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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: "Why insult someone when you can say something nice in a very sarcastic tone?" Maggie Smith as Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey Write about insults and/or Maggie Smith. Also, if you wish, how would you show a sarcastic tone of a character in a story? ---------- Awww, (RIP) Maggie Smith! Who wouldn't, couldn't love her! She made and created her own separate fiction no matter which story she was in! And she offered us her sarcasm and underhand insulting just in the right dose. She was absolutely brilliant. Then, I think she knew her audiences and zeroed in on the fact that effective use of sarcasm and insults can deepen character interactions, add humor and tension to the story, plus reveal hidden truths. I don't ever think I can ever rise to the heights of Maggie Smith's sarcasm, be it in real-life action or in writing. Yet, if I were to show a sarcastic tone of a character, I would probably try to find a balance in showing sarcasm in the exact amount, for too much of it can be exhausting on the readers as well as the plot. Then, the sarcastic remark or gesture should have some emotional weight and may use irony. That is, it can be humorous or it can sting the receiver. A good punch of sarcasm is usually very precise and quite short, a la Maggie Smith. This is because sarcasm is usually done to shift the direction of the story or the relationships by revealing hidden truths. If writing from a first person POV or a close third person POV, another way for revealing hidden truths could be by adding inner commentaries that could let the readers peek into a character's head. Also, showing character's body language could be a way, too. That body language can be offered in a character's shrugs, smirks, rolling eyes, and maybe the tone of voice that may be flat or dismissive. While writing this entry, I just realized that I myself have never added sarcasm to my stories, at least knowingly. Although some of my characters may have offered short, sharp replies, I can't recall ever making them sarcastic, on purpose. But then, at my age, I forgive myself for not remembering everything.  |
| Prompt: Start your entry with this line: Girls are made of_______________ but boys are____________ --------------- Girls are made of sass and sweetness but boys are made of hopes for physical fitness and forever panic when faced with sass and sweetness. Do you hear my internal rhyming, here? Mind you, not all rhyming means poetry, does it! Sharp wits with a playful edge in people's personalities makes them use a quick tongue and a clever way of responding with humor or irony. (Maggie Smith -RIP- comes to mind, who was also a very sweet person. Everyone who knew her says so. Unfortunately for me, I only knew her from her roles on the screen.) Sass and sweetness can be contrasting qualities but they are also complementary. The dynamic they create can scare those who are weak inside. Ahem! I guess, here, boys might fit the slack, wouldn't you say? To make up for that social weakness, some--who are mostly boys--take to lifting heavy weights, circuit training, sprinting up hills, cycling of all kinds, and running up stairs when they detect them. I should know from my two sons who still are into some such stuff although they just stepped into their fifties. I think those fears come from being rejected or ridiculed as the body-builders have watched those with sass and sweetness chat and laugh among themselves with ease. That ease, although quite inviting, usually throws the body-builders off as they may feel like they are awkward outsiders, only because they spend so much time on their bodies that they neglect to develop social skills. Thus, a person with sass and sweetness may be daunting to them, and they feel like cowards without social skills despite all their fitness training. This makes all that muscle and agility, when and if successful, even less powerful than a protein shake. Surely, what I have pulled out of the recesses of my old mind here is not for the perfectly developed males who are also gifted with wit and wisdom, but for those who are still trying to put themselves together. The same goes for girls, too. We all know, from the women in our lives, including yours truly, that not all females are full of sass and sweetness. In fact, since I'm not a quick-thinking machine, sass passes me by. Sweetness, I dare say, has had the same fate, also. So, since I had to answer this prompt that asked to mention boys and girls separately in some way, this is what came out of my fingertips on the keyboard. Fact is, there are men with sass and sweetness same as there are women who may be afraid to deal with the opposite sex since they have overly developed parts of themselves that are considered to belong with the ideas of what a female should be like. Separating the sexes or genders in identifiable ways may not always be truthful and correct since we are all humans and people are people in their own genuine ways. |
