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 |   Blog Challenge And Other Tidbits |
| An opinion or two...or three or four... |
PROMPT January 10th What are some of the routines you follow in your daily life? Do you typically stick to your routine, or do you prefer more spontaneity? Is it really January 10th? One-third of the month is already gone! My goodness time has gone quickly. So today we're talking about routines. Those regular little (or even big) practices that keep us ordered and hopefully out of trouble. Simply put, if we stick to the routine then everything else moves along as it should. Routines are good. It means we don't have to expend the extra calories to think outside the box. We just know what to do. But is that really the spice of life? I'm not so sure... I have routines. And to be honest I find them boring. I've been doing my current morning routine for 7 years now. Fall out of bed. Feed the cat. Feed the dog. Make coffee. Whine because I'm using oat milk in my coffee and not cream. Watch the news. Head to my home office. It's a good routine. It gets me going. It sets me up for the day. The problem is that it's boring. I find myself wishing I still had the routine of 7 years ago. Before my back gave out. Before I had surgery. Before I found myself managing pain every single day. It was a great routine. Instead of falling out of bed I'd wake up refreshed and ready to greet the day. I'd don my walking clothes and tie my walking shoes. Then I'd head out the door for a 45-minute walk around the neighborhood. Crisp, cold, muggy or hot. It was something I did every single day. I saw beautiful sunrises and breathed the clean morning air. When it was hot I splashed through early morning sprinklers. I met other people committed to a daily routine. I got to think and pray. I always got some of my best ideas. It really was a great routine. Alas, it came to a sudden end one morning. I went out for my usual walk and all of a sudden I heard some zipping and felt indescribable pain shoot down my legs. I crumpled right there in the street. In fact, my husband had to come outside and pick me up. That day was the end of that routine. I blew out my back and ended up having surgery. Nothing has been the same since. I long for that routine. I keep telling myself to find another routine. One that's just a good. So far, I haven't found it. But until I do I'll just stick to the boring morning routine I currently have. At least the cat and the dog are happy they get fed first. |
PROMPT January 9th What are some of your favorite foods? Comfort food, ethnic food, meal, beverage, fruit, protein, unique food combination, etc - make us hungry Favorite foods, huh? Well...I love just about everything. And depending on my mood anything or everything can be my favorite. I think it's easier for me to count on one hand the foods that I absolutely despise. But not today. Today, I will attempt to conjure a list, albeit short, of the foods I have loved my whole life. The first would be my mama's fried chicken. I have tried thousands of times to replicate that chicken and I have finally resolved that I can't do it. Her chicken was the absolute best. Deep golden skin. Crispy and crunchy with just the right amount of salt. Always juicy. In fact she judged her own chicken by the amount of licking we would do to get all that juicy goodness off our fingers...and hands...and arms. The second would be mashed potatoes. Again my mama's mashed potatoes. Now these I can do pretty good. Buttery and creamy. Never gluey. Always hot. With extra butter or chicken gravy. And the third...??? Oh my gosh, gravy! Gravy is another of my favorite things. And again it's my mama's gravy. But just like the chicken it's something I have no capacity to accomplish. My gravy is lumpy and thin. Mostly tasteless and way too salty. My mama's gravy was rich and golden with "scribbles" in it. You know scribbles, right? The brown bits on the pan that you have to scrape up? Well those little bits sure pack a punch of flavor. Liquid gold. That's what her gravy was. Liquid gold. We'd smother our potatoes and then use bread to get up every drop left on the plate. And to be honest, we didn't mind using our fingers either. It was simply that good. And who could forget dessert? That brings me to my fourth favorite food. Angel Food Cake. Homemade. With strawberries and strawberry juice. Forget the whipped cream. I actually hate whipped cream...of any kind. But the strawberries? With all that fruity sweet juice? Well that's the ticket for me! In fact forget the cake. Just give me the strawberries. I'll take it like that. Well...looks like my favorite foods actually make up my all-time favorite meal. When these four things come together it reminds me of home and good times. It brings me comfort and a lot of good memories. I'm hoping that when I get to heaven my mama is there waiting...with chicken and mashed potatoes and gravy and angel food cake with strawberries. And a great big napkin too! |
