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Guided by prompts from WDC blogging challenges... and of course, life |
 This is a collection of writings prompted by WDC blogging challenges from "Journalistic Intentions"  , "Blogging Circle of Friends " , "30-Day Blogging Challenge" and, well, life.  |
PROMPT September 26th Tonight, tell us about something you have never done, but really want to do? Why haven’t you done it? I would love to go on a train ride through the Canadian Rockies, such as the Journey Through the Clouds or the Banff to Calgary one. I haven't been able to experience this wonder yet, as money and time have always been an issue. (Time on my husband's end of things, as I wouldn't go without him). But to see such untamed beauty! Imagine, a week or so of riding the rails through the Canadian wilderness, being lulled to sleep by the scenery that passes by, amazed by the wildlife seen from the warmth and safety of your train car. Blue skies overhead and an ever changing view outside your window. Seeing Nature in all her glory. That would indeed be an adventure!       PROMPT September 25th There's going to be a family gathering. Aunt Bessy is on her way. Uncle Clyde is too. One is bringing sweet-potato pie, the other ham-hocks and greens. Everyone is excited... but Aunt Bessie and Uncle Chuck haven't spoken in 20 years. Tell us what happens at this gathering. Aunt Bessie and Uncle Chuck both arrive within minutes of each other. You could see the awkward tension between them as soon as they realized the other was there. Their eyes locked and they headed straight for the other, all intent in mind of giving the other the a piece of their mind. But Cousin Bo sees what is unfolding before our eyes and jumps into quick action. He gets his sweet little wife Tanya to steer Aunt Bessy toward the kitchen to deposit her ham-hocks and greens on the counter and do some catching up with all the womenfolk, while he corrals Uncle Clyde into the den for some good old fashioned football on the TV. On the way to the den, he hands off the sweet potato pie to one of the kids to take to the kitchen as well. Everyone knows this stunt would only buy so much time before the inevitable explosions would begin. We all looked to Granny Lacey to use her wisdom to defuse the situation. So in her quiet shaky voice, she gave the mealtime prayer. When we were all around the table and had all bowed our heads for prayer, she asked God to help everyone set their differences aside that they might all be grateful for the day and being able to gather with family. This somewhat touched the hearts of Bessy and Clyde and they decided their quarrel could wait for another, less important day. |
| September 24, 2021 PROMPT : We think we know other people, and feel they know us. However, maybe they don't know us as well as they think. Tell us five things friends don’t know about you. (Don't share anything you aren't comfortable with sharing!) 1. I still have night terrors sometimes 2. I actually would like to be a Grandma 3. I am afraid at how quickly my memory is being lost 4. I really don't like doing "girly" things like shopping, makeup, etc. 5. I have absence seizures every day that I haven't told anyone about (until now) ....................................................................................................................................................... DAY 3237 PROMPT: Use this words in your entry: autumn, contentment, attention, season, cider, scarecrows and cornstalks. Autumn is my season of contentment nature a palette that calls my attention tickles my senses in its variety cornstalks drying in the fields will be used to create scarecrows apples and nuts are now ready to harvest while we sip cider and nibble pumpkin bread from a blanket thrown under the trees and leaves in such a host of colors! float slowly down to the waiting ground while small rodents work tirelessly to store food for the winter to come and the slight hint of decay can be smelled in the crisp autumnal air. |
DAY 3236 September 23, 2021 It's still in the 90's here in Vegas, yet it's technically fall and I was craving pumpkin bread. Does anyone think fall and crave fall foods? What's your favorite go to fall dessert? Fall is my favorite season of the year. The leaves turning colors and floating down from the branches, the coolness that the air eventually achieves, and the slight almost mushroom-like underlying scent of decay the leaves take on once they're on the ground. I also enjoy some of the fall scents found on grocery store aisles, but not in excess - I prefer to keep it natural when at all possible. But I also love things like pumpkin bread and pumpkin pie. Fall is also a great time of the year for chili and stews and other heartier meals that seem too heavy during the warmer months of summer. And... I am also one of those strange souls who enjoys candy corn. I can't give a specific reason why, I've just always liked them. ............................................................................................................................................................. I am answering yesterday's and today's prompts since I apparently fell asleep with my computer in my lap last night and never got yesterday's done (This is what happens when one decides to take on more than they can handle all at once) PROMPT September 22nd Do you have a 'Bucket List'? IF so, what's on it? If not, tell us what you would add to it when you start one. I don't really have a bucket list, as I mentioned in my post on Sept. 19 of this year. I have just been trying to live each day as it comes, being grateful for every day I am given. Were I to start one, I might put some travel on it - like visiting Ireland, or more of Canada, or travelling the United States in an RV with the hubby and visiting all sorts of places and playing as many disc gold courses as we could along the way (I'd probably only be able to walk