Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Language, Childhood Toys, Laughing & Writer's Obsessions

Today's blogs....

Welcome To My Reality – Week Seventy

1.Which languages do you speak or read? If you know multiple languages, why did you learn more than just your native language? If you could learn another language fluently, which would it be and why?

English is my main language. I have a little ASL (American Sign Language) which I like to be more fluent in. I have some basic French which is a hold over from my childhood, but I wish I had stayed with it because many of the public schools I work in have gone French immersion and there are often more french teachers in the school than English these days. It is frustrating because it makes it hard to get into the system.

3.Do you have a cherished childhood toy, figurine, or other object that you still keep? Why is it so important to you?

I have kept my Johnny West, Jane West and Josie West dolls and two of these horses. They are plastic action figures / 'barbie' doll like figures. There is an Native American doll as well - those I forget her name... One of the horses has a moveable neck, the other is smaller - more for the 'teenage' doll, Josie.

I also have several toy cars. Each of them have names... or did have. Not sure if I can remember the names... Lindsey was a boy and he was the orange car, Leslie was a grey car, Jane was the emergency vehicle... I am not sure on the others.

I also have many books - children's books I enjoyed and also a few books that my mother owned and one hymnal that my Grandmother's brother, my Great Uncle Alex owned. I even have an alphabet book that belonged to my Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Barrett - she was a favourite of mine. I bought it at a garage sale my aunt's friend was having... talk about small town.

7.Do you laugh at things that you shouldn’t? Describe one time in particular when this happened. Did someone else see you laughing? If so, what happened?

Mom and I laughing at Ray after he was fixed up in his coffin. Yes, this may sound awful but it was one of those laugh or you'll cry moments. He looked at peace. And mom said, "If his eyes pop open now you will see an Ann sized hole in that door over there." We began to giggle and I added, "I'll be right behind you." I am not sure what the funeral home staff would make of us, but I am sure they see their share of odd stuff.

Blog City – Day 413

Prompt: “Writers write about what obsesses them... I lost my mother when I was 14. My daughter died at the age of 6. I lost my faith as a Catholic. When I'm writing, the darkness is always there. I go where the pain is.” Anne Rice
What do you think of Ann Rice’s approach? Do you also go, in your writing, to where the pain is?

I like this prompt. I agree writers write about what obsesses them. It is part of the 'write what you know' aspect; it is that little niggle that tickles at us and calls us to work at it in different ways. Like Anne Rice I lost a parent at the age of 12. For a long time I hated God and blamed him for taking my father, but as I have aged I have come to know the world plays out the way it needs to. My life would not be what it is if my father had lived. Story plays and it helped me find my way back to God and realize that there is a bigger plan – he has the great outline, I am merely a player. His creativity guides my own. It is the gift I was given.