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 |   Blog Challenge And Other Tidbits |
| An opinion or two...or three or four... |
PROMPT July 20th In 1969, Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon. Afterward, people commonly complained, “If they can put a man on the moon, why can’t they ______.” How would you finish that statement today? Collin sat reading his diary. No one knew Collin kept a diary and he liked to keep it that way. Collin did, in fact, have a plethora of diaries that he'd been keeping since he was a wee mite and able to write. And because Collin was now...ahem...Collin really didn't want anyone to know his exact age; especially since Collin himself couldn't quite tell. Oh he guessed he was some...ahem again...let's just say Collin had several centuries' worth of diaries, one for every decade. Suffice it to say, Collin had a LOT of diaries. And every decade or so he'd take a day off from his tricking and trapping and spend time with his diaries as he walked down memory lane. He stirred the tea sitting by his side and sipped a small sip as he studied each page. He was gladly reading the pages of the 1960's...yes, it was truly a decade that changed his world. Drugs, Woodstock, The Summer of Love. All of it radical and all of it fun. Well, most of the time. Collin didn't actually do drugs and he'd never been to Woodstock. But The Summer of Love? Well, that brought a salty little tear to his eye. It was another summer that his precious Colleen rejected his heart. But no matter. Something bigger and better happened that year. A human went to the moon. The moon of all places! It was an event for the decade and the century by far. It was amazing, exciting, and scary all at the same time. It was an event that certainly made one hold his breath. In all of Collin's...ahem...years on this earth, a man on the moon was by far, the most incredible event he'd ever witnessed. It was the best and most advanced occurrence he'd had the good fortune to experience. But...wait a minute...Collin's brain was now thinking...and Collin's brain thought some disturbing dark thoughts... If the humans could send another human to the moon, then why: 1. Why couldn't they just fall for his tricks? 2. Why couldn't they get snared in his traps? 3. Why couldn't they just share their tea an their cream and those little cubes of sugar? And most important of all...why...oh why didn't Colleen love him in return? There's where Collin stopped, his heart a little sad. It was Colleen again. And it would always be Colleen. For eternity. And that made Collin think one more time. If they could put a man on the moon why couldn't they find the one little thing that would make Colleen's heart beat for him? Hmmm? Why couldn't they do that? |
PROMPT July 19th Besides writing, tell us about a hobby you have. How did you discover it? How long have you been doing it? Collin was poring through one of the few books he owned. Hard to believe Collin actually had a book, but the few he had he cherished. And the book open on his table was a cookbook of all things! Who knew Collin could cook? But of course he could cook, how else would he eat? Anyway, Collin sat poring through the pages of his one and only cookbook. He was searching for that one recipe that his mum used to make. Sweet bread baked into a lovely brown loaf, and then served with creamy sweet butter and jam on the top. Collin turned the pages as fast as he could and finally, finally found the page that he sought. He tapped his chin with one hairy finger as he scanned the list of ingredients. Flour, yeast, lard, cream, egg, sugar, salt. Yes, he had them all. Of course he wasn't quite sure exactly how old they were, but he had them all the same. And all of a sudden, with a twinkle in his eye, he raced to the kitchen to pull out all the bits and pieces and stuff he would need to make his mum's bread. Bowls, pans, a whisk and a spoon. A board for kneading and a match to light the oven. Yes, Collin was excited to make bread that day. The oven was lit, and the dough ready to knead. He worked at the dough, just like his mum worked at the dough. He rotated the dough, then pushed with his palm, and rotated the dough and pushed with his palm. My oh my, Collin worked hard. And as his gnarly little fingers rotated and pushed he realized that after 400 years the knobby little joints of his gnarly little fingers actually hurt. Arthritis he thought. But so soon? Creatures like Collin tended to last at least 600 years before arthritis set in. That thought bothered Collin just a tad, but he couldn't think of that just now. He had kneading to do and rising to start. So as the dough rose, Collin sat in his chair, rubbing and rubbing the sore knuckles that were now swollen and red. Ah, poor Collin. What was he to do? He had to knead once more before the dough went into the oven to bake. He thought and he thought. And then he thought some more. Yes! He knew exactly what to do! He raced to his cupboard and dug into the mess until, at last, he found just the thing. The Kitchenaid! Of course that was it! He could use the Kitchenaid for kneading his dough! But his mum always said the Kitchenaid was the lazy way out. No one should knead dough with a machine. There was no love