: twelve down, two to go.

One of the stories is higher stakes, because it'll be my submission to the Quotation Inspiration, but I'm intending to write a relaxing “cozy story” and basically just chill, wrapping up my Reflections universe and bidding farewell to the characters I've spent three solid months developing. Whether it places or not is inconsequential. I intend to also submit it to Light in Mind and his Grill a Christian, to answer the question of “how do we find peace?” It may or may not be what he's looking for, but I don't think I'll have the energy for a personal philosophical monologue at the last minute, so a story will have to do.

Something I wasn't expecting to do this month is commission an exclusive Merit Badge Thanks to the generosity of my friend Sung'manitu who sponsored it and advised me on its usage, I now own a group and am waiting on a Raggedy Ann and Andy badge. See the group here "Love is Best When Shared" . I'm a little nervous about how and when to hand it out… At first I thought I would have an “at-cost” giveaway party, and then I realized I can offer it to 🐕GeminiGem🎁 as one of the monthly special writing rewards at "Merit Badge Magic" . I hope I haven't set up any false expectations as to who will receive it and who will be able to send it

Anyway, that was a learning experience, for sure. I'll be happy to own something so deeply personal and at the same time universally loveable. I also am aware of the limitations of my ownership; if there ever comes a time when I decide to close my account, I promise I will make arrangements to transfer the group to Schnujo's Doing Homework to maintain the existence of the MB. Perhaps I should prepare a WdC will…

Now for a moment of my "Tuscan Afternoon"  placed second at "Shadows and Light Poetry Contest" . It's the first time I've placed higher than Honorable Mention in the year or so I've remembered to enter. A humble thank-you to Rachel and Dave for running such a high-quality contest. My PPC5 book has four ribbons on it so far.

In other news, Dan Reynolds and his brother Mac have finally announced the upcoming release of a video game they've been designing and teasing us about for years. Mac Reynolds is the band manager for Imagine Dragons, and of course Dan is lead singer and songwriter. I don't do video games, but I think if I ever did, this one they're making would be a suitable entrance to that universe. I've read the reviews from game critics who were invited to preliminary testing, and they all enjoyed it, even if they didn't think they would. (A “family friendly shooter?” That's so totally Dan Reynolds )

While I was wrestling with stories number eleven and twelve of Reflections, I missed the kerfuffle Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic stirred up over June 14th. He expressed dismay about how the No Kings protests overshadowed the Army birthday celebration, and was promptly accused of being a Trump supporter. I don't know or particularly care what Ryan's political affiliations are, but I'm rather annoyed with him for sticking his neck out. I've already seen music critics poo-pooing 1R for being goody-two-shoes “church music.” The last thing I want to see is people claiming they're no longer 1R fans because of something he said being too “right-wing” for them. Ah well, it's just one of those social media dust-ups that'll be forgotten in a day or two. Much ado about nothing.

In the meantime, I shall write. I always do.

Words: 720 (excluding the quote in italics.)

Join "WDC Dragon Vale "