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A new blog to contain answers to prompts |
Since my old blog "Everyday Canvas "  became overfilled, here's a new one. This new blog item will continue answering prompts, the same as the old one. Cool water cascading to low ground
To spread good will and hope all around.  |
| Prompt: Today is Halloween. Write something about Halloween today. ------------ Halloween morning, now. I check the weather. Here in South Florida, where I am, it will be partly cloudy with 81 degrees Fahrenheit. But don't believe the partly cloudy bit. Possibly a few clouds will pass by in the afternoon with maybe a sprinkle or two as the weather report says humidity is 63%. Right now, it is sunny and bright. Yet, the weather is different in Twin cities. They are expecting 2 to 4 inches of snow. And on the Plains, severe storm threat shifts eastward on with 90-mph winds. This makes me think, among other things, US weather is Halloween itself. Talking about such weirdo stuff, I came across this short (fake!) news: "Biden bites babies visiting for White House Halloween trick-or-treat celebration." I think it was by FOX, but I could be wrong. Somewhat of a joke? Hmmmm! Fake news or not, about Halloween, Wikipedia writes: "Theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain, which are believed to have pagan roots." By the way, Samhain means "summer's end"; this much I knew. As the origin of the festival is really unknown, both pagan and Christian practices have evolved into what Halloween is like today. The best description that sounded like fun holds a bit more of the truth as to what the Halloween practices are. "During the Samhain festival the souls of those who had died were believed to return to visit their homes, and those who had died during the year were believed to journey to the otherworld. People set bonfires on hilltops for relighting their hearth fires for the winter and to frighten away evil spirits, and they sometimes wore masks and other disguises to avoid being recognized by the ghosts thought to be present. It was in those ways that beings such as witches, hobgoblins, fairies, and demons came to be associated with the day. The period was also thought to be favourable for divination on matters such as marriage, health, and death." https://www.britannica.com/topic/Halloween As for me, I have my candy in a large plastic bag, ready and waiting for all those cute trick-or-treaters. I guess, I'll perch on the armchair by the front door with a book and my cell, and wait. And if not enough trick-or treaters show up, the rest of the candy is mine. Now, that would be a real treat. Luckily, I don't have diabetes. |
| Prompt: "Seeing is believing but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see." The Movie The Polar Express Write about this quote in your Blog entry today. ---------- Seeing, as to objects and solid forms, is convincing, true, but how in the world can I see love or dislike? If someone says they like me, how do I know that inside their "like" a dislike or resentment doesn't lie hidden? The same goes for all the intangibles in our experiences. Love, hope, faith, and trust—all important for our existence—are unseen forces; yet, they influence our every relationship, interaction, decision, and perspective. They uplift us in moments of happiness and keep us alive and sane through difficult times. Also, other concepts like time and gravity are important for our survival. Just imagine one of these going haywire! What if gravity didn't pull objects to the ground, suddenly? Can you imagine the consequences? What we experience inside us that others cannot see are real just as well and even more strongly. Our thoughts, dreams, and emotions are all parts of our self and identity, for they provide us with creativity, ideas, and memories. They also have a say in how we connect to one another. Such as, our love of writing connects us to the other members of WdC, here, even if we never meet them in person. All these things are like the wind. They are unseen but felt. And believe me, wind is sometimes more real than anything. I should know, living in Florida, with the hurricanes and their winds. |
| October 28, 2024 Prompt: WdC Witches  It seems we have a whole bunch of witches here in WdC, this year. If you were to be chosen the leader of the WdC witches, what would you plan with them for Halloween? -------------- Easy peasy! Here in WdC, I would get every witch under my command to write five to ten reviews and post at least a couple of new original writings of their own. Then, as the witching tradition goes, I would make sure my witches had their herbs, foods, and colors on hand to scatter around the site. To be exact, those things would be: Herbs: Mugwort, allspice, catnip, oak leaves, sage, broom and deadly nightshade. Foods: Turnips, apples, nuts, mulled wine, beef, and poultry. Colours: Black, orange, white, silver and gold. And I would definitely have them gather a large group of black cats carrying jack-o’-lanterns and giving everyone apples and pumpkins. And if you think I thought all that on my own, you'd be wrong. I got some of my info from: https://hero-magazine.com/article/159423/a-witchs-guide-to-celebrating-halloween... Happy Halloween, Everyone!  