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 |   My first blog |
This is my first ever blog, so I'm not really sure what I'm doing  . I guess I'll learn as I go along.
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Day Twenty-Four ~ If you had a "spirit animal" that wasn't an animal, what would yours be? (Pretty sure mine's a burrito in case anyone asks, but no one is and I could be totally wrong  ). And what would you think some of your fellow bloggers' "spirit animals (that aren't animals)" are?The first thought that comes to mind is I would have to be chocolate. Seriously. I would be, like, a big bar of Dairy Milk because it's my favourite. Also, because it has pretty, shiny, purple paper. So I would be delicious on the outside and smooth and addictive inside . Oh, so that's so funny. That's not me at all. But I do think I would be a big bar of Dairy Milk. Or maybe hot chocolate. Dairy Milk, again. I would come in a pretty purple tub, and then when made into a drink I would have super sweet marsh mallows on the surface, and as you dig deeper, you would find I am richer and have more substance than you first thought. I don't know. This is a tricky one, Fivesixer!As for other people . . . Jay O'Toole  , I think you would be the sun. You shine brightly everyday, lighting up the worlds of all you encounter.paddy1, my first thought for you was a butterfly. Then I realised that's an animal  . So, non animal . . . a set of watercolour paints because I know you are artistic. Also, paints can be used to create anything you wish, and can take you anywhere you wish. They have a freedom to them, in that you can create whatever you want.Lostwordsmith  , you are definitely a graceful fountain pen. Your writing is beautiful and creative, so this is perfect for you. It also reflects the way you have a need to write. After leaving us, you couldn't stay away. You had to keep writing. So you are a fountain pen.Schnujo  , I think your spirit non-animal is a compass. You have travelled a lot, and I think sometimes it's been difficult to find your way home. Even once home, I think you lost your way a little, but now you're on track to finding it again. So a compass will help you with this.I can't think of any more. This was a tricky one. It will be interesting to see what everyone else has put! |
| Actress Tiffani Thiessen, born on this day in 1974, once said "When you interact with someone you always take something from them." What is something you've been able to take with you from any of your fellow challengers so far this month, and how have you been inspired by each other? I'm not sure anyone has been particularly inspired by anything I have said this month. I guess a couple of people have mentioned they liked certain things I've written (like, my actual writing) but I wouldn't go as far as to say I inspired them. It is the best feeling, knowing that other writers appreciate a specific turn of phrase, or style in your writing. I have found lots of inspiration is this blogging experience. I think right at the top of that is Schnujo . After her brain injury in Iraq, and having to rebuild her life, she is doing so well now. She hasn't given up, and she's getting better all the time. She has bags of courage, and she supports others and frequently makes us laugh. That is inspirational.Jay O'Toole . . . What can I say? This guy is one big hunk of inspiration. He is always cheerful and supportive. His enthusiasm for everything he does, both in writing and real life life, is infectious. It's impossible not to feel inspired by him. And he is super talented, to boot!paddy1. I love how I've got to know her so much better through 30DBC. Her life story is one of great courage, hope, and belief. She came from a difficult childhood and made it through some horrible life experiences. Not only that, she moved, on her own with her daughter, to the other side of the world and started a new life. That must have taken so much courage. I can't even imagine doing that. But she came through, and found a wonderful new life. Now, in her writing, there is a positivity that I find inspirational. Truly. I'm so happy I got to know you better, Paddy! So those are the people who come to mind with this prompt. There are many others, and I'm sorry I haven't mentioned you! I have found this experience pretty inspirational, in general. It's interesting to meet new people, and to get an understanding for people I already knew. As for me? I can't imagine I have been that inspirational to anyone. Seriously. |