| Think about an item of clothing that you loved as a child and write about it. Did you feel grown-up when you wore it? Or maybe more confident? Or Pretty? ------------- I don't at all remember liking any piece of clothing as a child. It may just be that they dressed me without ever asking my opinion. All I can recall on this subject is how much I disliked being dressed by an adult, regardless of the occasion. I may have liked the school uniform we wore in the first grade and later on because it had pockets and it made me feel that I belonged with my class and the school. I might have been the only child on earth who loved her school uniforms. Fact is, I have never been into clothes too much, but my mother was, and I don't blame her for she was a stunning beauty. She also dressed me, her only child, like a doll when I was very little and I hated it. As the song says, "I want(ed) to be me." To this day, my preference for any kind of clothing has to do with its usage. Pockets are my first choice and that the fabric doesn't stick to me much. Then, my second dislike is a totally red dress or shirt. It is possible I might have gained this dislike as an antidote to my mother's pushing me into becoming her doll so I would act "pretty" in a red dress and be like her, and although I did love her, I knew I just wasn't her. Needless to say, I don't like being pushed to this day. If I sense someone pushing me into anything, --without meaning to-- a nasty answer pops up from my lips...And I am usually easy-going...I think. Right now, my favorite piece of clothing is a dark gray cotton shirt, loose-fitting, without sleeves, and with two huge pockets on top and it has another secret pocket inside, attached to its hem. As a plus, it doesn't need ironing if I pluck it off the dryer immediately. To my delight, it's grown too old now and is demoted into everyday wear while I am in the house. |
| Prompt: "The Long and Winding Road" By The Beatles Write about this line in your Blog entry today. -------- I liked this song sung by the Beatles even when I first heard it. Soon it became the number one single. I can't recall the year except for the fact that I had recently married. It may just be that I don't remember what year anything was exactly, for fear of it pointing to my many years on this planet. The song itself actually belongs to Paul McCartney, and understandably so because the lyrics point to only one point of view as it says, "You left me standing here / /A long, long time ago..." This sings of a bittersweet goodbye. Still, I can detect a sense of hope despite all the sadness in McCartney's words. "Don’t leave me waiting here//Lead me to your door..." Usually, a sensitive songwriter voices his own personal anguish. At the time, Paul McCartney may just have been doing that for feeling sad about the direction of his own life. There is also a strong nostalgia about a relationship and experiences and the idea of a lonely future, which is quite easy to detect. Some say this points to the breakup of the Beatles, but the song itself makes me think there is a lot more of something personal in it. At least, for me, this song has become personal in many ways. |
| Prompt: Do you ever write stories just using dialogue? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ----------- No, I don't do that. I like a healthy mixture of everything. I might have, however, tried doing that for a long-ago contest or Slam or something like that. I'll see if I have. I just ran a search in my port and found one with no dialogue. It shows that no dialogue is not my strong point, either.  "The Ice-Cream Truck" I couldn't find the only-dialogue item; however, I do recall writing something like it. Chances are I might have deleted it. So, since you asked, here's a short short I just cooked up right now. with only the dialogue.  "Who goes there, in my domain?" "A friendly seeker." "What is your business in my forest?" "I seek the wisdom of the ancient ones." "Do you have the password?" "Ooops! I have forgotten." "Forgetting the password, ha! Wait till I drown you in messy codes!" |
| Prompt: Words “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.” J.K. Rowling, From Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Please, reflect on how words can enhance one's writing and ideas, and what do you think about the inventive usage of words? -------- Sometimes, when facing a weird situation, I say to myself, "Only if I had the right word, for this." My grandmother, though, never thought too long as she had the words for everything, be it a curse. At times, she'd let her words and phrases loose, and then say with a happy laugh, "Great! I got that out of me!" I still wish I was just as comfortable and fearless with my words as my grandmother had been with hers. I wish so because above everything else, words shape how we think and even how we feel. They give structure and nuance to everything and they teach us effective self-expression. This surely enhances our writing and speech, too. In the first place, a rich vocabulary can give a person the ability to think more precisely, define concepts, analyze ideas, and reason through our seemingly insolvable problems. In writing, too, words are our best tools as they can cause and create emotions and offer us vivid images while doing so. Using the precise words adds depth and dimension to our pieces, be it fiction or non-fiction, and it a lets our readers feel immersed in our work. Then, words are just as important, if not more so, in our communications with others. A well-chosen word can inspire, motivate, or persuade an audience. To tell the truth, this is not my strong point as it was my grandmother's. I'm just not as quick thinking and creative on the spot as she was. Not only my grandmother was