

| Life, Adventure, Family, Writing what else is there? Random thoughts. | 
|   WELCOME TO: GEMINI RISING ![Gemini Rising  [#1051687]
Banner for my blog, "Gemini Rising" Banner for my blog, "Gemini Rising"](https://www.writing.com/main/images/action/display/ver/1136040625/item_id/1051687.jpg)            UPDATED INTRO 30 JUNE 2025: Just a little about me. I've been married for 33 years this past NOV and currently live in Southern California, but I grew up in New Hampshire. I've got 2 boys who are young adults. I work as a 911 dispatcher for LAPD. I enjoy my job a lot. Still. If you can believe that. I love to write. Thankfully both of my boys achieved Eagle Scout. My Scouting days are over and I'm back to focusing on my writing. I like to get out in nature, drink coffee and watch football. Here's a little bio about my zodiac. GEMINI: Gemini, the sign of the Twins, is dual-natured, elusive, complex and contradictory. On the one hand it produces the virtue of versatility, and on the other the vices of two-facedness and flightiness. The sign is linked with Mercury, the planet of childhood and youth, and its subjects tend to have the graces and faults of the young. When they are good, they are very attractive; when they are bad they are more the worse for being the charmers they are. Like children they are lively, and happy, if circumstances are right for them, or egocentric, imaginative and restless. Their good qualities are attractive and come easily to them. They are affectionate, courteous, kind, generous, and thoughtful towards the poor and suffering - provided none of the activities resulting from expressing these traits interferes too greatly with their own lives and comforts. Geminians can be successful in many walks of life though their general characteristics tend to make them unreliable. They are often skilled manipulators of language, in speech and writing, and may be: debaters, diplomats (though in politics they are more interested in theory than practice), orators, preachers (brilliant rather than profound), teachers, authors, poets, journalists, or lawyers. BLOG ACCOMPLISHMENTS: SEPTEMBER 2025: 
 SEPTEMBER 2025: 
 Merit Badges collected and earned from "Earn the Badge 2025" ![Merit Badge in WdC Supportive Friend
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 Thank you for participating in  [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September
2nd Daily Task.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/community-WdC_Supportive_Friend.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Earn the Badge
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Thank you for your donation to  [Link To Item #2133333]  - from Purple Princess.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Earn_the_Badge-2093257_1.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Music
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Thank you for participating in  [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September
 3rd Daily Task.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Music-1050.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Contests
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 Thank you for participating in  [Link To Item #2133333] . Congratulations on completing the September 1st daily task.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Contests-235.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Growth
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Good job earning the Growth Merit Badge in  [Link To Item #2133333]](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Growth-1150.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Word Searches
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Great job participating in  [Link To Item #2133333]  and completing the September 5th task.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Word_Searches-19000.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Teamwork
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 Great job for picking a teammate and completing the September 6th Task at  [Link To Item #2133333]](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Teamwork-210.gif)  SUMMER 2025: 
 Merit Badges Collected from Virtual Blogging &Virtual Blogging Friends: ![Merit Badge in Let Dreams Take Wing
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To my upcoming virtual traveling blog companion. Dream big and fly high!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Let_Dreams_Take_Wing-2335469_1.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Normal Is Boring
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here's to another week of creating adventures!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/Kudos-Normal_Is_Boring.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Blog Camping
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Thanks for completing  [Link To User elusive4lyn]  July 2025 blogging vacation!! Great job!!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Blog_Camping-1788309_13.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Travel
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Woohoo! We’re halfway through!](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Travel-1975.gif)  ![Merit Badge in BCoF 2
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Thank you for your participation in BCoF's 50 States Virtual Blogging adventure.
*^*Heart*^* Lyn](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-BCoF_2-1901868_14.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Endurance
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 51 days of blogging takes commitment, and you rocked it. 