PROMPT January 8th Share a story from your childhood when you did something you weren’t supposed to. Did you get caught? Oh, the things I've done in the past. Most of them stupid. Never really done maliciously, although sometimes there were hurtful and sad outcomes. Those I am truly sorry for. But that wasn't the extent of it. A lot of the "naughty" things I did were actually pranks and jokes on the people I love the most. Of course, it's always the people you love the most. And one of those people is...my mom. She's been gone 15 years now, but she was my best friend, always, and I absolutely LOVED to prank her. Not because I was mean, but because she was such a good sport about it. My dad loved to prank her too. My dad and I were of a like mind and we took every opportunity to team up. Now don't get in an uproar. We were never malicious or hurtful to her. It was great fun, and like I said, she was always a good sport about it. Our favorite prank was the Jeopardy prank. My dad and I watched Jeopardy every single day. Even now that he's gone I still watch Jeopardy every single day. Okay, back to the story. We lived in Paradise (yes, the town that burned down) and being in the foothills we only got two TV channels. Yes, two. Hey, it was the 80's and we didn't have sophisticated equipment or technology yet. Anyway, Jeopardy came on at 6:00 on channel 10. And the same episode aired again at 6:30 on channel 12. When we figured this out we devised a little scheme. Dinner in my house was served and on the table at 6:30 every night. So that meant my mom was usually in the kitchen cooking when the first episode of Jeopardy aired. And we were in the living room learning all the answers. When we sat down to eat we tuned in to the second airing of Jeopardy. And because my dad and I already knew the answers we would shout them out like we were some kind of geniuses. My mom was amazed. "How did you know that," she would ask. "My goodness, you're both so smart," she would say. "How come you even know stuff like that?", she would wonder. We just sat back on our laurels and basked in our little scheme. And this went on for a year or so. One day, my mom told us she ordered pizza for dinner and asked us to go pick it up. "Why not have it delivered?", we asked. "Because," she answered, "I don't want it delivered cold. I want hot pizza." Well, my dad couldn't argue with that so we went. And naturally, my mom had timed it so we would have to pick up the pizza at about 6:10 or 6:15. That meant we couldn't watch the first airing of Jeopardy. But no worries, we could still shout out some of the answers. Boy, were we surprised. We sat down to hot pizza and while we enjoyed the crispy, cheesy goodness of a large pepperoni my mom started shouting out all the answers! She got all of them right! Our mouths dropped open! She played us like a stacked deck of cards. You see, she was on to us all along. She let us think we had her completely snowed. But then...she taught us a good one. She purposely set up the pizza sting and while we were gone she watched the first episode of Jeopardy. So she was already armed with all the answers! It was her turn sit back on her laurels and bask her own little scheme. And we were chagrined. It wasn't much longer that the TV stations figured out Jeopardy was double-airing and they fixed that right away. And of course that meant the playing field was finally leveled. No more scheming for us. Well, as I mentioned, my mom was my best friend and she was always a good sport. I look back on those days with a smile and a tear. I miss her so much. I miss my dad too. And in honor of those day I still watch Jeopardy every single day. |
PROMPT January 7th What skill (craft, instrument, sport, art, etc) do you wish you could do but can’t? What’s stopping you from learning? Off to a very slow start today. Didn't sleep well, and for a senior citizen that can be a disaster! My eyes are saggy baggy. My head is foggy. And I feel like I've been on a bender. Not good. Definitely not good. And you may or may not know what that means...the logical, rational part of my brain that actually creates and organizes my thought process is either sluggish or turned off entirely. And that allows the impish, non-logical part of my brain to laugh maniacally and run down every rabbit hole it can find! I really feel sorry for all you poor bloggers who will now be subjected to my dorky, irreverent musings. Be warned... So...what