%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |   The simplicity of my day to day. |
|
This is where I write my thoughts, feelings and my daily trials, tribulations and happy things
|
| January, 2022 5 Day Mini Challenge 5 DAY MINI CHALLENGE PROMPT 1 by Brother Nature (122) Ancient Technology - Antikythera Computes A Mystery Named after the island near where it was found by sponge divers 115 years ago, the Antikythera mechanism is an incredible machine of finely calibrated gears that appeared to be technology not available until at least the 10th century—but the mechanism was at least 2,000 years old. Then in 2016, it was found in Andre the Blog Monkey's luggage when he returned to Canada from a magical mystery ship vacation. Can anybody shed some light on this mysterious object? ******** This mining machine was left behind when Alien visitors to Earth travelled here on the starship, Kardashion. They were from the planet, Aegisthus, and were on a fact-finding mission to establish whether their people could survive here. The machine was a submersible which mined and sifted minerals from the ocean floor. The samples were analysed on site and the results were sent back to the mothership. A team of the space explorers, dressed in the garb of the day, attempted to blend into the general populace. However there was something odd about one alien in particular which made him stand out and before long his cover was blown. It was when he turned water into wine that people began to notice him. The final straw was on a reconnoiter one day. He had gone out to the submersible meet the rest of the crew, when he totally forgot his cover and walked on water. The captain of this team of underwater alien explorers was understandably upset that his team member’s cover was blown and made the harsh decision to leave this inept creature behind, when they departed. All didn’t go too well for this shipwrecked character. He’d called himself Jesus, a name chosen because it was a common one at the time. Historical records show he was eventually shunned by the populace and came to a sticky end. The mission had come to an abrupt ending and all the equipment was left on the sea bed for eons. That was how the Antikythera machine remained undisturbed until that fateful day when a team of sponge divers discovered it. They dragged it to the surface and sold it to a science museum in Cairo. Despite comprehensive tests, no one had ever found the real purpose or origin of this amazing machine. Andre the Blog Monkey was on a Mediterranean Cruise and visited the Holy Land. After speaking to the curator, Andre, who had introduced himself as Professor Andre from The Space Museum in his homeland, was convincing enough to be allowed to take and exhibit the Antikthera there. |
| Let’s talk about differences. Different views, different natures, just different. Aren’t we all just that little bit different? Let’s face it how boring would this world be if we all looked the same, had the same ideas about life and even looked the same. We’d be clones, robots and life would be grey. It’s the difference between us which adds the colour, the spice and the joy to life. Looking closer to home, my family and friends each bring something different to my life. My husband is absolutely as different from me as cheese is to chalk. And yet we’ve been together for sixty years. How can that possibly work? I don’t know, is the answer. Yet somehow it has. I think what has happened is we’ve stopped fighting the differences and instead worked with them and each has respected or is resigned to the fact that you can’t change someone and neither should you attempt to do so. The person closest to me whose differences have in the past made me laugh, cry and pull my hair out with frustration is our youngest daughter. I can’t imagine how boring, yet peaceful our lives would have been. Right from the day she was born her presence made itself felt. Forty eight years later she still has the ability to throw a grenade into her father’s and mine lives. Yet would we wish she had never been born? Not on your life. She is the funniest, kindest person alive.  |
| Choices. We make so many each day, continually, each minute, each second. I’m tired just thinking about it. But how dreadful it would be if we were in a situation where we weren’t allowed a choice. Not one single choice. Someone would dress you in the clothes they chose, fed you meals which they decided you would eat whether it was to your liking or not. (Snails and Brussel sprouts, every day!) You would go to the bathroom only when told to, wear your hair in the style delegated to your age group. Read books of their choice and be allowed to watch television programmes but when and if and what would be decided for you. Bedtime, getting up, lights on or off, temperature regulated to that other persons comfort. I could go on, but I’m starting to think I’ve got an idea for a story😂 As to the question of what I feel is a taboo subject. I can’t really think of anything, as I’m against all form of censorship. My only gripe is age appropriateness. I really don’t think, I know, children shouldn’t be exposed to pornography at all. I realise of course that ship has sailed. It’s everywhere and available for any child who is allowed free access to the internet. Personally I won’t read anything with child abuse in it. Not because I’m burying my head in the sand. I know only too well of all the terrible crimes perpetrated against innocent children but I don’t want to put those images in my head when reading or watching movies or television as a form of entertainment. I’m still old fashioned enough to dislike bad language spoken, or shouted out in front of children or anyone really. It’s a form of air pollution as far as I’m concerned. I can swear with the best of them but only in my own home, when I’m provoked, or joking or maybe when I shut my fingers in the car door😩 |