October 29, 2024 Prompt: Followed by a ghost Imagine you are being followed and sometimes talked to by a ghost. Whose ghost is this, someone you once knew or someone in the history and what is this experience like? -------------- I don't know if a ghost is following me or if they are talking to me, but it seems I talk to them constantly. Sometimes, I look in the mirror and talk to that ghost of me in it. Then, inside my head I'm always talking to family members and my husband who have passed on. But if I were to talk to a real ghost, it would have to be the ghost of first group of people on earth. I would ask them, "Look at the result of what you guys have started! Fantastic in some ways but destructive and contentious in others. I'm not blaming you; still, you could have done something a bit more to give us better genes." They would probably say something like, "What you the imbeciles are doing after us is your problem. What we gave you were survival skills and you took those and used them against each other. Whose fault is this?" Just maybe they would be telling the truth. |
| “The swiftest way to triple your success is to double your investment in personal development.” - Robin Sharma Write about what you think this quote means. -------------- Personal development is as if we are all bringing up ourselves, same as we bring up our children. And we do want our children to be successful, don't we! What it means to me is that we are all responsible for ourselves, as to who we are and how we operate in this life. Working on personal development is building our self-awareness, adaptability, and resilience. It also involves, improving personal skills and understanding our "selves" and our mindset. This empowers us to handle challenges, seize opportunities, and set meaningful yet do-able goals. To do all that, adaptability is essential as the world is constantly changing and always new skills are needed. As a bonus, when we work on those new skills, we also increase our self-confidence and resilience so we can overcome obstacles and recover from setbacks. Personal development also helps us with goal-setting, motivation, better communications and relationships. However, all this is easy to say but hard to do. Speaking for myself, I have some serious trouble with some of the new technologies, especially this artificial intelligence thing. As much as I appreciate the ease that comes with something new like this, seeing my incompetence with AI is a bit disconcerting. Maybe I'll build better resilience because of it, I tell myself, and try to adapt to it. Granted, it offers some excellent help in some areas but like anything else, it can also be misused. Still, becoming the best version of myself is what will make my life worthwhile. That is why I have committed, a long time ago, to grow continuously, not that I have been too successful with it, but I guess I can at least try...still. |
| Prompt: On this day in 1870 Postcards were first used in the United States. Do you send postcards? If so does it bother you that anyone can read your message? What about collecting postcards, have you ever collected them? ------------- Do I send any postcards? No, not really. At least, not anymore. Way back when, a friend I sent a postcard asked me to write her a letter the next time. Maybe she wanted a longer message or maybe she was annoyed with the idea that other people could read what was written on it, during transit. Not that what I wrote was so secret or so personal, either, and it wouldn't bother me if anyone read my message on a postcard. One can write only so much in such a limited space, in the first place, and I bet almost all the people who sent those cards probably kept the private matters out of their messages. During the earlier decades, however, the postcards' significance went beyond any simple communication. From what I have gathered from my grandmother's generation of people is that they were also symbols of social status and personal expression. It is unfortunate that, at this time, postcards have become obsolete, but I have to say, I used to love receiving them, especially from one of my uncles, during the mid-twentieth century, who used to send me a postcard with a photo of the place he was traveling, and he traveled a lot due to business. Then, my grandfather, my mother's father, was a collector and he had a huge collection of postcards from the nineteenth century on. I never met him in person, though, because he had passed away about seven years before I was born. He used to have an antique store, but it went bankrupt during the Depression Era. This made my grandmother hate all kinds of collecting practices. We did have some of my grandfather's card collection at home, and while I was growing up, I loved looking at those cards. I don't have any of those cards, though, since my mother gave them to someone else. I bet they would be quite valuable now, as they captured moments in time such as historical events, landmarks, and local cultural practices. The charm of those postcards in the collection and those that I myself received still stay with me, evoking a certain nostalgia for those small personal connections. |
