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Blogging thoughts |
I recently started the New Year in the hospital having fallen and blacking out. My hospital nurses and doctors were very good and friendly. I used to be afraid of the hospital thinking that I will end up dead. Now I['ve been given a new refreshed life as a human. I don't have any after effects from the fall. I have a walker (called Rollator) and had to go through a whole slew of therapy. You'd think I can't speak or cook after falling. I thank God that I['m alive and that my outlook is bright. |
I have a dog, a five-year old Jack Russell, who's part of my menagerie of pets. Of all the pets I have (2 cats and 2dogs), this dog Joey is the rascaliest of all. In fact every other pet is a saint compared to him. He's a cute dog with lots of hair and charm. He acts like a puppy, and puts anything in his mouth. These days he likes to go after my Dad's kitchen towels. I have to give him a treat in exchange for a captive towel. Needless to say, our house is a mess. Joey leaves things in his wake as he goes through the house. I feel like a woman with a spoiled baby who is unruly and can't be schooled. I don't know how to handle Joey sometimes. There are times I let him have his way and the item he has in his mouth is disregardable (if there is such a word). I love Joey very much. He loves me too. All of my pets love me and I love them. My Dad is proposing we swap Joey with another dog but it won't be the same. I hate to see my dog Joey leave me. He's amiable and will cuddle with me in bed at bedtime. He's even been tolerant of my cats. Used to be, he would go after my cats, Paco and Katya, But these days, they all tolerate each other. I pray for my dogs and cats. I pray we will be happy together and leave things alone. |
THe hardest thing about telling a character's story is spilling everything at one go. I spare the information about the person by hint of a dialogue and then have him or her reflect on past history because of the dialogue, usually after the dialogue has been written and discussed. |
I have to have a conversation with myself and my Muse. So, my Muse says, you've written three scenes for your story. Do you like what you've done so far. Me: I don't like it so far. Can I start a new story and pitch this current story in the junky folder? Muse: If you wish. I didn't get consulted about your story. If you asked me whether to start writing a story, I would have had to ask you the following questions: What's it all about? Why do you want to write with the POV of the male lead character? Aren't you more interested in the female lead character? Why did you start with someone who's ill and may be dying? What about the lead male character that makes you think you know what he wants. I suggest you ask him what he really wants out of his story. You've been dry all this time, what makes you think you're all ready to start writing again? I don't like the characters. You have to like the characters in order to put forth the story. How can you write with your fur babies clamoring for attention? I think you can start writing with this story and change the names of the female characters. As it stands, both character names are too lame. There has to be some way to enliven the story. Here you are, writing like a pantser. I think you need to arrange your story so it has a plot that is more realistic. Sorry, Gabbie, you're just not where you want to be. You are taking sleep time to write this story because of the dogs and because of what your suffering from healthwise. Or is it that the gremlins are hurting you and that's what is happening to interfere with your creative juices. Pray to someone who used to write good stories. No, there are no saints that have written good stories. They are all focused on God and no one else. That will have to be what you should focus on and if He sees that you are striving to be creative, he will give you the grace to write a good story worth publishing. |
I just cut my Dad's hair. He's been my customer (of one - I'm not a professional hairdresser by any means) eversince COVID reared it's ugly head and decimated peoples of different countries. My Dad has a new haircut that isn't like a tapered profile, it's more like a Prince Valiant haircut, but more close to the head and lacking front hair due to age and balding symptoms. He smiled at me when I cut his and told me that I'm a good hair cutter. I agreed replying "I'd be a good hair cutter if you ask me and not pay me any money." |
My life is a fantasy. I, a writer, am held captive in thoughts, The Bastard hates me because Jesus Christ loves me. So with my writing, I am bound to write about stories that are about people, men and women, who love each other, or fall in love with each other. |
My years in New York were fun. I turned into a foodie with my friends at work. They were Italian and introduced me to more extraordinary food. They and the rest of the team would go with me to the Met to watch the famous opera stars in their interpretation of different characters. The famous opera stars whose names I can't remember now (It's been over two decades and I don't remember many things) were outstanding. We went to Central Park to watch their Shakespeare in The Park but alas, we didn't get to watch because first of all, the crowd was large and tickets ran out, and second of all, the rains poured down and drowned the place. I was wearing a new pair of running shoes and they were ruined. Luckily, as we went to seek transportation, the husband of my coworker turned up in a taxi and took me home in Queens. The rains were heavy but I thought it was great fun. I was happy to think that the Shakespeare in the Park was spoiled that day. Call me names, but I wish I could watch. |