 
*^*Heart*^* Lyn](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Endurance.gif)  SEPTEMBER 2024: I participated in the 
 ![Merit Badge in Nonfiction
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Congrats on your Honorable Mention in Blog Week Birthday Bastion 2024](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/type-Nonfiction.gif)  Big thanks to WakeUpAndLive~gummy worms BOO   for hosting the contest! OCTOBER 2024 & 2025 : I participated in the 
 ![Merit Badge in Halloween
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Congratulations on completing the 13 Poetic Days of Halloween.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/group-Halloween-2026567.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Determination
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You rose to the poetry challenges in 12 Poetic Days of Halloween in grand style.](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/general-Determination-2500.gif)  ![Merit Badge in Ghost
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Thank you for your successful completion of 13 Poetic Days of Halloween *^*Heart*^* Lyn](https://images.Writing.Com/imgs/writing.com/writers/badges/genre-Ghost-700.gif)  Big Thanks to A Warped Witch I Be   for hosting the contest! Find me at: WEBSITE: http://www.stephanieburkhart.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBurkhartAuthor GOOD READS: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4031660.Stephanie_Burkhart YOU TUBE CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/user/botrina?feature=mhee  WARNING  I intend to be open, honest, and forthright. No topic is off limits from religion to you name it, I'm going there. If you think you might be offended...back up now - this blog isn't for you. For those who "dare"  check out the "Gemini Rising..." ![Review Signature #15  [#1124507]
Another Signature Another Signature](https://www.writing.com/main/images/action/display/ver/1151431469/item_id/1124507.jpg)  | 
| ![Fireworks  [#1126582]
Fireworks Fireworks](https://www.writing.com/main/images/action/display/ver/1151852548/item_id/1126582.gif)  I just want to welcome the Blog followers to July! The 4th of July is just around the corner, and I bought tickets to see the fireworks show at Ventura college. We’ve gone before. It’s nothing special, but it feels more special than just staying in Santa Clarita and watching the fireworks at the mall. I love Santa Clarita, but fireworks at mall is a tad crowded and there’s too much asphalt. We’ve gone to Ventura a couple of times, now. It’s at the college and we get to sit down on the grass and bring items for a picnic. We can bring in coolers, lawn chairs, blankies, but there’s no alcohol, no pets, no smoking/vaping. There will be food trucks, which are kinda’ neat. I think I got an ice cream from them last year. When the boys were little, they went and played on the bounce houses. This year we just have Joey who is 17. Andy is on Catalina Island at Camp Emerald Bay during the 4th doing his Boy Scout thing. The only thing with Ventura is that it can get a little cramped feeling. Joey has never been big on fireworks. With his ADHD, he’s also sensitive to loud sound. The vacuum cleaner drove him crazy when he was younger. For a long time, we used to go to Avalon on Catalina Island for the 4th of July. What started out as a 2-3 overnighter turned into a week-long event. And trust me, you can pack a whole week of 4th of July fun on Catalina. We usually rented a condo on Hamilton cove and drove the golf cart everywhere. There’s BBQ’ing, fishing, relaxing, and the fireworks in the harbor were very memorable. There’s the golf cart parade and the USC marching band. 4th of July on Avalon was something special, and I think we did it from 2005 to 2012 when the boys were little. We stopped because the in-laws started coming and honestly, 2012 was not as pleasant as it could have been. ![Catalina Island 4th of July  [#2299324]
The Golf Cart parade celebrating the 4th.  The Golf Cart parade celebrating the 4th.](https://www.writing.com/main/images/action/display/ver/1688693811/item_id/2299324.jpg)  We might go back next year. Joey suggested we go while on vacation and Brent and I are seriously considering it – no in laws. We’re putting our foot down. I think Joey, heck - we all do - have great 4th of July memories on Catalina and we’d like to go back. The 4th of July isn’t the same when we’re not in Avalon. This year I bought some fun decorations at Walmart and Dollar tree to spruce up the lawn. I’ve got beads and headbands. I want to bring Popeye’s chicken to eat on the lawn in Ventura. Last year Brent made sandwiches and they were okay, but it was too much. What do you have planned for the 4th? |