| Prompt: "Don't be a Lady. Be a legend." Stevie Nicks Let this quote inspire your writing today. ======== Really? Oh well, in my case, Stevie Nicks should be happy. I'm not a lady but then, neither am I a legend, nor would I want to be. Still, I can think of one person who was both a lady and a legend: Maggie Smith. Who says being a lady is contraindicative of becoming a legend, after all! But enough about Maggie Smith. Let's focus on why Stevie Nicks said that. My underlying thought is that she herself is pining to become a legend. Who knows, with her songwriting, she may just become one. Yet, that's iffy, too. Being famous for a while doesn't make someone a legend. It is an all-around thing, the way I see it. I mean, many a songwriter, although their songs are hits, are forgotten about in a short time. Did Stevie Nicks mean to break away from traditional expectations? Possibly, but that's nothing new. Most of us go along with what the present-day norms show and ask us how to be, anyway. On the other hand, being a legend signifies something that transcends time and leaves a strong legacy. Now, if she is hinting at authenticity and courage, yes, those assets would be needed for one to become a legend. Yet, how many women (or men), in reality, know who they are 100%? Wouldn't some self-knowledge be a part of one's authenticity? Then, maybe the quote "Don't be a lady, be a legend" is an invitation to redefining what success is; a definition that may be arrived at by pushing boundaries and doing what pleases a person himself or herself the most, while not causing the demise, unhappiness, or failure of others. Similar to that, another point or question is: Doesn't the definition of success change from person to person, as well? Yup, there you go! Those who think they know, they don't! At least not well or fully. That's why no one has the right to tell anyone how to be.  |
| Prompt: "There is a part of me that depends on fantasy because if you can't be somewhat of a fantasy person then you can't write." Stevie Nicks Let this quote inspire your entry today. ------- I think, in general, songwriters are more down to earth, with songs like "little lies," "edge of seventeen," by Stevie Nicks, etc. Then, of course, there are songs that sing of the inane, such as the "Purple People Eater" by Sheb Wooley, and by Snow Patrol, "Get Balsamic Vinegar... Quick You Fool!" etc. As to the role of fantasy in writing, well, who can deny it! This world alone can be a fantasy itself, as some philosophers claim. If I see fantasy as the ability to dream beyond reality, surely it would be the fuel for any writer's creativity. This is because imagination plays an important role in the creative process. The creative process can include looking far beyond the boundaries of our ordinary world, exploring new ideas, possibilities, and emotional depths that may be foreign to us or even non-existent in our environment. In which case, fantasy isn't limited to magical or supernatural anything, but it has a lot to do with letting our imagination run into different perspectives, scenarios, and outcomes. As much as I agree with this quote, I also tend to disagree in its implication that if a writer is too anchored in reality, his work may lack depth. That is not true, the way I see it. There are purely factual writings in existence that far surpass the allure of fantasy, especially when handled with talent and good research. In essence, I believe a good writing is good writing whether it employs fantasy or reality. As long as the writer has a good insight into his subject. |
| Prompt: Adding to Halloween Do you like Halloween, and if you were to choose a new holiday tradition to add to the Halloween events and festivities, what would that be? ----------- I'm okay with Halloween, although not too crazy about it. I guess, I can come up with a few Halloween ideas that could make Halloween a bit more fun. I think a costume show-and-tell party would be nice and it would encourage imaginative powers. Everyone who attends the party has to talk about their costume, either by how it was made or by making up stories about the costume. Another idea could be a pumpkin scavenger hunt, something similar to Easter egg-hunt. People can hide mini pumpkins or pumpkin-shaped items around the house or yard, and if at night, those items can be painted or sprayed a bit with glow-in-the-dark paint. This could be for adults and children alike. Yet, another idea would be leaving secret Halloween gifts at people's yards and doorsteps. I don't know how this would take though, because people would want to reciprocate and it would take some preplanning; in which case, it would be a good idea to inform the whole street, neighborhood, or the ones you want to play with. This way the ones who are playing your gift-giving-game can pick and choose who they will surprise with their gifts and won't know from whom they have received their own gifts. Why not, therefore, make Halloween a bit more fun by taking it lightly instead of fearing the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead as the origins of this holiday suggested! |