SInce I've been losing weight (I'm down to 88 lbs) my PCP wanted to give me a list to eat. All of the items on the list were anathema to me - ice cream, pasta and two snacks a day). I don't crave these items but I encourage myself to eat at least one complete meal a day. I fix myself some oatmeal in the late morning and then cook rice as a side dish for my Dad's creation. My Dad makes great main dishes, but early on he would season the food with salt or garlic salt. Since I'm the only one besides him to eat it, and comment on what I thought of his creation, he started toning it down to acceptable levels. He likes omelets and he adds different things to it. I like other things too, like I'm on a sardine kick right now. I like to eat them with rice. |
It's 9 a,m. and it's chilly. Maybe it's the orange juice from the fridge that drank a few minutes ago that's giving me chills. The past two weeks were hot. Not as hot as some countries have all year round, but for me it was an eternity. We went to the gym for my rehab these past few weeks and it was tolerable enough. But I have a situation where my two young dogs (one five year old and the other seven years old) that refuse to be left at home. They want to go with me wherever I go. I know there's a way to train the dog to stay and be left behind but I must have missed the important point to leave the dog somehow by himself and have his sibling go with him. So I look at the weather on my app every day that we have to go somewhere that could be the therapy treatments or a doctor's office. I prayed to Jesus Christ to keep my dogs comfortable. They tolerated the warmth of the sun in the car with the air conditioner going at fast clip. My Dad, who's very old, had driven us to wherever my appointment was. Early on when I was still middle aged and already on meds that had a dizzying effect on the patient, my Dad offered to drive me to any place to assure us that I won't get into trouble. That last time I got into trouble was when I was up early and driving my laptop and me to the nearest coffee house. There were no cars on the road. I fell asleep at the wheel and when I came to I over compensated my direction to straighten up my direction. As it happened, my car went up and over the side of the street causing a blow out of my right front wheel. Lucky me, there were no cars that were present so it was just my car that had an injury. I left my cell at home thinking of just using the laptop so I went to the nearest store which was the drugstore CVS near the car. They were good enough to lend me their phone. I had called the 911 for help. I didn't think of calling my Dad. It was stupid of me not to have brought my cell. In short, the tire was taken and a spare tire was the replacement. I was in my crazy years at that time. I wasn't listening to my Guardian Angel who would have cautioned me to take care when driving. I was taking a mild benzodiazipine at the tiime. But I got too sensitive and after years later, I checked in to see a therapist in behavior at the nearest clinic that took every kind of person to treat them. It was a clinic for poor patients on Medicaid. I was given several meds to take my depression and anxiety symptoms away. I still go to him. He's my nurse practitioner. In conclusion, I don't drive unless it's an emergency. I have a current drivers licence in cases where I run into the pharmacy to claim my benzodiazipine so they need to see my licence; I think I am straightening out my life. I'm stable enough today. |
The Kindest of Strangers Hi Everyone, I wanted to acknowledge the kind thoughts that I have received from my Medicare Advantage insurance: free meals for 10 days delivered in a cold box. I received notification from my Insurance that one of their branches is sending me 10 days of frozen meals to help me in my recovery. There are three deliveries that I will have received come this next week. The frozen meals are meager but to a weak person suffering from hospital ministrations the quantity isn't to be minded. I remember when I turned sixty five that it devastated me and robbed me of my natural exuberance. I lost sixty pounds as a result. Not all of it lost because of this devastating effect, but partly due to lack of appetite and the presence of my two dogs who I couldn't bear were watching me eat while they only had dry kibble. I shared my food with them taking care not to give them food that isn't good for dogs to eat. My doctor told me that I am now 88 lbs light. So when I felt more confident in the kitchen, I began to cook side dishes while my Dad, bless him, cooked his signature dishes. We aren't rich by any means. But I think we are rich in our family with a loving Dad and loving companion animals. |
The recuperation from the fall My hospital visit was prolonged because they wanted me to go through rehab. I was concerned that I'd be farmed out to some oldsters' home to receive therapy treatments, It turned out it was in the floor below my room. The nurses there were awesome. They treated me lie an old friend who needed TLC. One of them, a lady names Jules was so comical. I liked her like I liked Becca who was a no nonsense type but they both gave me an extra blanket when I was feeling chilly. It seemed so heavenly to have a warmed blanket to snuggle under. The director of the rehab hospital had an unpronounceable name. He's Indian. He had an unassuming demeanor and fooled me to think he was the janitor. (Note: always treat everyone with respect and don't assume they're the hired help!) We got along once we recognized each other. I think being cared for is such a luxury, despite the cost of a month's confinement in a big hospital. The main think that I noticed was that they were kind to me despite my being poor as a church mouse. If it weren't for Medicare Advantage, I'd be facing a long few years of paying for their care. (Note: For those who are nearing 65, I'd see if there were any insurance coverages that would give one a break!) Next time I blog, I'll talk about going to physical therapy, Have a nice day! |