creative, but also she was inventive when it came to words. Her witty puns and her twisting of any phrase unexpectedly entertained all of us in the family and made us, the younger set, mind her words more than the attention we paid to other adults. Similar to what I first noticed in my grandmother, some authors like Shakespeare have coined words and phrases we still use today. "Jealousy is the green-eyed monster," "in a pickle," "good riddance," "it's Greek to me" come to mind. Surely, Shakespeare wasn't the only inventive one. What about Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" and Norman Mailer's creation of "factoid" when he wrote about Marilyn Monroe, a word which we all use today! Surely, over the years and in literature many authors have contributed to the language and usage with their playful or not-so-playful inventions. Word inventions such as those create a strong connection with the readers, through their humor, metaphor, and irony. And sometimes, as in Dr Seuss, playing on the sounds alone can attract attention and entertain especially the youngest readers. This is because thoughts and language expand through inventions with new concepts of our day like "self-care" and "going green". As for me, I may not be able to imagine myself "riding on a beam of light" like Einstein did, but still, in my old age today, I can still recall and rejoice in my grandmother's inventiveness and ease with words and expressions. |
| Prompt: Sunsets and Sunrises “Why did dusk and fir-scent and the afterglow of autumnal sunsets make people say absurd things?” L.M. Montgomery Describe a sunset or sunrise that took your breath away. What emotions did it stir in you? ----------- I don't know if, according to L.M. Montgomery, I ever said anything absurd about sunsets or sunrises, but possibly I might have made a sound like "Awww!" That's as absurd as I might have gotten, which doesn't mean I don't say anything absurd at any other time or occasion.  The question is how can anything so beautiful as a sunset or a sunrise can be expressed in absurdity! Yet, I wouldn't bet on that; knowing me, it might have been possible.With the sunsets, especially those that I used to watch in places much farther away from the equator, unlike Florida now, sunsets just lingered and we could have an early dinner outside just enjoying those symphony of colors that changed the sky, very slowly, from its vibrant blue to a cascade of reds, oranges, pinks, and purples. Next, the sun sank slowly at the horizon, casting long, golden rays over the trees and the backyards. But that was then. Now, where I live, if a sunset lasts more than three to five minutes, I consider it lucky. Yet, the colors have the same beauty and the air is still, and this moment is bittersweet with the idea of the completion of another day in my life. This invites reflection, introspection, tranquility and the welcoming of the approaching night. I guess, I'll tackle a sunrise here, too, since I see it as a symbol of hope and renewal. Except for today, since I'll be getting my flu and RSV shots in the afternoon  . Not that I fear getting pricked but it is annoying that something not too pleasant will take up the best time of my day.Coming back to the sunrises, I think I like them even more if I don't oversleep and miss them. I like watching the darkness lighten up in pale blues and soft pinks and let the yellow and gold hues of the dawn set in. There's always a soft glow across the backyards, encouraging promise and possibility. Added to this is the nature awakening with bird songs and small rabbits and squirrels dashing across the lawns. This becomes a gentle invitation for me to begin again and embrace another new day. |
| Prompt: Write a short story that imagines a different life for the copper-plated coin, perhaps a universe in which all dormant pennies are suddenly used or an attempt to collect and dispose of them is put into place. What would propel your characters to care about the worth of a penny? ------ Penny on the Pedestal I was thrown into a dusty drawer and forgotten about. In time, my copper face faded and I was worn out, although I told stories of the decades past, nobody heard me except for the papers with scribbles on them, written possibly by a kid who was doing homework. Those notes thought they had something over me, something scholarly. So I sighed and began keeping to myself. Now, I was just another forgotten trinket, alone and barely surviving. Except, the only life came to me and the notes from the outside, through some shoddy housekeeping. Then, this one break, the best ever, happened on one perfect day! That day, the maid who dusted the place opened the drawer, but a second or two later, the phone rang, and the maid hurried away, leaving our drawer stay open a crack. That night, as I was humming a tune to myself, I felt a strange energy enveloping me, and I noticed a light streaming through the crack. Then, one of the notes in the drawer rustled, voicing what was written on it. *"The crack on your wound is the place where the light enters you." Well, the crack wasn't on my faded face, but I guess, for the light to enter, any crack will do. That was when the drawer flew open and, wonder of wonders, I saw it! I saw that glorious light coming in from the blue-tinted moon and enveloping me. I felt a swirling vortex open under me, lifting me into the air. Instantly, I was in a strange place