| Prompt: Contacting the Dead How would you like if we lived in a world where contacting the dead were as easy as making a phone call? Who would you contact: family, friends, or any famous persons from the past? ------- How would I have liked it? I would have loved it! Yet, God knows what he's doing and there is a good reason we can't contact those who have passed on. That reason is pests like me. Also, I would not only pester everyone before me but also, lazy me, I'd end up learning nothing on my own for I'd be asking for help, right and left. Who would I contact? First, everyone I knew in this life, starting with hubby and uncles, aunts, grandmother, teachers etc. I'd always be asking for their help or opinion or comforting words. It wouldn't be fair to them, would it! Family and those I knew in this life aside, at this very moment, I would especially try to get the help of George Washington and Marcus Aurelius. I would ask them to please stop the political mud throwing in the name of presidential or any other political campaign. I mean promises and offering possible agendas would be okay. But it bothers me when an ad by one candidate insults and puts down the opposing candidate with expressions like, "She lives in a bubble," or "He doesn't know whether he's coming or going!" etc. or even worse. If I were any younger, I'd start a group that would probably be called something like, "Polite Campaigning" or some such thing. At this moment, I want to say I shall not vote for anyone who insults and does such attacks on the others, but they all do it or their campaign managers and groups are to blame. And now, although I can't get in touch with Marcus Aurelius and George Washington, I hope someone from the other side hears my plea and intervenes. Maybe I can't contact anyone as if making a phone call, but I'm hoping that those on the other side instill in our political candidates some human decency, integrity, and politeness. |
| Prompt: On this day in 1962 Monster Mash by Bobby Boris Pickett. I've included the song to inspire your monster entry today. Write either a story or a poem about monsters, any kind you want after seeing Pickett's facial expressions you should have lots of inspiration. ----------------- My Monsters Suddenly, when hours creep I'm too scared and cannot weep for his face twists in ways unknown and his voice takes on a husky tone I look in the mirror to see, no, it isn't him with smiles cracked, carved with grim but also me who grins from ear to ear with lips curled, to hide my fear Also, is a face with chin pulled tight the nose a swirl of crooked fright he puffs his cheeks, eyebrows too thin some face he has, stretched like sin My monsters growl, sigh, and snare I try to look away, in despair yet, they are not evil, but odd and free my monsters are a part of me When I look away, they disappear but within my shadow, they're so near like grief, lost hopes, bent and skewed they keep after me, to me they are glued. |
| Prompt: Imagine being into a 1950's diner. What kind of person would find this setting comfortable? What does this person love to do? What kind of things does this person fear? What would be a dream come true scenario? Now take this information and write a short story based on what you determined in this setting. Nothing to elaborate, just have fun! --------------- The Poet and the Bartender on stools worn, like his shoes, he sits still under the dimmed light listening to the hum, sipping the blues, from the jukebox, the music of the night for here is where all dreamers come to this 1950's smoky bar, a haven for some closed in a world unseen, with ghosts of cigarette smoke, rising up like love taking a toll in his life, but now, long-lost and her words still hurt, yet a treasure trove for they are the reasons all dreamers come to this 1950's smoky bar, a haven for some the bartender wipes the counter clean, fully knowing where this poet’s been and how the music echoes his soul for in his heart, her words take their toll for they are the reasons all dreamers come to this 1950's smoky bar, a haven for some the bartender hands a napkin to him for the poet's scrawls, with ink smudging thin so his thoughts from within he pours out to part while Dean Martin sings "Always in my heart" for it is the reason why all dreamers come to this 1950's smoky bar, a haven for some and he'll write, with every sip, wrapped in smoke of cold city streets, the war, and being broke or this poet will let something go, a bit too slow, or he'll choke on words only bartenders know for they are the reasons all dreamers come to this 1950's smoky bar, a haven for some |