The Sunday News! Seven WDC authors were just promoted to Moderator status! ("Note: Congratulations to...") Visit one of their ports and review one of their items...and in your entry here, now would be a good time to tell us what your goals are for being with WDC (whether you're a newbie or someone who's been around the block awhile). Make sure you include your review, using the Invalid Review  tag. New Mods! Woohoo! I don't think I've seen a moderator promotion since I've been here. I could be wrong. This is the review I chose to write for Bruce.  : Review of "Dear Daughter" I chose to review Bruce because he was the only new mod who I don't think I've met before. I'm really glad I chose him because this poem is beautiful. It really touched my heart, and I know I will be returning to his port now I've found him.As for my WDC goals . . . I'm not sure really. When I first joined, I had no expectations at all. I just wanted to write, and joining writing.com seemed like a good way to help me. I was trepidatious when I shared my first poem. The idea of other people actually reading something by me made me anxious. But once I started to write more, and to get more reviews, I realised what a great opportunity there is to learn from other members.Constructive criticism is good. I genuinely think I've learned a lot since I've been here. And I continue to learn every day. At the same time, I've made some wonderful friends since I joined. People who know more about me than most of the people in my life. That's the great thing about writing.com: the members are supportive and non judgemental. We are genuinely happy for others when they win contests, or do well. So I guess one of my goals for my future here is to continue to interact with others, and to support others; whether that is by writing reviews, or sending them a cNote when they're feeling down. That's a massively important part of WDC for me. I was promoted to a yellow case at the end of November last year. I honestly didn't think being promoted mattered to me. Until it happened. Suddenly, it was a massive deal. I was so happy. It was (and is) an honour to be recognised in this way. I love being yellow. A blue case, though? Do I expect it? No. There are plenty of people who are ahead of me in that queue. Would I like it? One day. But, for now, I have plenty of other things going on. I'm a future Rising Star, and that programme is a lot of work. Right now, I'm taking the Comma Sense class at New Horizons, and that is sooooo hard. I'm a Power Reviewers Captain, a leader in Newbies Academy, and a leader in Paper Doll Gang. I have my contest, "Verdant Poetry Contest - On Hiatus"  which I would like to switch up a bit. I'm trying to figure out a new contest as well. There is the "Mad Hatter's Tea Party Closed for 2023" which will run in March. So I'm spinning lots of plates at the moment. In answer to the question, I think my goals for WDC are:  Graduate from Rising Stars Make a success of Mad Hatter in March Graduate Comma Sense Continue to interact with my friends Continue to learn from people who know what they're talking about Keep running the "Special Occasions Forum" Take the exploratory writing course in New Horizons Launch my own contest Continue running Verdant Poetry Contest Continue taking credit and raid shifts for Power ReviewersThere are lots of other things I could mention, but these are the biggies. I should also add the goal of taking time to stop and breathe every now and then. |
| Creation Saturday! Describe how any personality trait would/could look as a physical characteristic, and create a character who embodies or uses this to his/her advantage. Okay. I'm going to ignore the obvious path here. I'm sure I wouldn't be alone in creating Mr Narcissist, who is tall and orange with a sandy combover. Nope. I'm not gonna go there. Instead, I'm going to focus on a positive character trait. Because, I think, we could all use a little positivity right now. Kindness. The Kindness Queen. I see kindness as a little old lady with silver hair and clear, sparkly blue eyes. She smells of face powder and peppermints, and stoops as she shuffles from person to person. She touches everyone she encounters with warmth, and leaves a trail of goodwill behind her. When face to face with her, you realise she is only 4' 11" tall. A permanent smile graces her face, and she dresses in pink and lilac. Her voice is soft and buttery, and she laughs in hiccups. It's impossible to dislike Her Royal Highness. Unless, that is, you have nothing but evil in your heart. Which too many people do these days. In the end, though, the Kindness Queen will win. I hope. She needs more followers, and it is her mission to convert everyone she can to the way of peace. And she will win. I hope. |
| Day Twenty ~ Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 1885, the roller coaster was patented by L.A. Thompson. Tell us about a time you visited an amusement park. Amusement parks. Oh joy. I hate amusement parks. I don't wish to sound like a miserable human being, but I really hate amusement parks. The biggest park in the UK is called Alton Towers, and it's in the Midlands. I have memories of visiting there with my school a few times. Once, when I was eighteen, I even drove an hour and a half to go there with my friends. I think we went on three rides the whole day. The rest of the time was spent queueing. I never really enjoyed the experience of being thrown around, and leaving your stomach half a mile behind you. The pressure on your eyeballs as you are twisted and turned upside down and inside out. It hurts. It's not fun. Then there's the nausea. Oh my days, I hate vomit! No, it's more like I have a phobia of