and therefore no taste. No siree, stay away from the Kitchenaid because bread wouldn't be bread. Collin thought about that. Lazy? Of course not! Love and taste? Well, that had never been proved. Bread not bread? Well, that was left to be seen. Besides, how would Collin's mum know what he did. He thought about that too. He rubbed his sore hands and decided to heck with the love. He'd use the machine if only to save his poor hands. And that's what Collin did. As the Kitchenaid whirred he rubbed his sore knuckles. But for Collin it was worth it. The bread came out fine. He lathered on butter and piled on jam. And tasting one luscious bite, Collin was pleased. He closed his eyes and savored his bread. He wasn't lazy. No siree. Instead he was resourceful and that was a feat. Collin had his bread...and he had his knuckles too. Collin just smiled as he lathered more butter and piled more jam. |
PROMPT July 18th Have you ever boycotted a company or product? If so, tell us the story. If not, what would a company have to do for you to boycott its products? So...THIS is a prompt that really stir up some feelings, both righteous and unrighteous. Causes, concerns, you name it. In the true sense of the word boycott actually means: "An act of voluntary and intentional abstention from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. ... Sometimes, a boycott can be a form of consumer activism, sometimes called moral purchasing." That definition made me think. And to be honest I couldn't come with anything that I have truly boycotted in my life. Well, knowingly anyway. But I also wondered what people around the world actually boycotted. Surprisingly, I found some! Here are 5 that helped change the way we think as a nation and as a whole, and all across the world. 1. The Montgomery Bus Boycott. During 1955 and 1956 African American people refused to ride city buses. It lasted 13 months and helped launch civil rights into the national spotlight. 2. The Delano Grape Strike. in 1965 grape workers, led by Cesar Chavez, walked out of the vineyards and protested for better wages and working conditions for farm workers. It gave rise to the United Farm Workers of America. 3. The 1980 Summer Olympics. That year the Olympics were held in Moscow and President Jimmy Carter refused to send American athletes to Moscow in protest of the 1979 invasion of Afghanistan. Yep, I remember this. Devastating for our athletes. 4. Leymah Gbowee's Sex Strike to End Violence. In 2005 Leymah Gbowee organized Liberian women to withhold sex from their men to end the use of guns and violence. Apparently it worked to some degree because by 2010 murder rates had fallen by 26.5%. Hmmm...maybe this is worth a try in other places. 5. Ghandhi's Salt March. In 1930 Ghandhi led a 240-mile march to the Arabian Sea to protest Britain's salt laws. At the time Indian's could not possess salt of their own. I had no idea. Salt? Really? I've only noted 5 boycotts here, but the list goes on and on and on. So whether or not I've participated in a boycott, I do see that the right boycott for the right cause and done in the right way does indeed have an effect on society. As far as I can see, mostly for the better. |
PROMPT July 17th How important is the role of music in your life and in your creative process? Do you write to music? If so, what kind and why do you think it helps? Collin was annoyed. Well, maybe not annoyed. Maybe it was twitchy. Yes, that was it. Twitchy. Because whenever Collin was annoyed he was also twitchy. His gnarly little fingers tapped whatever surface they were near, gaining speed as he allowed them to tap. Sometimes they tapped so fast it felt like Collin's fingers didn't belong to Collin. He'd sneer at his fingers tap, tap, tapping, and then with the other hand he'd rub his face and chin as if wondering how to make the tapping stop. His hairy little feet tapped too. Tap, tap, tap. Same as his fingers, his feet would tap so fast they'd make his leg jiggle. Repulsive. That's what Collin thought. If only he could control that annoying tapping. But why? Why was Collin twitchy and annoyed? Why were his fingers and feet tapping so furiously? Collin thought about that. He rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling while the tapping continued. Hmmm...maybe it was that one fancy trick that failed. Or maybe it was the trap that didn't trap anything at all. Or maybe it was that vexing Fiona with her sweet voice and lovely brown eyes. Or maybe it was the fact that Collin had, for the first time in his life, an honest-to-goodness and true life migraine. Collin didn't know. And Collin didn't care. All he knew was that he had to stop that infernal tapping! So Collin thought. And thought some more. Collin was good at thinking so he tended to take his time. And then...after some thought...in Collin's opinion some of his best thought, he had an idea and he knew what to do! Collin jumped from his chair and ran to his cupboard where he kept odds and ends and stuff he intended to use one day. He dug and he dug, throwing all manner of stuff this way and that. With his feet still tapping and his hands raking through junk, Collin finally found the thing that he sought. Aha! There it was! The one record Collin kept for an emergency just