where the sky shimmered in shades of purple and the ground under me glittered in gold. I rolled along, feeling dizzy but joyful, among many other creatures who were carrying orbs and shards of light. Suddenly, a humanlike figure appeared. That figure was something or someone unimaginable! He shimmered brilliantly and his robe of stardust rustled as he moved in it. He picked me up, twirled me around, and studied me with much delight. "Oh, a relic from the Forgotten Realm," he muttered. He took me to a very busy, crowded place with beings quite like him. He placed me on a pedestal in the center of what I thought looked like the Times Square where, during my youth, I had been a change, passed from hand to hand. This being, then, announced to everyone, "This is a priceless coin. It came from a world long lost to time. Now, its worth is beyond any value, since it is a treasure from a universe that no longer exists." As many beings from across this universe, with eyes wide with awe, gathered around and watched me, I began appreciating my own value, something I had never thought I had in the old world. This new value of mine was irreplaceable. It carried the applause of history, of time, and of stories untold. So this is my new life. I'm no longer a forgotten copper coin in a drawer. I am a symbol. A symbol of worth far greater than I had ever imagined. ************************** * "The crack of the wound is the place where the light enters." -- Rumi |
| Prompt: Use these one or more of these words in your entry today to tell us about your reading preference: urban-fantasy, true-crime, romance, drama, memoirs or science-fiction. ----- My grandmother, as she laughed, mentioned this about me several times . When I was a kid, if given a choice between two (or more) things, I always said, "All of them!" The same is still true for at least a few things such as my reading. That is to say, I like them all, provided they are well-written, but if I have to pick, I would probably prefer memoirs and dramatic fiction. I'll begin with memoirs because they offer real-life insights about situations, places, and people that I may not be too familiar with. Plus, they are rooted in social, cultural, and sometimes historical events and people, as well as offering access to a human being's inner world, which is usually quite honest. This honesty is important to me because I do care a lot about people and I feel more connected to them once I learn more about them. After all, aren't we all human with our own growth and relatability issues! Then, most of what I wrote above about the memoirs also go for dramatic fiction. To begin with, I like drama's insight into its perspective of varied characters, while stimulating imagination. This shows time, place, or even a very different alternate reality and these may represent symbolic meanings. Through dramatic fiction, I feel I am always gaining a better and deeper feel for social dynamics, cultures, people, and even historical periods. A plus for dramatic fiction over memoirs is its presentation of a temporary escape from the real world. This comforts me and I even feel connected to some well-developed characters, while enjoying the intricate plots with twists and layers of emotion in them. While writing this entry, I made myself aware of how important human beings are to me in fiction or real life. This is probably because I can easily relate to them, no matter our surface differences. This attachment began when I was still in junior high on the advice of our very wise lit teacher. She had told in class how Dostoyevsky's work had affected her personally. Since I adored this teacher, I began to read Dostoyevsky's books. The first Dostoyevsky book I borrowed from the school library was his Notes from the Underground. This book was partly fiction and partly the author's own experiences when he was jailed under the tsarist regime. When another teacher saw me so immersed in the book, she was unnerved and she said, "For a young girl your age, you should be reading happier stories!" As if I weren't already being watched over like a hawk by my overprotective mother! As such, I am still unnerved when adults want to rule over a younger person's reading material. They don't understand that readers, no matter the age, are trying to understand life's complexities and learning how to handle their own treks of self-discovery through those. Ooops! I'm thinking on paper (or rather on a screen) and I may have gone off a tangent here, but then, that's what my blogging is for.   |
| Prompt: Do you watch Reality TV Shows like Survivor? Write about this in your Blog entry today. ------ I'm not much of a TV watcher. I used to watch some things with my husband for he was a TV enthusiast; however, he liked watching the real-life and business stuff. like the CNBC channel and documentaries. Still, when we were much younger we did watch comedies like I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan's Island, and that witch show in which the witch used to twitch her nose, only because hubby liked good actors and needed comic relief from his job. Come to think of it, he really liked The Honeymooners and Jackie Gleason as Ralph Kramden. Both Jackie Gleason and especially his buddy Art Carney made him laugh out loud. When I pointed out the verbal abuse in Ralph's "Pow! To the moon, Alice!" threat, he would say, Ralph never meant it. In fact, he said, Ralph was afraid of what Alice, with her wit and wisdom, would do to Ralph. As for me, even then, I wasn't into watching TV all that much, but I sat with him and knitted or did some sewing while we watched. Right now, after him, I only watch the local channels for news while having supper, and once in a blue moon, something on PBS. I've heard of Survivor but never watched it. I'm sure it may be a very good show, but at this stage in my life, I'd rather read a book or listen to something I find interesting on the Web, while I do housework or cooking. Luckily, I came upon the wireless earbuds and now, I can even walk around the house and listen. I mean what do you expect from a person who knew the early days of TV, and even then, she was into listening to the radio! |