vomit. I mean, nobody likes it, right? But I have a visceral reaction around it. It makes me cry, hyperventilate, heave, then run. All in the space of a few seconds. It's the same reaction I get to spiders. Which is why I call it a phobia. Well. One time, I went to an amusement park with some friends as we were taking part in a charity amusement ride thing. We had to ride as many items as possible. My friend, Tracy, for reasons best known only to her, chose to eat two hot dogs in between the waltzers and the corkscrew. She sat next to me on the ride. Pretty soon after it began, she threw up. It went everywhere. All over me, the seat, the people behind us. Which made me heave, cry, hyperventilate. What I couldn't do was run. I remember trying to move the safety bar in a crazy attempt to escape. When we came to a halt, I bolted the moment the bar was raised, and threw up on the floor. It was a nasty moment, that haunts me to this day. I'm feeling quite ill just writing about this. Oh. One last thing. I'm no longer friends with Tracy. We haven't spoken in twenty-two years. Not because of this incident. Though, it didn't help.That's for sure. |
Day Nineteen ~ Normally a two- or three-sentence response to a blog prompt doesn't seem like much of a response to me (personal opinion, that's all)...but today, come up with a couple sentences using as many WDC emoticons in place of words as you can. Any subject, any topic, and they don't have to be related if you just wanna make up random sentences. Have some fun with this!  My  , Alfie, has always been  . The day I brought him  , at eight weeks old, he actually made me  . He was a  of energy; tearing through the  and wreaking havoc. He took  in making me  . My favourite  and David's  s were among the many naughty things he loved to  . The  of evil became a permanent fixture on his face, and  became his best friend.Months of training classes made little difference. The two trainers said he was the  . So we left and tried to tame our little  by ourselves. Gradually, things began to get through to him. I'm still constantly  ed by his naughtiness, and David's favourite pastime is the Alfie- . Mostly, though, these days I am  with my cuddly, funny  . Okay, I find myself  ing a lot of the time. But I'm getting good at shoving my  on and  to block out the chaos. Of course, there is always Alfie's  . That is impossible to ignore! |
| What are some things you would put in a time capsule to be opened up one, twenty, and/or fifty years from now that shows the person you are today? Ooh, time capsules . . . I've always been fascinated by them. It would be so cool to find one from a lot of years ago, and to try to imagine the person who buried it. As for what I would bury, that's interesting. I think it depends on when they are supposed to be opened. If we're talking this time next year, I think I would probably enclose a copy of "Dear Me 2017" . I wrote a "Dear Me" letter last year, and it was cool to see how many of my plans I stuck to (not many!). It was quite therapeutic so see how okay I was with taking different paths. If the capsule was to be opened twenty or fifty years from now, I think the purpose would be more to show people how life is in the year 2017; as well as telling a little about me. Firstly, I would enclose photograph of me, David, and Alfie. Then I would leave a copy of my poem, "Letting Go" . This is my favourite poem of mine, and it holds a special place in my heart. I would also include one of my stories. An iPod would be a good choice, too. I could include a charger, and instructions on how to use it (just in case they're needed). I would have a playlist of my top 100 songs (which, quite sadly, I have compiled) and an episode of "East Enders," one of "Law & Order: SVU," "Only Fools & Horses," and "Sons of Anarchy." That would give the capsule opener a good taste of the things I like, and of life in 2017. (Kind of.)I would also include some books. "Rachel's Holiday" by Marian Keyes. I would include that, in case it's me who opens my own capsule. Then I could start reading something I know I will love straight away. I would also include, "Catch Me When I Fall" by Nicci French and some copies of Max Ritvo's poetry. My own special chilli recipe is a must. Everyone should know how to cook a good chilli. (When I say my own recipe, I really mean David's; he taught me all I know.) Finally, I might get a really good bottle of Scotch. In twenty or fifty years time, it could be worth a lot of money. That would be a nice present to leave. I can't think of anything else to include. That will have to do. |