craft or skill do I wish I had? Ready for it? This is actually true. I've always wanted to be a spy. Yep, I said it. A spy. Down the rabbit hole we go. Why a spy? Well, to start I love mysteries. So being a spy appeals to me. I could find the clues and solve the mystery. In fact, I'm currently working on solving a mystery right now. I received a letter from the good people at Dear Holmes with their next mystery. It's a subscription game but it's a ton of fun and I get to put "spy skills" to work. Another reason to be a spy? The romance of course. Exotic places. Exotic people. Days filled with intrigue and nights spent sipping champagne. Sunrises across misty fields and sunsets across the blue, blue ocean. And never any danger. Yes, you read that right. In my spy world there's never any danger. I told you things would get weird. And with that my dear friend and fellow blogger I think I should meander back to the kitchen for another cup of coffee...or tea...or straight shots of caffeine. I certainly hope I get some sleep tonight...  |
PROMPT January 6th Write about something that makes you squeamish. What is icky, gross, or just plain “yuck!” Is there anything that makes other people shiver with disgust that doesn’t bother you? Icky, gross, and just plain "yuck". In my world there aren't many things that fall into this category, but there are a few... Icky #1: Cling peaches out of a can. Slippery, slimy and tasteless. Who ever thought it was a good idea to put soggy fruit in a can? Just the thought of peaches out of a can makes my throat close. Icky #2: Raw hamburger. Cold fat and sinewy meat fibers forced together in a cold lump that slowly goes from bright red to gray. And if you decide to make burgers out of it and have to mix it, then all that yuck gets stuck to your hands and under your nails. Gross, gross, gross. Icky #3: Pink slime that accumulates in the shower if it's not cleaned. I was a guest at someone's house and noticed the pink slime when I got in the shower. At first I thought it was soap or shampoo. Nope. It wasn't. I nearly threw up. Haven't stayed with those people since. Not-so-icky #1: Creamed herring. I'm polish. It's how we toast the new year! I grew up with it. Stop judging. Not-so-icky #2: Cold peas out of a can. Okay, stop judging. I LOVE cold peas out of a can. Who knew? Not-so-icky #3: Scooping up dog turds in the yard. I actually call this "gold mining". I've always owned a dog or two. And I've always done the gold mining. Geez, you'd think by now I'd be rich. Alas, it doesn't work that way... So there you have it. The Ickys and the Not-so-ickys. Oh I'm sure there's plenty more, but you get the idea. |
PROMPT January 5th What music makes you want to dance? *Jamming* Music, huh? This is a tough one for me because there's not one particular type that makes me dance. And oh boy, it's pretty sad when these old creaky bones get up to dance!  I'll have to say it is what it is. The stuff that makes me get up and dance is the stuff that makes me get up and dance.Although...I have to be honest and say that some of the newer music by people I've never heard of has been inspiring me to dance...who knew? Now if you asked me what decade I've enjoyed the most it would definitely be the 80's. According to me the best music ever came from that decade. But I also have to ask myself why. Why do I feel the 80's produced the best music? Maybe it's because I was young and in love. Maybe it's because I was at the height of my physical ability. Maybe it's because I was the healthiest I've ever been. Maybe it's because I was just starting my career and I was excited and happy. And maybe it's for a lot of other reasons too. For me, it will always be the 80's. So at the end of the day I know what I like and I know what makes me dance. And I think that's okay. |
PROMPT January 4th What books and/or movies are on your list to read/watch this year? What are your “go to” genres? Ah! The New Year's Book List. Seems like every January we make lists of books to read just like we make resolutions. Now this seems like a great idea, but I wonder how many of those books we actually read. I wonder if we treat our book list like we treat our resolutions. Do we give up 3 weeks in and move on to something else? Do we manage for a month or two and then slowly abandon the goal? After a few months do we even know where the list is? I wonder... I'm one of those people that keeps a very short list. VERY short. I think it's because I have "Shiny Object Syndrome". For me, books are the same as shiny objects...beautiful new covers, exiting plots, reliable business advice, new methods, new interests. I have the tendency to put a book down if it doesn't hold my interest and then move on to the next one. Good or bad, I can't help it. It's just who I am. And that's why the list is very short. Like new year's resolutions I can't stick to list for very long. There's just too much good stuff out there! So, what's currently on my very short list? 1. 