most of them while he played, but I would still very much enjoy it). Maybe I would put on the list to make amends to old friends for our tense parting of ways so many years ago. If I did indeed start a bucket list though, the top of my list would be to not let a single day pass without letting my friends and loved ones know how much I truly care for them. PROMPT September 23rd What life lessons do you believe everyone can benefit from learning? I think that everyone can benefit from not always winning or getting what they want. There are always going to be letdowns in life, might as well get used to it. I also think a good life lesson is to be kind to others. The rewards for being kind to other people benefit both you and the person you are being kind to. Next, the lesson of hard work. Working hard for what you have and need in life gives a sense of accomplishment and pride that cannot be achieved if things are just given to a person. And honesty. Honesty is a big one. Small lies lead to bigger and bigger lies and lies to oneself. Lies ruin relationships and can alter a person's grasp of reality. On the more mundane side of things, learning how to budget finances can go a long way toward helping a person stay afloat in these uncertain times. There are tons more but, I'll let these be my response for now. ............................................................................................................................................................. LIFE 9/23 My body is slowly getting used to the demands of working and being on my feet so much again. But, I am starting to find unexplained bruises on my arms and legs everywhere which the doctors warned me would happen when I first began having to take the blood thinners, but I had not experienced until now due to my lack of doing anything overly strenuous until now. I have been so tired lately too. I have to say, it is a nice feeling, this whole body exhaustion that only comes from exerting oneself. I was so tired when I returned home from work last night that I apparently fell asleep with laptop still in my lap. Yesterday at work was a bit of a challenge for me though. Not physically though. See, the woman who let me go from my last teaching job happened to come to my current place of employment. I honestly would probably still be teaching if she hadn't refused to renew my contract because of my disabilities. There was also a bit of tension because her school tried not to pay some of what they owed me until the courts ruled they had to. So, she walks in to the store. I had a decision to make right then. Do I treat her like all my other customers or should I treat her differently. I decided the best thing to do was treat her like I do everyone else. After all, it is not my place to judge people and for me, life has pretty much moved on. I can't say the same for her. She refused to make eye contact, wouldn't return my greeting, then hurried off into the store to shop. I felt sad for her; that she has been carrying this with her for over a year. It reminded me of when I held onto grudges and guilt alike. I only wish for her the freedom I felt from the weight of all that when I chose to just let it all go and move on. If you feel you did something wrong, make amends if you can and move on with your life. Have a blessed Thursday everyone. |
Day 3235: September 22, 2021 Prompt: Do you collect trinkets? If so, do you have a favorite trinket in your collection? I love collecting trinkets! There are so many of them! Of course, with my measly 313 collected trinkets, I'm not in the running for being a Queen Trinketeer, but I have fun finding them around WDC. I also have quite a few favorites. The Star Wars ones (because, duh, I love Star Wars), all of the different ones showing things and places in nature (I am a tree hugger after all), those with uplifting messages and messages about Christ, and ALL of the the kitties! But there's one that I have that stands out from the rest.   |
| I never thought that going back to work part time would be so exhausting to me. I only got the job a couple days ago and I am already worn completely out. Mentally and physically. It has it's rewards though. I'm no longer feeling I have no purpose and I have something to bide my time. I have been blessed to meet a lot of kind people. And I am being forced to come out of my shell, which is just what I needed to combat this social anxiety problem that has been steadily getting worse over the last couple of years. But, along with being back around people, I have noticed that my tendency to "put on a mask" is still there. Apparently, even though I am quite comfortable with who I am, I don't seem to be ready to allow people who aren't close to me to see the real me. I still feel it necessary to stay very guarded and aloof around people. But, being in a job that has to deal with the public non-stop, I still have to be friendly. So, I put on that mask, even when I am quaking in fear inside because I have to be around so many people. It'll get better, I'm sure. Baby steps and one day at a time - just like always. And I have to remember, life is still just a walk in the park. |
PROMPT September 21st Tell us about any vegetable or fruit that you absolutely hate. Then think of ways to cook those ingredients that would encourage you to try them. Fruit would have to be cantaloupe. The only way someone might get me to eat any might be to slather it in whipped cream. I don't know if I'd even eat any then - unless I didn't know it was in there. As far as veggies, some of the veggies I like least would be greens. Not all greens. I like spinach and kale and stuff - I'm talking about mustard greens and turnip greens, those kinds of greens. I might try some if they were cooked in bacon grease with big chunks of salt pork thrown in. It sounds good, other than the greens themselves. But hey, I'd be willing to give them a try. |