| Prompt: "I am not crazy. I have just been in a bad mood for 40 years. " Shirley McClaine Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------- She, in a bad mood? After all that success and men and everything else? Well, it might have been the too many men that caused the bad mood.  I vaguely remember her saying on a talk show that she bought a mountain, which really was some estate on a mountainous region in New Mexico, which was sold in June 2024. So much for the gossip.Truth is, I think Shirley McLane is a great actress, nevertheless what she said in the quote. Among the many of her movies that I watched, I remember her in downtown Abbey juxtaposing Maggie Smith. I think Shirley McLane was miscast as a vulgar American with new money. That was the one role that didn't work well, through no fault of hers, though. She is 90 now and still working. Yay! As to the bad mood, in general, many things can cause a bad mood, starting with sleep deprivation. Did Shirley McLane not sleep well for 40 years? That had to be awful. Another reason may be the substance use and/or drinking a lot of highly caffeinated drinks. Stress and negative life events will do it, too. Then, maybe, some people can suffer from hormonal changes or something like borderline personality disorder. Still other things can cause a bad mood, also. Such as people. That is, the lack of interactions with them. Or the too much of such interactions especially if those people are always around you and you can't escape them. I guess, for some, the news can be the culprit, as it sometimes is in my case. Not to mention the bad weather or the lack of exercise. Once in a while, another person's bad mood can bring down the moods of others, as well. My personal remedy for bad mood is keeping busy, physically of course, but especially I keep my mind busy. That is why I still keep physical books and reading material around, supposing something happened to my Kindle readers, cellphone, or the computer went kaput. Come to think of it, if I see someone in a bad mood, I don't try to get them out of it because this is their own job, which no one else can do. Listening to their woes, however, might help, without any judgment or even advice. In fact, downplaying their negative feelings, rushing them to feel better by giving advice and attempting to solve their problems, however meaning well, may not work at all. Aside from giving them a good ear, I might even be overstepping their space and who they are. I truly wish I had a magic wand to transform someone’s negative mood into a positive one. Sadly, no such tool exists. |
| Prompt: "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion. " Dolly Parton Steel Magnolias Write about this in your Blog entry today. ---------- Who doesn't like Dolly Parton? Forget about her huge talent but haven't we all been infected by her humor and wisdom? Just like everything else she does, this quote of hers captures a deep truth about the human experience, blending joy and sorrow and humor and grief. In fact, humor can be a source of healing, especially in our most difficult moments. It is possible that Dolly Parton's upbringing of poverty and hardship on the rural Tennessee mountains taught her to balance any hardship with humor. But then, many other people have had the same or similar experiences and they did come out morose and lacking humor. It must be Dolly Parton's family who taught her to find ways to laugh in the face of seriously hurtful life events. No wonder this "laughter through tears" is usually a theme in many of her songs. Added to this, is the contrast of her entire persona with sparkly outfits and big hair and an honest and complex personal life. Lucky for us that, through her witty remarks and songs, Dolly Parton has shown us that even in the moments of sadness and difficulty, there's always room for joy, humor, and connection. This is because life is often bittersweet, and those moments of laughter amidst the tears are what keep us going. Funny that, when I started to answer this prompt, I had thought I'd write about the quote. Instead what I wrote turned out to be more about Dolly Parton, probably because Dolly Parton herself is a representative of this quote as she embodies its idea beautifully both in her art and her life. |
| Prompt: Songs What do you think of song lyrics in general and which songs have vivid memories for you? Also, do you remember if any song taught you anything about life? --------- I can't tell exactly how songs cut through the noise, even with some of the music that sounds more like noise, and connect with people on a deep emotional level. I wonder, sometimes, if it's the storytelling in them, but then, some songs just say it without offering a story, like the one song by the Beatles, Let it Be, that made a huge impact on my young life when it came up on the charts. I guess, at that young age, I needed resilience more than anything. Songs about love, heartbreak, joy, pain, nostalgia, and many other things bring to light the feelings we may experience in our everyday lives. I guess when we listen to them, we feel understood and validated. Songs are particularly powerful if they capture how we feel especially when we are going through a difficult time. Be it fictional, they may do this through some storytelling that may be relatable