like this. Sure the record was old, and he'd have to dust off the ancient record player that sat somewhere in his tiny cottage. But the record he had, and the record he'd play! It was music for his soul. From a long time ago. But it was filled with flutes, whistles, bagpipes, and harps. Drums in the background and a fiddle to boot. He'd sit back and rest and let the strains flow through his soul. Yes, that would ease his mind. It would give him peace. And once he was wrapped in the notes and the words of his past, he could let the day go. Who cares if a trick didn't work or a trap fell flat? And who cares if Fiona was back in his life? Well, she wasn't really back in his life. But she was there all the same. And maybe, just maybe the headache would go. Collin closed his eyes and sat back in his chair. The record was playing and the music filled his soul. Yes, that's what Collin needed. Music to fill his soul. |
PROMPT July 16th NEOWISE comet: “Enjoy it while you can. The frozen ball of ice won’t return to the inner solar system for 6,800 years.” Talk about it! NEOWISE. A truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a frozen comet racing through space. Who knew? Scientists were lucky to spot it and we as mere humans down here on earth are lucky to have the opportunity to see it! I read that the comet is a leftover from the earth's creation. So I guess that means it's schrapnel from the Big Bang. And it's been out there flying around for millions of years. To me it's nearly unthinkable to think of time in relation to space. Millions of years...for our solar system that's like a day or a week or a month to us. But millions of years? My brain just won't wrap around that. I, for one, find space wonderous. What exactly is out there? And how far does it go? Is God on the outside? Or is God on the inside? Can God hold what we call space in the palm of his hand? Big questions, and I'm sure there are some big answers. And who knows when this one comet which is left over from our creation will collide with something solid and end it's frozen and firery journey. Maybe one day it will collide with another planet we don't know about. Or maybe one day it will just fizzle out and die. Or, maybe one day humans will know how to harness the comet and bring it to earth for study. NEOWISE is something that takes a lot of brain power and a lot of time to consider and contemplate. I've been out for a couple of nights trying to see it, but I've had no luck. But I think it's okay to rely on the pictures we have to get an idea of what it looks like. And thanks to our scientists and the NEOWISE space technology we actually have something "solid" to look at. Would it be corny right now to bring up an old line from Star Trek? "Space. The Final Frontier..." And Comet NEOWISE proves that. |
PROMPT July 15th Describe your sense of humor. Is it dark, sarcastic, slapstick, silly, or something else? Do you have any favorite comedians? What always makes you laugh? I can always find something to laugh about. It's what keeps me happy. Besides, I've always seen the world as a very funny place. My husband is the same way. Good thing, because we like to play jokes on each other. And if we didn't have the same kind of humor then I'm positive we'd be at each other's throats, for sure. Recently, we signed up for Hulu. For about five dollars a month we can find some pretty good shows to watch. And one of the things about Hulu is that you can set up different profiles for each person. So...there's a profile for him, and a profile for me. You can also name each profile. So instead of just "Mary's Profile" or "Bret's Profile" we can enter something else. Well, my husband took full advantage of that. He named his profile "Bret's Highbrow Cinema". Corny, but true. I told him he thought too much of himself. And then I made a joke that I was going to name my profile "Mary's Higherbrow Cinema". We both laughed, but at that exact moment we both knew the war was on. I sat down yesterday to find something on Hulu and when I went to my profile it said, "Mary's Trailer Trash Movies." Ha! Not so! I went back and renamed it "Mary's Higherbrow Theater." And then...I went into his profile and named it "Bret's Lowbrow Junk TV." I giggled and turned off the TV. That was enough entertainment for me. My husband hasn't seen his profile yet, and right now I'm just waiting to hear what he says. But the war is on. I expect my profile to be changed to something atrocious next time I'm looking at Hulu. Honestly, we didn't sign up for Hulu so we could have profile naming wars, but it sure is fun. We'll see how long we can keep it going. So yes, I have an odd sense of humor. But then again, I see the world as a very funny place. |