| Prompt: Write a poem about autumn for your Blog entry today. ------------ Autumn when summer fades, nature plays a wistful song, for soon, autumn will whisper soft and slow, wearing a cloak of red, amber, yellow and I'll remember tales from long ago, on nights wider in gentle rain, with scent of cider and fields of grain, harvest moon, and falling leaves with their tune a palette of colors they'd blend for my broken heart to mend |
| Prompt: What are your least favorite and the most favorite parts of an autumn day and why? ----- We have no "autumn day" where I live. In fact, we get no autumn here. Today is the seventeenth of September and it is more than 90 degrees outside; inside, I have the AC on. Still, when we lived up in New England, autumn used to be my most favorite season. Then, since in autumn, ragweed and other weed spores caused all kinds of havoc in immune systems, and no matter what the doctors did for mine, they couldn't cure that ragweed allergy out of my system. That part of autumn was my least favorite time every single day, until my allergies escalated to serious asthma and we decided to move to the part of the country where ragweed would not grow or at least, where it was scarce. Even so, a northern autumn day will always stay as a favorite in my heart and memory. My most favorite part of autumn up north was the changing colors on leaves and the leaf piles and the crunching sounds mixed with the sounds of laughter as my kids jumped on them up and down. Then, I also loved every single "good" autumn day. So, let me talk about such a day. Such a day began with crisp morning air when I stepped outside into the backyard and was greeted by a gentle and cool, and at times, quite cold breeze. It was fresh and invigorating, in addition to the scent of the earth and the fallen leaves, and I would watch the early rays of sunlight filtering through the tall trees on our backyard. As the sun hung lower in the sky and the day progressed, then those fabulous colors would be highlighted even more vividly. Later in the afternoon, a gentle warmth would envelop me as the sun chased away the morning chill. It was the perfect time for outdoor activities and hot cider or a pumpkin spice latte, to accompany the woodsmoke from the fireplaces. When the day would draw close, with the sky taking on soft pinks and purples, reflecting off the remaining leaves on the trees. Soon, a glowing sunset framed by tree branches would let me know that this glorious day was over and I would prepare to settle in for the night. To me, such a day invited reflection, comfort, and a deep connection to nature. Yet, it only lasted a very short time, during the first half of my life. |
| Prompt: "The world needs dreamers and the world needs doers. But above all what the world needs most are dreamers that do.” Anonymous At this point in our time, what do you think the world needs most? ------ It seems to me this quote itself is dreaming, as not all dreamers-to-doers do positive things. Take the mess in Ukraine and the Middle East, for example. Aren't those the handiworks of doers? I am also sure, those doers had their own versions of dreams and that's why they took such actions. Dreaming and doing can be a wonderful asset, but only if in the positive sense. Then, for a better world, in addition to the positivity of dreaming and doing, at least a few virtues need to be added into the mix. One should be, do no harm; not to your friends, yourself, or to your rivals and enemies, at least knowingly. Some may classify not doing harm under kindness, but I look at it as decent human behavior. Kindness, on the other hand, has more to do with action as it means being understanding and doing good thing for others. Kindness also has to do with caring about others and possibly putting the good of everyone or a specific person among one's own self-interests. Then, as a side note--as much as I appreciate most of the values of the Stoics--I find some of their values as extremely self-centered and unkind, if you check the versions of stoicism that are crowding the YouTube and the internet today. Surely, you might ask, how shall I let the other person know that I don't approve their negative or bad words or behavior? I guess it is a better idea to just walk away and leave them alone. This might let them know what they did or said was wrong and this cold-shouldering them may help to keep the peace. Coming back to kindness and caring for the good of everyone, first, one must keep in mind that all people need respect, no matter their differences. Then, maybe a few other acts of kindness may be added to the mix, such as: volunteering, helping someone with a difficult task, calling and reaching out to lonely people and friends, spending quality time with family and loved ones, and being generous both with one's time, positivity, and material things. Kindness has another side advantage for those who do kind acts. That advantage is compassion or the ability to feel with others, which is, in my humble opinion, what is lacking in this world, today. Only through compassion, one may show love and kindness to others without expecting anything in return, simply because they are human beings who deserve to be treated nicely and respectfully. We all belong here on earth, at least during our given time on it. Why not make it a place, then, where all human beings can have happy and decent lives! |