9 Perfect Strangers by Lianne Moriarty 2. Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer 3. Stories That Stick by Kendra Hall 4. Whatever mystery I can find by Kathy Reichs Can you tell I love mysteries? That's the one thing that's never changed about me. My first mystery was Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective. Now that's going way way back! And then I moved on to Agatha Christie. Of course, who doesn't like Agatha Christie? Ten Little Indians remains my favorite. And lately, it appears Kathy Reichs is my favorite. Now I don't have a lack of books in the house to read. And of course I have my trusty Kindle app to use. But whenever I feel the need for "a good book and a cup of tea" I tend to turn to mystery. Especially on a rainy, cold day. With a blanket. And my cat curled up in my lap. And my dog snoring next to me. And an afternoon of free time. Yep, that's the best for me. |
PROMPT January 3rd Make a list of 20 random things (nouns). Try as hard as you can to make each item on your list as unrelated to the other items as possible. If your muse moves you, you’re welcome to add whatever commentary you like. A list of 20 unrelated things that are nouns. At first I thought this would be easy. But it's not! Who knew? As I worked through my list I realized something else. Each noun on the list must be unrelated to another noun on the list. But if all these nouns are on the list doesn't that make them related? Related simply because they are unrelated?   Some would say, YES and some would say NO. And then a discussion would occur. And then a heated discussion would occur. And then a debate. And then an argument. And then screaming. And then eye-rolling. And then complete silence because no one is talking to one another. In the end all hell could break loose. Just because of a little 20-item list of unrelated nouns...that, in my opinion become related. So, here goes: 1. Soap 2. Rug 3. Fireplace 4. Cat Stand 5. Printer 6. Push Pin 7. Razor 8. Book 9. Bok Choy 10. Incense 11. Chalk 12. Blanket 13. Star 14. Avocado 15. Statue 16. Geode 17. Rubberband 18. Gravel 19. Gasoline 20. Paint There you have it. At least I think you have it. An interesting note here. This exercise forced me to think outside my office and my house and my neighborhood and my city and my...well, you know what I mean. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I think this could be a great warm-up writing exercise. Except I would do it in reverse. I would start with one noun and then add 20 related nouns. And if I were writing fiction I would start with one character and then add 20 nouns describing that character. Hmmm...gives me an idea for future warm-ups. Who knew? |
PROMPT January 2nd Yesterday, we looked to the past. Today, we’ll write about the future! (No resolutions, I promise, Robert *Wink* ) 2030 sounds so futuristic, but it’s only ten years away! What do you think the world will be like ten years from now? What inventions do you think we will have by then? What are some changes you think will happen in the world in the next ten years? To think about the year 2030 gives me a headache. I realize it isn't far away, but for me it cements the passage of time. Half way through that year I will turn 70 years old. 70! That's a lot to take in. I just got used to the idea that half way through THIS year I will turn 60. And as I sit here looking at what I've just typed I feel anxiety. For me it's not so much about technology, or climate change, or media, or even government. It's about ME! How have I changed? What have I done for me? What have I given the world? Have I done what the Good Lord has asked me to do? They're all important questions because by 2030 my life will be 2/3 over. And that begs the question: What does the last third of my life hold? Will I have any limitations? Will my body still function properly? How will I see the world? How much time is really left? Ugh! I'm sure you can see why just the mention of the year 2030 gives me a headache...and anxiety. My hope is that I live well into my 90's. I don't plan to leave this world quietly. I plan to go out kicking and screaming! But honestly...I don't really care to see 100. So here's to 2020. I'll deal with 2030 when we get to that. |