by most of us. Working class struggles that Bruce Springsteen brings to life as well as the relationship issues voiced by Taylor Smith are good examples for this. I believe certain lyrics, paired with melodies, can trigger powerful memories. When people hear songs that were significant at different points in their lives—perhaps a song that was playing during a significant life event—the lyrics can transport them back to that moment. In my personal case, however, I have been more impressed by the older songs' lyrics, mostly those sung by the Beatles. How do I love thee, old songs? Let me count the ways: Let it Be by the Beatles (John Lennon) I want to Hold Your Hand by the Beatles (John Lennon) Imagine by John Lennon Stand by Me by John Lennon I'm a Rock, I'm an Island by Paul Simon Bridge Over Troubled Waters by Paul Simon The Sound of Silence by Paul Simon El Condor Pasa by Paul Simon Also: Man In The Mirror by Michael Jackson, and especially this: “If you wanna make the world a better place/Take look at yourself and make a change” And The Beatles' ‘Hey Jude’ “Anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain/ Don’t carry the world upon your shoulders” Still, above all of it:  Histoire d'un amour by Gloria Lassohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz0udo1hKms Better yet when Dalida sang it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t80p5eWbViE Then as the tango by Cristina Dăscălescu -- Maria Filali & Özgür Karahan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJH2QsRgo1g |
| Prompt: The way we see others Write about why we each judge differently any one person and/or write about someone you know or a character in fiction from the viewpoints of three different people. ----- I like this prompt of building a character from different viewpoints ever since I was in my late teens and took a writing class on characterization. It not only helped me with my writing but also it made me see real-life people from all different angles. Different viewpoints on a person happens as the result of our own experiences, biases, emotions, and values. That must be why one person can be admired by some and disliked by others. The strange truth of it is, none of those varying assessments are right or wrong. It may just be that the same principle goes for all things and not just about people. People, however, can be ever-changing or so flitting and volatile that what we interpret about them can differ much more than our interpretations of other ideas and objects. Still, I believe that the most striking differences, as to our judgments of others, stem from our personal backgrounds, family dynamics, education, and mostly, the social structure we are familiar with. Added to this our emotional state and personal needs, the gap grows even larger. All this happens probably because we often project our insecurities or unresolved issues onto others. Then, sometimes, we hate to see in another person a side of us that we don't like to have in ourselves, although it may be the very side in us we have tried to get rid of but couldn't. As an opposite to this, we may admire something in someone else that we wish we had ourselves, which leads to a more positive view of that person. Then, I once read something about what they call "the confirmation bias." This means in my layman's terms, we are more likely to interpret someone's behavior in a way that confirms our existing beliefs about them. In the same vein, we can be influenced by the others' interpretation of a person or how we relate to them usually. Added to all this is our first negative or positive view of a person within a setting. Isn't it true that a person who we find very likable in a casual setting may be impossible to get along with in a professional situation? Well, I had first thought of taking one of my old stories and assessing its main character from the viewpoints of other characters, but then, I thought I'd better put together a general text about the subject, so this entry happened. In writing classes, though, an exercise in characterization is given, similar to this: A. The Character "A" you the writer wants to present: 1. What the main second main character and other second characters see in "A" 2. What other characters view "A" as being... 3. What the additional characters, such as the mailman, grocer, a neighbor, etc. see as "A" Most or some writers find out that once they do this exercise with their stories, they find out that the "A" they first wanted to present can change quite a bit. Now that some of our WdC writers are planning their NANO work, I wish them the best of luck with characterization, which, I think, they already do very well.  |