PROMPT July 14th If you won a free trip to any foreign country, all expenses paid in your own private jet and had the time to go (and there were no travel restrictions due to a global pandemic *Pthb*), what is the first foreign country you would visit? Who would you bring with you? What would you spend your time doing? I actually did receive an all-expense paid trip to anyplace in the world I chose to visit. It was bonus for a job well-done and it was from the owners of a company I just despised. I tried hard not to accept the trip...but...who could really turn down a trip to anywhere with all expenses paid? I hate to say it, but as much as I wanted to stand tall for a cause in this company, I literally caved. I took the bonus with a smile on my face and ran home to Spouse, and immediately started to plan. We thought about it for a very long time. That's because we are the type of people that NEVER do ANYTHING fast. Honestly, it took us 3 years just to buy the HD TV we wanted. That's because my husband is a research maniac. Sometimes it drives me crazy. But I digress. Back to the trip. After doing more research than just about anyone on the planet we decided to travel to England. We reasoned that it would be easier to navigate seeing as how we already spoke English. And at the time the British Pound was a lot cheaper than it is today. So we finalized our plans and off we went. It was a spectacular trip! London is one of those gritty cities that's grimy and raw and beautiful all at the same time. The Underground is a nightmare, but a fun one. Always packed with people of every kind..dubious at best. The parks are lush and green and filled with artisans, buskers, nannies, children, and tourists of every kind. Just a note here. It's very easy to pick out the Londoners. They are dressed up and ready to get on with their day. We Americans are very casual. It's easy to spot us with bluejeans and t-shirts and money flying everywhere. And then there's the food. Bland at best but the pubs are a lot of fun. If you like fried fish with french fries and a pint, then London is the place for you! I remember ordering a glass of water at a pub. The waiter asked, "Still?" I was confused and responded, "Yes, I would STILL like some water." He was also confused and responded, "No...do you want bubbles in your water?" I said I didn't. He said, "Then you'll want still." It all made sense then! My favorites? The outdoor markets. The Crown Jewels. The Tower of London. The Tower Bridge. Picadilly Circus. The taxis, the people, the weather. I fell in love with London. Gritty, grimy, raw, yet inviting, beautiful, comforting. London beckons and invites you back. And yes, I hear the call... Before I leave, here's one interesting fact about the people of London: They see us Americans as their long-lost cousins. One Beefeater told us that one day in the future we'll all be British again.  |
PROMPT July 13th Write about your favorite summer activity. Collin tiptoed up to the back gate of the little blue house that sat at the end of the lane very near the thickest part of the forest. Collin loved that house. Not because the family was the nicest family on the lane. Not because blue was his favorite color. And not because a peach tree laden with fruit bent its boughs wide so any passerby could enjoy its peachy bounty. No, it wasn't any of those things. It was, in fact, the thing that hung from two sturdy trees among the canopy that shaded the house so nicely. The hammock. That's what it was. Soft, comfy netting with a pillow to boot. It was perfect. And Collin just had to try it. Collin could picture spending a day in that net. Reading a book and staring up through the trees. Swaying, swinging, sleeping, snoring. The best of the best. Just the thought of lazing the day away comfortably wrapped in the hammock made Collin giggle with glee. But Collin had a problem. The house wasn't his. The hammock wasn't his. In fact, nothing was his. So Collin made a plan. He'd watch and he'd wait. He'd watch the family that lived in the little blue house at the end of the lane. He'd watch them to see how they spent each summer day. He'd watch them swing and sway in that glorious hammock. And then he'd wait. He'd wait for his chance when they drove off for a day at the beach. Or a day at the park. Or a day in the town. He'd wait for them to drive off and then he'd head for the hammock. Yes, that's what Collin planned. And that's how he found himself tiptoeing up to the gate at the back. He'd seen the family drive off with their picnic basket and beach ball and sunglasses perched on their heads. He'd let the dust settle and he'd counted to ten. No, twenty. Twenty was safer. They would definitely be down the lane and out of sight by the count of twenty. Collin crept up to the gate and gently opened the latch. He tiptoed into the yard, his sandals crunching softly on the hot prickly gravel. He went round to the back...and...there it was...that beautiful, glorious hammock! He squeezed his eyes and stifled a snort, because after all, quiet was the key. If he was quiet enough no one would know. And if no one would know then Collin was thrilled. So he hunched down low and scurried to the hammock. Then he threw himself in, nearly rolling out the other side. But quickly, Collin got the hang of it and settled himself in. And then he let the thing sway. He would sway all day. Under a canopy of trees that shaded the little blue house at the end of the lane near the the thickest part of the forest. For Collin, life was good. |