PROMPT January 1st Welcome to 2020! As we start a new decade, take the time in your entry today to look back on the previous decade (2010-2019). Write about some of the major milestones from the past ten years. When you look back on your life over the past decade, what events stand out as most noteworthy and significant? It's a happy day. Happy new year, happy new decade, happy new everything. The holidays are officially behind us and the hope of good things to come lays squarely in the forefront. A door to opportunity, prosperity, and good fortune. So let's walk through that door and experience all that 2020 holds for us. That is my hope. And that is my wish. Not just for me. For everyone. Which brings me to...the first challenge of the year and the first prompt of the year. It's a great way to start. It was certainly a trip down memory lane as I sat and reflected on the last decade. Oh, I had my fair share of triumphs and tragedies, laughter and tears, good and bad. And like everyone, those memories will stay with me forever. But what stands out the most? What was so significant that it remains front and center? What changed me...the real core of me? Well, there is ONE thing. It's the ONE thing that quite literally changed my life. And to fully understand its significance I have to take a step back in time. Way, way back. I'm talking when I was just a kid. In the 60's. Oh my goodness! Now you know how old I am! But yes, it was the 60's. And it was a turbulent time. It was a time of change. A time of transition. A time for people to stand up and say, "Look at me!" Okay, enough of the melodramatics. On with the story... You see, I was born with a pencil in one hand and paper in the other. I entered the world with stories already in my head. I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. All the time. Of course it wasn't very good. In fact most of it was downright terrible. But I'd like to think that every now and then I wrote something worth keeping and worth sharing. Anyway, you get the idea. Writing was in my blood. By the time I was a teenager writing was my first love. I just knew I would be a real writer someday. Seems great so far. Right? That's what I thought, too. But sadly, it was ten ways from wrong! When I was getting ready for college my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I didn't waste any time in saying, "I want to be a writer." They stood silent for a moment and then without knowing they dashed every dream I had of becoming a writer. After that one silent moment they retorted, "Don't be silly. You'll never make any money as a writer!" So...that was it. That one sentence kept me from my dreams. Instead of becoming a writer I became...a financial advisor...how crazy is that? I worked hard. I built a career. I built a business. I became an expert in my field. I earned a ton of money. I was on top of my game. I was a top producer. I was happy. My parents were happy. Everyone was happy. But...I never forgot my writing. I still wrote after work, on the weekends, and sometimes in secret. It was my first love. How could I stay away? So I kept at it. "Just for me," I would whisper to myself, "Just for me." As the years ticked by and each decade closed I wondered why. Why did I have to give up a career in writing? Why did I have to keep the thing I loved the most something I only did in my limited free time? Why couldn't I be a real writer? Why couldn't I earn money writing? Why couldn't I just do what I loved the most? Why not? That question kept beating me over the head. Why not? Why not? Why not? And then...in 2013 I made a decision. I was done with the world of finance. I was done doing and being everything everyone else wanted of me. I was done not knowing who I was. I needed to find me. And the only way I could do it was to become a real writer. So I went on a journey. I studied everything I could get my hands on. I practiced my skill and my craft. I took a chance and entered NANOWRIMO. I started letting people read what I wrote. I gained confidence. I was eager to write. I also planned. I planned my exit from the world of finance and my entrance into the world of writing. By 2017 I found a buyer for my practice. By 2018 I transitioned my practice to my successor. And by 2019 I opened up shop as True Voice Copy. Now I write sales funnels and marketing collateral for small and medium-sized businesses. I absolutely love it! And the best part? I earn money. Lots of it. And I love that too! Oh, I still write fiction. Mysteries are my favorite. But I no longer do it in secret. I can proudly say I'm now a real writer. I can say that in this past decade I found me...the real me...the writer. And the real writer I'll remain. Far into this decade and for many more to come. When I get to heaven I'm pretty sure I'll find a shiny new pen and big pad of paper just waiting for all I still have to write. |
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