| I wonder why we figure it’s okay to over indulge in chocolates at Christmas. I would never dream of buying a great big box of chocolate selection at any other time. Then people give me chocolates as gifts as well. Because of the heat here in Perth, chocolates need to be kept in the fridge. So each time I open the fridge door to get milk, juice, cheese or anything but chocolate, they are the first thing my eyes are drawn to. Just one, I say, as I pop another delight in my mouth. I reckon I’ve got another week or two then they’ll be gone, thank goodness. January 6th is the anniversary of the attack on democracy in the US. Even here in Australia it affected us as we watched thugs battle their way in to the Capitol Building. It made us feel sick and scared. It was as if the crazies were taking over. A reminder of what life would be like if law and order broke down. It made me appreciate our law enforcement and the court system. Even worse though was that the mob was incited to do such a heinous act by a man who was supposed to be a law abiding head of state. Whose main job had been to make his countrymen safe and his “country great again” We hear now that he sat watching the mob, trash the building and threaten people with violence, on the television somewhere safe. All I pray for is that Trump never gets elected ever again, I don’t think I could bear seeing his face and hearing that voice ever again. It would be enough to drive me to drink. And chocolate! |
Happy New Year to everyone who reads this. There probably aren’t many! At least I know Kåre Enga in Udon Thani  will read it because the only reason I’ve got off my backside and I’m writing in my blog at all is because of him and his promised prompts. So, thank you, Kare.He suggested writing about Butterscotch. Actually there aren’t many things I don’t like in the sweet department but that is one of them, as well as popcorn. They both have the same sort of smell, a little sickly in the case of butterscotch and popcorn has a weird odour, oily and a bit like burnt butter. I have a very sensitive sense of smell. It drives my husband crazy. I’m almost positive he doesn’t have any. “What’s that stink?” I say and the dog slinks off to her bed, even if it isn’t her. The actual worse smell is when a rat/ mouse/ possum dies in the roof. I can smell it days before anyone else and can tell where in the roof space it is with pinpoint accuracy. Which makes my husband’s job of locating it easier. As for the question re Christianity and it’s relevance in today’s world. As an agnostic, I can’t say for sure. I was raised in a non religious family. We were not baptised but we were still allowed to attend religious instruction at school. We sang hymns at assembly and learned the Lord’s Prayer by rote every day. It didn’t do me any harm I suppose. My great grandchildren go to a Baptist school, but the only reason is because their mother thinks there’s more discipline there. Another great granddaughter is going to be Christened this year. This is because her father is Catholic but he’s only having his daughter baptised to avoid upsetting his elderly grandmother. I will attend but feel it’s an excuse for a party. People tend to turn to a God they never even thought of or believed in when there is a catastrophe in their lives. There is so much pretence regarding religion these days. I don’t think Australians are anywhere near as religious as other nationalities. In my experience, the poorest countries are the ones that need to believe in God. They have little else. |
| Here we are, just us three. My dog, Lucy, my husband, John, and me. We’re out for an evening stroll in the park. The sun has sunk below Mundaring’s horizon, but the crowds will be still farewelling it on Scarborough Beach. We enter a park so different to the one we went to this morning. Then it was bustling and noisy. A gentle breeze carried the sound of a musician playing a ukulele and singing bush songs throughout the park. Dozens of stalls were selling everything from plants to baby clothes, soaps, jewellery, toys, lotions, jams, and pickles. The vibe was cheerful, happy on this beautiful day, people busying themselves looking at what was on offer, perhaps searching for the perfect Christmas gift for their perfect person. The markets were held on the grass, spreading out as far as the scout hall and the carpark across from the Old Station Master’s house. “Hello!” I turned to see if someone was calling to me and saw Mel who runs the ‘Move and Groove’ classes in the hall. I walked over to where she was standing spruiking her classes. “Hi, … How’s it going? Getting much interest?” I asked “Not bad,” she replied before she waved to a lady to come over. She introduced us. The lady was holding a collection tin. “What are you collecting for?” I asked “Save the hills,” she said. I nodded wisely. “That Satterley is still trying to win.” She frowned. “He’s holding private forums now. We need to keep an eye on him.” I knew she was talking about a developer who is attempting to build a housing estate here in the hills, to much great opposition. I nod my head in agreement with what she’s saying, “I know, he’s trouble.” I