PROMPT September 20th No one knows you can't afford food. You do not want your co-workers or neighbors to know. How do you manage? Do you go to a local food bank? Maybe visit a good friend(s) at the right time (Dinner time)? Do you somehow scrounge for leftover or unwanted food? I have been in this situation a couple of times while my girls were growing up. I have never had so much pride that I was afraid to let people know when my family was struggling though. Food banks can help quite a bit when a parent is trying to feed their growing family. There are also benefits in place to aid families in need (food stamps and the like). I wouldn't just show up at a friend's house though. I am sure others have their own problems to deal with and they might also be in need of food for their families. But, there's still the option of collecting cans to be recycled. They might not bring in enough to pay bills, but the money you can get from trading them in at a recycling center will help with the groceries. When you are in need, you will find ways of taking care of your family. And there are plenty of honest ways to do it. Word Count: 219 |
PROMPT September 19th Look at the photos below. Choose any three of them and write a short story (<500 words) to tie them together. (These are photos from my travels around the world. Read the photo description to learn more about it) Most everyone has a bucket list they would like to accomplish before they breathe their final breath. I've not thought much about it, even though doctors said about five years ago that my days are numbered. Perhaps I would like to travel around the world, seeing sights I have only seen on film or in pictures. I know it would be amazing to view Geronimo's gravesite. Things like that have always interested me. I have seen other Native American burial sites and plenty of cemeteries dating hundreds ago. My family cemetery itself was established back in the early 1800's. History enthralls me. That's why it would be equally as interesting to me to visit the Original San Geronimo Church Taos, Pueblo. To go and absorb some of the Puebloan culture, visiting the gravesites and seeing the original and rebuilt churches at the site, it would be a spiritual journey for me. Getting back to the roots of my roots. Much of my Native American heritage has been lost through the generations, but still some things remain. Like the call of my ancestors, places like this call me to them. But maybe I could go in an entirely different direction and visit the castle made famous by Mary Shelley. Imagine, checking out a castle that an alchemist had lived and practiced in! I gave a talk on Dipple once, about ten years ago. He was such an interesting character. It is easy to believe that he and the castle in which he lived had inspired Mary Shelley to write a novel which would later become a classic. Word Count: 323 Prompts: Geronimo's grave; The Original San Geronimo Church Taos, Pueblo; Frankenstein's Castle |
PROMPT September 18th Take us through a day in your life at your job/career. Talk about some of the more important responsibilities you have as well as what your major tasks entail. It’s always interesting to see how others work My job/career consists of staying home and doing household chores, taking care of animals, and doing whatever I want with all my free time. I think the most important responsibility I have is to live. Then it would be to make sure everyone is fed, watered, and well taken care of - the plants, animals, and humans in the family. After that, it would have to be making sure we live in a relatively clean home, have clean clothes to wear, and clean dishes to eat off of. No great feats for me, no big corporate duties, not even some small clerical duties. Just being home and taking care of those I love. And I think that is probably the most important job of all... Until next time, - Jenn Word Count: 168 |
DAY 3331 September 18, 2021 Prompt: Create a story using these words in your entry: Serious, curious, notorious, screams, unreasonable and seasonable. Have fun creating a short story. I read recently that the market for 100 word story is on the increase. This is great practice for us all. Asner was notorious for knocking knick-knacks off shelves. He would jump onto a shelf and knock Human Mom's strange bobbledy-head thingies onto the floor. Why? Because it was fun and it got Human Mom's attention. His passion started the day he had first been curious about HMs treasures. She had been putting out her seasonal ones that day: witches, skeletons, pumpkins, and ghosts. Asner had heard screams coming from the highest shelf so he had jumped up there to check it out when HM had gone into another room. When he neared a ghost, he heard another scream and the thing lit up. It nearly scared him right out of his fur! He knew what he must do. He pawed at the ghost and its head started moving too. He realized he had to get serious if he wanted to protect HM and the house from these plastic devils. He pawed at it harder this time, swiping the thing onto the floor. There was a small crash. Human Mom came back into the room asking, "What's going on in here?" That's when she saw the bobbedly-head ghost on the floor and Asner on the shelf. He beamed at her with pride. After all, he had just single-pawedly saved her from the evil little weird things. But HM wasn't so happy. She scooped him up and put him out in the cat yard. Asner yowled at the door to get let back inside but HM was being unreasonable and just ignored his pleas. After that, Asner tried again and again to save everyone from the weird things HM seemed to love. Every time, Human Mom would scoop him up in her arms and put him in the cat yard. So Asner decided that anytime he wanted to go outside, he would find one of HM's knick-knack shelves and knock one of the creepy things right off. And it worked, so he has continued to do it ever since.   Word Count: 375 |
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