| Prompt: "Opportunity is fleeting and judgment is difficult." Let this quote from Deborah Harkness inspire your entry. ---------- I believe the original of this quote belongs to Hippocrates as, “Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experiment uncertain, and judgment difficult.” Checking up on who Deborah Harkness is, I found that she was born in 1965 and is a scholar and has written novels, at least one about black magic. I am guessing this quote is from such a novel. At first sight, the quote points to the tension between the need and urgency to act and the difficulty of making a decision before an opportunity is lost. As such, opportunities are temporary and can vanish in the blink of an eye. Most need a decision on the spot and quick action. Then, making the right decision on the spur of the moment is also challenging. It's tough to know if you're making the right choice in that moment because judgment isn't always clear. For this and other side reasons, I'm always flustered when I have to make a quick decision since my judgment may not be clear. Except for the life and death matters where I have to trust myself and dive in. And diving in was exactly what I did when a friend's baby fell in our pool and her mother just froze. This was more than ten years ago. Yet, when it comes to choosing between two plumbing companies, you can be sure I'll do some homework. In such situations, I just can't trust instinct. |
| Prompt: "Your bad luck will make for a great story tomorrow.” Let this Friday the 13th quote inspire your entry. ---- I guess this prompt is like the saying, "If life throws a lemon at you, make a lemonade." Well, okay. I hope you like lemonade. In my case, I even like the taste of lemons, which used to freak out my mother when I was a kid. I wonder if that was why I'm so drawn to written word. Lemons aside, let's first look at the word bad luck. I have to say, all our feelings about bad luck may be true, and our confidence in our sense of stability and security may be false, in the first place. If only because our planet rushes through space at sixty-seven thousand miles an hour, which it can be--and has been--struck by asteroids, and also, there's that serious possibility of our sun growing larger and swallowing all its planets. Now, did I scare you enough? Still, this is all fodder for the sci-writers and similar people who are out to scare us, at the drop of a hat, from everything. And I haven't even touched the variety of viruses, bacteria, accidents, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and fires, yet. And I won't. Not that I think of such things day in and day out, either, but the prompt made me wonder about what may be possible on a scale so large that it may even pass by our so called everyday wit and wisdom. Then, some authors do base their work on their life experiences, and if those experiences were to be all good, their stories would never be as attention-getting as the negativity that usually provides the turning point. By the way, I'm still suspecting that our love of reading about the attacks of bad luck just might have something to do with this planet we are living on, and not only for being out there in the space, either. I would write more about it, but I don't want to freak out any of you, who may be reading this entry. As for the authors who base their stories on shifts of bad luck and difficult situations, Herman Melville now came to my mind. Melville based his novels Moby Dick, Typee, and Omoo, on his experiences as a crewman on whaling ships. You and I may not be as efficient with our pens or keyboards, as Melville was with his steel point pen and an inkwell, but still we can weave a good story or two when we put our minds to it. Yet, it isn't just the fiction writers who use their experiences of bad luck. Almost all poets, our WdC poets included, use what they consider their real life bad luck and complain, with pretty and/or shocking words, similes, metaphors, etc., in their poems. Yours truly is guilty of that, too. Talking about yours truly, my writing about bad luck sometimes takes a funny turn. To adapt to a prompt or something, especially when I wrote for a contest, I used to make up a bad luck situation. Then, sometimes, I received reviews and comments from WdC friends who tried to console me and hold my hand through my fake bad time. And, mostly, I didn't have the heart to tell them the truth because I really appreciated their good hearts. This alone goes to prove how, as readers, we all are aficionados of bad luck: however, we need to remember that it helps to end our words with something positive, in order not to get our readers so worked up, and better yet, to give our work an upward turn. All this means that we can, in our writings, easily use everything and anything that is bad luck, real or imagined. Bad luck just gets better attention. |