said. “Sorry, I’d better go.” I pointed to John, leaning, waiting. He looked resigned. The smells coming from the food stalls were tempting, however I was there for a specific reason; to buy a plant for a friend’s birthday. But now all the people have gone. The park is as if there had been no market there at all. We wander, just us three, in the relative silence. The day has been warm, the warmest one for many months. The flies are yet to go to bed and are making their annoying presence felt. I swat one away, and nearly knock my glasses from my face. It simply won’t leave me alone. There is music coming from the pub, I recognise many of the tunes and hum along as we continue our after- dinner stroll. On the children’s playground, a few stragglers are still squeezing just a little more out of the day. A big sister is hanging on the flying fox with her younger siblings. She is laughing like the child she still is but probably would hate her High School friends to see. A little kid has fallen off his bike on the gravel path a few hundred metres away from us. As we get closer, I watch as both parents crouch down to his level, reassuring and soothing. Mum picks him up and dad carries the bike. They go on their way; the child has stopped crying and is snuggled safe in his mother’s arms. I’m reminded of so many, “nice little ride in the park on your bike,” trips, when crying children are comforted and bikes and scooters are carried home. A wattle bird swoops down and pecks Lucy’s bum, distracting her from her stalking as yet unaware rabbit. We laugh at her obvious annoyance. We’re turning now to home; the music still plays from the Mundaring Hotel and we’re discussing whether we should go and listen to the band and have a drink. We decide against it. We pass by the rotunda, and I notice our local homeless man has left his bedroll and blanket there ready for when he leaves the pub later tonight. Lucy has a last joyous roll on the grass. The end of another perfect day. |
| PROMPT November 30th Wow, it's the end of the month! With Thanksgiving behind us (here in the States), and Christmas on the horizon, what, if any, are your Christmas traditions? If you have no holiday traditions, do you have any plans for this month? Oh my goodness, Christmas again! These days are Sooo different to years gone by. Christmas lunch was always at our house. Children, grandchildren, extended family and friends always gathered around at ours. It was a lot of hard work, preparation and money. Honestly I can’t say I was ever able to enjoy it because I used to run around like a crazy person, making sure everyone was having a great time. When they’d all gone home and I was able to relax with a glass of something, I’d replay the day in my mind and just hope it all went well and everyone was happy. Nowadays I leave it up to others. We usually get invited to our daughter’s house for lunch. I smile when I see her do some of the same things, but she doesn’t try as hard. She delegates, something I have trouble with. Our other children live too far away to spend Christmas with them. Christmas is for children. I never tire of seeing the magic of this time of year in the eyes of little ones. That’s where my gaze falls, watching the joy in their faces. Otherwise I’m a little jaded regarding the hype, commercialisation and monetary value placed on gifts. But I haven’t as yet turned into a Scrooge type of character. |
| PROMPT November 29th Imagine for a moment that you are near the end of your life. What do you want to have done that would make you feel satisfied? It doesn’t take much imagination to think about the end of my life. My husband and I are nearer eighty than seventy! I’ll never be satisfied to say “let’s go, that’ll do.” I really want to see how my little great grandchildren turn out. There’ll always be something I want to still be here for. I REALLY want to see what the future holds technologically. Who wouldn’t want to see what science comes up with next? The new medicines and cures. So no I’ll never be satisfied to die. I’ll always want more days, weeks months and years! |
| PROMPT November 28th Hopefully a little change of pace tonight. Write about something intangible: faith, magic, energy, power, or creativity. Just choose one topic, and write about it. Well I’m not very spiritual or airy fairy, more into practicality that’s me. However I’ve been watching The Great British Bake-off and I think that cooking incorporates all the things you ask for in today’s prompt. Intangible, faith, magic, power and creativity! I’m in awe how these contestants take basic ingredients and turn them into something amazing to look at and to taste. It’s a science I know but how does it happen that different people can turn those same ingredients into completely different end products? |
| PROMPT November 27th Things have progressed well in your town/city with the Pandemic. So well that you've been allowed to return to the office instead of working from home. Your co-worker Karly, is sneezing and coughing and refuses to wear a mask. Who do you call, or do you let it slide. Tell us why you would act that way. It’s one of my pet hates. People who come to work with a cold or flu are the most selfish people I know. I refuse to be around with someone who is coughing and sneezing. I would tell the boss that a co worker was spreading disease throughout the office and if the person with the cold doesn’t go home then I expect the boss to allow me to leave. |
 Log in to Leave Feedback |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