| Prompt: October 12th is celebrated as Universal Music Day, National Chess Day, International Astronomy Day, National Savings Day, National Gumbo Day, National Farmer's Day, National Vermont Day, National Free Thought Day and I Love Yarn Day. Pick one, two or all and discuss them in your entry today. ========= Wikipedia says, "October 12 is the 285th day of the year (286th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 80 days remain until the end of the year." Also this, "1773 – America's first insane asylum opens. 1792 – The first celebration of Columbus Day is held in New York City." My attention, however, first jumped to the "I Love Yarn Day" on the prompt's list. Yes, who doesn't like yarn! I mean, though, not the actual woolen or acrylic or cotton kind, but the making up stories kind. This may be because I can sort of knit and crochet if only I'm doing the same-stitch kind of a project. Talk about alternating the kinds of stitches plus doing that counting-stitches thing...Eeek! I'd rather count the hairs on my head. Another October 12 celebration that got to me in a nice way is the National Farmer's Day. I always wanted to live on a farm and work the ground. Unfortunately, fate had cast me to big cities and I couldn't fight against fate. I would so love that farm-to-table farming practices of the old days. I did that in a miniscule scale, however, when we lived on Long Island in a house that was on two acres. We had seven apple trees and a couple of other fruit trees. Plus, I worked a large vegetable garden adjacent to my rose garden, in which I had 55 rose bushes. One year, I managed to get five different kinds of roses on one bush by grafting and I was quite successful that spring. Unfortunately, since the winter was so cold the next year, the bush almost died. I could save the bush early at the end of February by cutting it down to a very small size, but the grafting evaporated and the bush stayed small until we sold the place and moved down south. After that, my weird longing for a farm evolved into going to a farmer's market, if any such thing took place close to where I live. When we moved into our house here, a few temporary farmstands were around for a short time, but now, any of the places where the farmers' goods were sold eventually gave way to commercial malls and residential areas. I must have brought with me the fate or, maybe, the curse of the big-city living. So much for October 12. I think my entries into my blog here are turning into answers for Carl Jung's shadow-work questions. |
| Prompt: “You cannot share your life in a meaningful way with any animals such as a dog, cat, rabbit, bird, rat, pig, horse and so many more and not know that we are not the only sentient and sapient beings on the planet.” — Jane Goodall Let this quote inspire your entry by trying this unusual form of poetry that posted in his group "~ The Poet's Place Cafe~" The Alphabestiary is a special variation of the Acrostic form where each letter of the alphabet represents an animal, as described and demonstrated in the following link: https://www.poetrymagnumopus.com/topic/1249-alphabestiary/ ------- I so agree with Jane Goodall, if only because of my puny and personal experiences with animals. This is anthropomorphism, said a friend who didn't think that animals had feelings. So I looked up anthropomorphism. It means, "the tendency to attribute human emotions, motives, and behaviors to non-human creatures." Well, in my mind, my experience weighs more heavily than what anyone or any belief system that defines anything without any reliable experience. In animals, especially in pets, there is a capacity for grief and mourning. I'll accept no denials on that. When my great uncle died, my uncle's dog sat holding a shoe of great uncle's. We all saw the tears come down from the dog's eyes. I was thirteen at the time and didn't even think or know that a dog's anatomy had the capacity for for shedding tears. It is also said that some mammals like primates and elephants show grief behaviors by staying by the dead body for days, touching the body with their arms and trunks, and displaying signs of distress. Then, over the years, my own dog and many cats have shown empathy to me especially if I was unhappy. When I was nineteen or so, when my mother was seriously ill, I started sobbing downstairs in the kitchen while I was preparing something to eat for her. My gray cat, at the time, jumped on the table and started licking my face and trying to console me. The dogs also were very keen with my emotions and when and if they sensed someone telling me something negative, they would growl and bark at the other person. My cats, too, would always snuggle to me if they thought I was upset. My late cat, Noche, knew my pain and commiserated with me by gently tapping her paws on my foot when I arthritis hit my ankle joint. She did that with many other things, also, and not only with the negative events but the positive ones, too. When I felt happy and giddy, she'd jump up on the highest places and then jump down and become very playful. She was also very interested in my books and notebooks, touching them and resting her head on one of them, probably because she knew they were important to me. Recently, animals feeling with us may have been proven at least to some point. Neuroscientific studies shows that the brain regions for emotions, the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, are similar or the same across mammals, which may mean that animals can experience the same or similar human emotions. I also read in several findings that the production of oxytocin is common to both humans and most other mammals. As to the "~ The Poet's Place Cafe~" link, it needs a passkey, and as to Alphabestiary, I found numerous books on sale which are mostly for kids. |