| Prompt: Right as rain. Write about this term in your Blog entry today. --------- "Right as rain" is a hopeful expression that is usually applied to health. It means something or someone is completely ok, well, or healthy again, especially in the case of recovering from an illness or a bad experience. Charles Dickens's Pickwick Papers uses a different form of this expression: "right as a trivet." It wouldn't surprise me if "right as rain" is the grandchild of that expression since, in England in those times, Dickens's work had infected common speech. There is a farewell-to-a-lover song by Adele with the title Right as Rain. Here are its lyrics. Right as Rain Song by Adele Who wants to be right as rain? It's better when something is wrong You get excitement in your bones And everything you do's a game When night comes and you're on your own You can say I chose to be alone Who wants to be right as rain? It's harder when you're on top 'Cause when hard work don't pay off And I'm tired there ain't no room in my bed As far as I'm concerned So wipe that dirty smile off We won't be making up I've cried my heart out And now I've had enough of love (of love) Who wants to be riding high When you'll just crumble back on down? You give up everything you are And even then you don't get far They make believe that everything Is exactly what it seems But at least when you're at your worst You know how to feel things See when hard work don't pay off And I'm tired there ain't no room in my bed As far as I'm concerned So wipe that dirty smile off We won't be making up I've cried my heart out And now I've had enough of love Go ahead and steal my heart To make me cry again 'Cause it will never hurt As much as it did then We were both right And no one had blame But now I give up On this endless game 'Cause who wants to be right as rain? It's better when something is wrong I get excitement in my bones Even though everything's a strain When night comes and I'm on my own You should know I chose to be alone Who wants to be right as rain? It's harder when you're on top 'Cause when hard work don't pay off And I'm tired there ain't no room in my bed As far as I'm concerned So wipe that dirty smile off We won't be making up I've cried my heart out And now I've had enough of No room in my bed As far as I'm concerned So wipe that dirty smile off We won't be making up I've cried my heart out And now I've had enough of love, whoa Yeah, enough |
| 1. Prompt: James Earl Jones died. Were you a fan of this man? What do you think were his crowning moments in acting, meaning his best acting parts? *************** 2. Remembering 9/11/2001 ------ I liked James Earl Jones just fine. I think he was an excellent actor and gave his all to the characters he portrayed and his low voice was adaptable to many other voiced-in parts. Having said that, I am not a fan of anyone in Hollywood or anyone who has anything to do with the movie business. I feel there are many other areas in life that are more efficient in helping us humans survive, but those people in those other areas are never paid half as much as the Hollywood people, nor do they become half as famous or revered half as much. Still, it is sad to see the people who are close or older -as in relation to my age- pass away. RIP James Earl Jones (Jan 17, 1931--Sep 9, 2024) I'll always remember and respect him as Obi Wan. Here is what Wikipedia has about this actor: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Earl_Jones ################### 9/11/2001 On a much more serious note, today is the 23rd anniversary of the attack on the USA by some thugs that took down the twin towers in New York City and attacked the Pentagon. The New York's ABC station says this on the ceremonies of remembrance, today: "The National September 11 Memorial & Museum hosted its annual commemoration ceremony to observe the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, honoring the 2,983 men, women, and children killed in the 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center site, the Pentagon, aboard Flight 93, and those killed in the February 26, 1993, World Trade Center bombing. The September 11 commemoration on Wednesday was for family members of the victims, who are invited as always to participate in the reading of the names. Families of those killed clutched photographs of their loved ones, leaving flowers by their names at the 9/11 memorial and take rubbings where the names are etched on parapets surrounding the pools. Many of the names were read aloud by a generation of children who never met the people killed in the attack -- instead they shared memories preserved by family." Also, here's another Wikipedia article on the memorial here in Florida, for the victims of 9/11/2001. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9/11_Memorial_(Windermere,_Florida) |