PROMPT July 12th When did you first start blogging? (anywhere, not necessarily on WDC) Why? What did you blog about? (subjects, topics, personal news, etc.) Has your blogging style changed since you began? Great prompt for today. And yesterday too. Remember we were asked to write about what life would be like if humans hadn't invented...fill in the blank...and yesterday I didn't even think of how we write today, and the fact that we call it blogging! I guess I have to say that before we all had a blog we actually had a diary. And diaries have been around forever. I grew up thinking that only women kept diaries. It's where school girls who kept their secret thoughts about their latest crush. Thoughts about their first kiss. Thoughts about their friends and teachers and parents. It was a way to reconcile the craziness of being a teenager. But men kept, and still keep diaries. Sure, they don't look like little pink books filled with fancy paper. Men keep notebooks. Spiral bound. Maybe even a hardback journal. Us humans have been writing stuff down for centuries. And I'm no different. Like I said once before, I was born with a pencil in one hand and a notebook in the other. I've been writing since I was a child. Silly things, really. Or maybe not. A poem here and there. A little note to my mom or dad. A lengthy chronicle of some injustice. Bits and pieces of new stories. All kept secretly and lovingly in storage boxes. Yep, that's true. Most everything I've ever written on paper is kept in a box. Neatly titled or neatly labeled. Will I ever go back and read all that stuff? Probably not. Unless I feel like a trip down memory lane. And to be honest I do that sometimes. I sift through old stories and poems and let the memories flood me. Some of those old writings are pretty good. Some are complete trash. When I came to WDC back in 2008 I was intrigued by this thing called "blog". It took me quite a while to set it up because I was so intimidated by the concept. In fact, I used to write my posts on pieces of paper and then transcribe them into my blog. Talk about work! Eventually I got used to just typing my thoughts. And then I got used to organizing those thoughts. And then I realized I could run in any possible direction with my blog. After all, it's MY blog. I am always thrilled when people read my blog. And I love the comments I receive. I've gotten great suggestions from everyone, and I take those suggestions seriously. Do I still keep a diary? No. I've outgrown that. Do I still keep a journal? Yes. And that's because I still feel the most creative when I'm writing on paper with ink. Will I continue to blog? Yes. I will continue to blog because in today's world that's what we do. We blog. And I'm no different. |
PROMPT July 11th Imagine what the world would be like today if humans had never discovered/invented _________ (fill in the blank). Sometimes when I sit back to think and ponder I am amazed at where we are in the world today. With its technology and worldwide connection and advanced medicine and even an advanced food system, the world I, and we, live in is still not so advanced that it could crumble in one single moment. And that's the tremendous power of the human mind and spirit. We adapt and we survive no matter what. So everything I know today will be terribly outdated in just a few short years...just like most things in our world. So I did some deeper thinking for today's prompt and I remembered a book I read a very long time ago. I was on a flight home from England and I was reading a book I picked up in the airport. It's called "The Year 1000". It's all about what life was like at the turn of the millennium. Each story in the book is fascinating and made me appreciate what all of us have today. For instance: 1. The Wheeled Plough. Although it wasn't a new invention, it was first used by the English in the year 1,000. The benefit was that it allowed only two men to till the dirt rather than and entire army of men. And it took less time. Because of the Wheeled Plough England was able to support a population of at least one million souls. Yes, quite an interesting fact. 2. Chicken Soup. Although soup had been around for a very long time, chicken was considered a luxury food in the year 1,000. And it was hard to get. Surprising to think chicken was hard to get. But it was raised organically and full of good fat that turned a simple broth into a soothing and restorative elixir. Of course, I've always known chicken soup cures everything! 3. Honey was the principal source of sweetness in the year 1,000. It was so precious that it could be used like currency. People were actually excited when a swarm of bees settled on their thatch. Catholic priests even developed a prayer to encourage bees to settle. My, my, my how things have changed. These are only a few examples found in the book, but I think it's a good look back. And it makes me grateful that I have what I have today. We have all kinds of equipment and science to support our food chain. Apparently chicken soup has been around since time began, literally. I couldn't live without chicken soup. And honey? For me honey is a treat. It's still a luxury for me. Could I have lived in the year 1,000? Maybe or maybe not. Sometimes I wonder what it would have truly been like. And that makes me think of people in the future. Will the people of the year 3,000 wonder what it was like to live in the year 2,000? Hmmm...makes me think. |
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