| Prompt: "Better 3 hours too soon then a minute too late." William Shakespeare. Write about this quote in your Blog entry today. ------------- I believe this quote is from the Merry Wives of Windsor uttered by a secondary character, a young boy servant. Although this character isn't essential to the plot, what he has said might have some clout. As a servant or a page, he (William Page) probably knew the importance of being on time and being prepared in advance. Even if the margin between an early arrival and a late one can be small or as exaggerated as this character says, it shows respect for the other people's time and schedules. Moreover, being early avoids the negative results of lateness for it gives one time for getting ready and being flexible. In my opinion, however, arriving three hours too soon is overdoing it. On the other hand, lateness may mean missing opportunities and important information, plus being unreliable and causing delays. I'd say why not be on time, then, or maybe five or ten minutes early? I think that would be a smarter strategy. |
| Prompt: October. Halloween. Autumn. Has anything strange happen to you this month? Write about it in your Blog entry today. ---------- Every year, this time of the year, strange stuff happens to me, only because I live in Florida, the strange state that seems to be dangling away from the mainland on the map. The main reason for October's strangeness has nothing to do with Halloween or autumn, but it has everything to do with the hurricanes and weird Florida weather. As such, something strange is in the process of happening right this morning. Eeek! Here, we're now waiting for Hurricane Milton to hit. I just wish, though, for those in charge to stop naming hurricanes with people's names. Luckily, I don't know anyone with the name Milton. This gives me the pleasure of cursing at it as much as I wish. This wasn't so with the hurricanes Jeanne and Francis that hit us directly in 2004. I had friends, then, who had those names. On the brighter side, when Milton arrives, it'll come here as a category one hurricane, which is supposedly the mildest category a hurricane can be. If any milder, it would be called a tropical storm. Tropical storm? Bah, humbug. We can get those here throughout the year, but a hurricane is a step up and it means menace. I'm hoping, "this too shall pass," within a day, and that our internet, electricity, and phone services won't be affected. Halloween you say? It is nothing! Except both words Halloween and hurricane start with the letter h. Coincidence? Maybe so, but just maybe that letter could be signaling something. Something like, Booooo! |
| Prompt: Feeling Happy “Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” Marcel Proust What are your thoughts about this prompt and/or what makes you feel happier, people or some other things? ----------- Many people as well as some things like good ideas, good books, good outcomes in my or in someone else's life, sunsets, a new day, and many other things add to my feelings of being happy, especially when and if I notice such things and appreciate them. People, of course, are the most important. In fact, especially positive human interaction and good relationships of all kinds make me happiest the most. These feelings of happiness I owe to my family, first. While I grew up as an only child to my mother, my extended family had a central role in my life. I adored and looked up to my aunts, uncles, and my grandmother. Their empathy for me and their interest in the details of my life such as my love of literature created a collective joy among us. I also loved my cousins, older or younger than me, a lot. As the result, one of my cousins about my age became my best friend for life, even though she lives far away now, in another country. As nice as my mother was, it was my extended family that fired up and fulfilled my inherent need for connection. This is probably because positive relationships and interactions with other human beings have the greatest impact on happiness. In addition, laughter, shared experiences, mutual support, and that sense of belonging lead to emotional security. Yet, it is not just the laughter we shared; we also held each other up through tears and sad times and, especially during those times, we supported and consoled one another. This support might have come in the form of a compliment, being there for someone, and being kind when someone made a mistake. I feel blessed and appreciated even to this day, when. in my family, I'm the second oldest person, now. The earlier bonds, the empathy, the friends and the relationships I formed later in my life, and all the shared joys and sorrows are testaments that, at the heart of happiness, lies the human connection. |
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