| Prompt: "Fine Mess" Oliver Hardy often said to Stan Laurel in several Laurel and Hardy films, "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into." What is your definition of a fine mess and what kind of images does the word "mess" bring into your mind? ------ I remember Oliver saying those words to Stan so well, and if for nothing else, but it is because my grandmother was a fan of the duo. During those pre-TV days, she never missed going to the movies if an Oliver-Hardy flick was being shown. And, lucky me, because their fun was "clean," she would take me with her. And they charged my seat half price, too! Looking back, I can now see that "fine mess" was a catchy and ironic phrase with humor hiding in its nature, in the juxtaposition of the two words. Hardy used them when in a troubling situation. The word mess has a chaotic nature and points to a disorder of some kind, be it in a physical space or a complicated life situation. In addition, it can describe a person's emotional and mental state of being overwhelmed and in a bind due to complex and problematic situations. Come to think of it, in its other uses, mess can carry several different meanings. Remember "hot mess," "making a mess of things," "messing around," "Mess Hall," or "messing with someone"? In many situations, "mess" may also allude to a scandal, corruption, social injustice, joking with or about people, pointing to a time leisurely spent, and even a public dining room. All these ways of using the word "mess" show that "mess" does not only carry negative meanings. Imagine describing a child's play area as a mess, which I know well about since I raised two rambunctious boys. The word "mess," therefore, is a flexible, adaptable word that is full of many nuances. Now, did I make a mess of this entry or not! Well, at least, I answered the prompt, didn't I! This is because this blog is my very own "fine mess."  |
| Prompt: Dreams What do you think about dreams in general? And if you wish to elaborate, what recurring themes or symbols appear in your dreams? Are there any patterns you can identify? -------- Aren't dreams fascinating? I like them a lot because they often present us vivid images, emotions, and complex, sometimes senseless, narratives. Some dream analysts insist that falling, flying, being chased, or losing teeth, etc., are symbolic. I used to recall my dreams a lot. It was so that I would recall six dreams a night with all their details. This was so tiring, though! Luckily or unluckily, during the recent few years, I recall no dreams at all, unless I wake up at night and a snip from the dream still remains. I don't recall ever having dreamed that I was falling but I had many dreams and some losing teeth. I also recall that I was dreaming about family members, friends, and strange places a lot. It is difficult to write about any patterns in my dreams because I don't recall dreams anymore, and whichever patterns arose in the older dreams they usually were there for a while and then another pattern took their place. I'm guessing, during sleep, the brain puts together memories and emotions and mixes them up, and the recurring dreams are the ways that show the brain's attempt to process intense or meaningful experiences. According to Jung, some dreams use symbolic archetypal images to bring up what's in our unconscious to our consciousness. It may just be that repeated dreams and dream patterns point to some trauma or stress in the dreamer's real life. One way to figure out what a dream is trying to tell us is to pinpoint the feelings it evokes. These feelings and emotions can provide clues to the dream's message. This is because dreaming let's us peek into our inner selves and helps us confront unresolved issues and feelings. This may lead to better self-awareness and healing. Unfortunately, for me, as I said above, I don't recall my dreams, anymore. |
| Prompt: "Within the character of the citizen, lies the welfare of the nation." Cicero In what ways do you think one person's character can affect or represent or bring down a nation? ------- Definitely, there's some truth to that quote. Just look at what Hitler did. Then, look at what George Washington and his friends did. And then, just think what a great world we would have if every single person worked toward the betterment of his or her own character! The beautiful possibilities of this are endless. If a nation's citizens are ethical, responsible, and committed to justice and the common good, these qualities will reflect in its leaders and the society at large. This will lead to a more stable, just, and prosperous nation. On the other hand, if the citizens of a nation are corrupt, apathetical, and selfish, that nation will have economic, social, or political issues to deal with. In such a society, how can there be civic responsibility when everyone is extremely self-centered and egotistical! Which brings me to the current political situation. Why is it that one candidate says he or she will fix the economy alone and everything else is secondary, while the other candidate promises to deal with some certain groups' rights alone? Where does it say that any leadership has to concentrate on specific issues and groups instead of the whole nation! I think our leaders do not know how to think and consider the welfare of an entire nation. Instead, they pick on specific issues to placate certain groups for getting their votes, as if we are a flock of sheep that will follow them blindly. I really feel insulted by all this political hoopla. No candidate has said, so far, something like, "You're all responsible for this nation. Leaders alone won't cut it. Let's do this together, so each of you has a role in shaping our country's future." But they wouldn't dare, would they! |
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