| Talk Tuesday! What's your opinion on high school reunions? Have you gone to any? Why (or why not)? I don't think High School Reunions are such a big thing in the UK as they are in the US. I could be wrong. I know there was one organised for our year a few years ago. I can't remember exactly when it was, but it was before I met David, and after I got out of my nightmare marriage. So between late 2003 and mid 2009. Anyway. Whenever it was, a part of me wanted to go. There are people I would love to see from school, and catch up with. People I haven't seen since I left. People I sometimes wonder about. I really wanted to catch up with them. But then there was that old fiend, anxiety. There were the voices mentioned in previous posts, and they really didn't want me to go. I had nothing at the time. I was living at home with my parents. I was terrified of everything and everyone. I couldn't face people that way. So I didn't go. Even if none of that were the case, I couldn't have stood to be in a room full of people, all competing to be the most successful. I couldn't have stood to be in a room full of people: period. I beat myself up for a while for not going. But I'm more philosophical about it today. Now, I think: What's the point? You can't go back. These are not the same people I was at school with. I know I'm certainly not. With the exception of a couple of people, I really don't mind not seeing them. But, hey. There's always Facebook, right? |
| Day Sixteen ~ Actress Ethel Merman , born on this day back in 1908, once said "I can never remember being afraid of an audience. If the audience could do better, they'd be up here on stage and I'd be out there watching them." How does this quote relate to your blogging? Do you write for any particular audience? Honestly, no. When I first started this blog, which was about a month after joining WDC, I had never blogged before. I had no idea what to write, or whom I was writing it to. So I just wrote whatever was on my mind. My blogging has been infrequent since then. It's something I always mean to catch up with, but somehow gets buried underneath a whole lot of other things. Since I started 30DBC, though, it's been different. I've blogged every day, and I've really enjoyed it. I've also started to feel like I'm not just blogging for myself. I mean, yes; I'm giving my own answers to the prompt, and they wouldn't change no matter who was reading my blog, but I do feel like there's a handful of people that I'm speaking directly to when I write. They are other bloggers taking part in this challenge, and they include (but are not limited to!) paddy1 Schnujo Jay O'Toole Espero Lostwordsmith Seffi  Naveed Seuzz Mare ~ extended hiatus .So those are the main people I interact with, but I stick my my conviction that I am writing for me. It's my response to the prompt, or it's about getting out whatever is eating inside of me, or whatever makes me happy. That's all. |
| I love McDonalds' Chicken McNuggets. I would probably still eat them if you pulled a gun on me . Your grubby gun-toting fingers won't dare pull a trigger on my enjoyment. What food item would make you stare down the barrel of a gun and be like "Nah bruh, I'm busy here on this..."? Ohhh, I love this prompt. I have this love for food that trumps most other things, if I'm honest  . Sure, my relationship with food is tricky (I'm an all or nothing kind of girl) but, deep down in my core, I adore food. It makes my heart sing. Ahhhh.Chocolate. Obviously. That's my main addiction. If I'm working my way through a box of Ferrero Rocher, you can hold that gun to my head. The chocolates will win. I don't know if you have Ferrero Rochers in other countries? I'm sure you do, but just in case, let me explain. Firstly, they are wrapped in shiny gold paper. That's enough to draw a person to them on its own. Then, once you unwrap them . . . oh. my. God. Little balls of deliciousness. Hazelnuts covered in a layer of gooey chocolate, wrapped in a light wafer-y shell, covered in chocolate with little pieces of hazelnut dust. Magic. I was given two boxes for Christmas. I'm a little ashamed to say the first was gone by Boxing Day (I may have allowed David one or two). The other, I'm trying really heard to savour. I hate the thought of no more Ferreros. If my home were to catch on fire, I honestly think they would be the first thing I grab. David and Alfie would come second. They have their own legs, after all. I would also stare death in the face for a Sunday Roast. I LOVE Sunday Roasts. Either roast beef or chicken. Not pork or lamb; I don't like those so much. Roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings (whether beef or chicken - they have to be included) and Bisto gravy; made thick and deliciously. No vegetables. We are talking dream meal here, so why would I want vegetables? No no no. Meat, potatoes, Yorkshires, gravy. I am in Heaven thinking about it. I would fight to save it from a crazy gun man. Well. I am suitably hungry now. If only I had food in the cupboard to match my cravings. Oh well. I guess it'll have to be pizza. |
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I thought of you yesterday and I went on YouTube to look for Queen Elizabeth knighting Captain Tom Moore out in the sunshine in 2020. You are the person who told me about Captain Tom. I found watching the two of them comforting. So sorry for your loss, which is much more profound then ours over here although I have rarely seen anything that brought so many people together. She has been the only Queen I was ever aware of my whole life long. Much more cherished than any politician, I'd say. 