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 |   Second blog -- answers to an ocean of prompts |
 "Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself." CHARLIE CHAPLIN  Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you. David Whyte        This is my supplementary blog in which I will post entries written for prompts. |
For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise"  Prompt: "The Nutcracker sits under the holiday tree. A guardian of childhood stories." Vera Nazarian Write about the Nutcracker in your Blog entry today. ---- The nutcracker is a tool to crack walnuts and other such nutty things, and I guess, it would make a nice gift while sitting under a tree, wrapped up in ribbons and tinsel. The nutcracker is also a story written by E. T. A. Hoffmann, titled "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." It was later made into a two-act ballet together with the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Russian choreographers. Although not popular in its first showing, the ballet has become a regular Christmas fare performed all over the world. The ballet and the music was a dreamlike experience when I saw it for the first time and a few others after that. Recently however, it has become “too much of a good thing.” Still, I like its music and from it the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.  For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Solace.Bring   "Still and Snow" Do you like snow? Tell us about it. === Snow is. Whether I like it or not, it comes down on us first beautiful and bold, then turning to ugly slush. I used to love snow when we had house with a two-acre backyard secluded because of tall pine trees on its sides and several oaks in the middle. There was a clearing about 30 yards from the house where I had a rose garden and a small vegetable plot. After the snow would stop and a full moon would come up at night, the entire place looked like a fairyland out of this earth. That scene is etched inside my mind, and anytime I think of snow, I view that scene. Yet, I didn’t like it when the snow came down harsh with the wind in a slanted or even a horizontal blur. It was like being invaded by some unearthly militia, paratrooping from the sky and covering everything dead or alive. Where I live now, there is no snow. Do I miss it? Honestly, no. I don’t miss the cold. I don’t miss the circles we rubbed on the windowpanes just to take a peek at the outside. Yet, most of all, I don’t miss the shoveling. Still, I have to admit. Snow is a pretty thing. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What do we mean by the word “indulgences”? What may common indulgences be, and do you have any indulgences? --- It depends from which stand one addresses this question. From the psychological point of view, an indulgence can border on what hedonism and self-centeredness might be. Thus, an indulgence can be overlooking someone else’s self-pleasing actions like eating too many sweets or allowing oneself such or similar an action. When one self-indulges like that, they obtain the object of their desire up front without any regard to the cost of it, be it physical, psychological, or financial. Since most addicts become addicts by letting themselves enjoy such temporary ecstasies, which in turn become addictions, any indulgence should be treated with caution. Some people mix indulgence with self-nurturing, but they are not the same things. When people self-nurture, they take care of themselves in a loving, prudent, and respectful way, say when they are feeling down, by eating a piece of chocolate but not repeatedly overdoing it. As far as the word indulgences go, Roman Catholicism has had a different take on it.The church announced, at one time, that it would accept prepayment or confession for the absolution of future minor sins or a sort of amnesty for afterlife and called it Indulgences. The history of Indulgences goes far back into the First Crusade. Then, according to the America magazine, close to our time, it was: “On Jan. 1, 1967, Paul VI issued the apostolic constitution Indulgentiarum Doctrina, a long instruction that was a modest reworking of the medieval teaching on indulgences. It ended with 22 norms on the doctrine and some relatively modest revisions of the practice. The definition of indulgences the pope gave is quoted verbatim in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.” In our day, according to Simply Catholic, it is accepted as: “Indulgences can be applied only to the punishment that is due for sins already forgiven, either in sacramental confession (in the case of mortal or venial sins) or by personal expressions of sorrow (in the case of venial sins only).” For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From afinger83’s "Invalid Item" Write about acts of kindness. ---- From my point of view, acts of kindness are giving from oneself to others or doing something nice for someone else without any expectations. Kindness in itself is mostly a behavior or an action. It has nothing to do with a feeling such as gratitude or the wish for reciprocation. It doesn’t matter to whom kindnesses are shown. Acts of kindness can cause recipients feel loved and can raise their self-esteem and optimism. Acts of kindness also offer positive results to the people who show such kindnesses. It is been said that the people who volunteer their time or money for charitable causes often have better immunity and fewer aches and pains. I believe, however, that most of the time, kindnesses are shown by positive functioning people who are themselves satisfied with life and who may experience little or no negative emotions. Those who are experiencing serious griefs or anxieties and can still show a good number of kindnesses are probably saints walking among us. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: The Adjectives Game List 5 things you like or dislike tasting, and then list 5 adjectives for each item. For example, you might like the taste of cake. The 5 adjectives might be: sweet, gooey, yummy, nutty, and scrumptious. Now do the same for your other senses. This builds your sensory vocabulary and ability to write with flair and color. --- Likes Brie Cheese: slightly nutty and fruity, rich, velvety, cream-colored, buttery Pizza Margherita: savory, aromatic, crusty, cheesy, red and white swirling, unique as to ending with no-leftovers, Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich: sweet and sour, salty, scratchy, crusty, cheesy, gooey, mild and harsh combined Grilled sweet peppers: tangy, fruity, limp, roasty, toasty, seared, with its-skin-peeling Dark Chocolate: robust, sweetish, fiery, holistic, mahogany-colored My only real dislike is homemade mayonnaise, only when it is made with egg yolks and not whipped well. I get nauseous with its eggy smell and taste. Then, of course, I won’t eat insects, boiled, baked, fried, sauteed or in any other way. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From T. Merle   ’s "A Wolf's Sonnet to the Rabbit" . Did the wolf ever consider the rabbit and did the rabbit ever pray for the wolf? Write about a rabbit and a wolf.==== The wolf doesn’t kill for the joy of killing. It kills for food. Unlike the stupid men who kill a beautiful lion just to have their photos taken as if they conquered the entire creation. As from the point of view of the rabbit, no one wants to be eaten alive. Yet, most carnivorous animals go after the flawed and old members of other animal species. In doing so, the success and survival of each specie is guaranteed. This has to do with the workings of evolution, which in its process, selects adaptations, increasing the fitness of each group. Leaving the wolf (or rather the fox since it is the fox that's always after small game) and the rabbit in their natural habitat, let’s look at how and why there are predators and preys inside the human family. The predators here have less lofty goals than their preys, and it feels easy for them to exploit the weaker yet more spiritually evolved people. Human predators are those who use an undeserved authority over others. If not placed in higher positions by the rules of the society, they form this authority over others through gifts and favors to obligate reciprocity. Most predators look for others’ triggers, at where their vulnerability is. Thus, it is a good idea to think about where our vulnerabilities are, so we won’t become preys. As to if a rabbit (prey) would pray for a wolf (predator), I think that is possible only if the prey is a highly evolved person. Some Holocaust survivors chose to forgive their captors and torturers. Some of those survivors might have even prayed for the welfare and the souls of those who so harmed them. For example, as a ten-year-old child that was subjected to the experiments headed by Mengele, Mozes Kor forgave Dr. Hans Munch and wrote and signed a statement “Declaration of Amnesty” in which she granted amnesty to Munch and gave it to him at Birkenau’s ruins. I think the year was 1992, then. If I were her, I couldn't do that, even though I think I am a pretty forgiving person. Would I pray for someone who has hurt me? Yes, but that doesn't mean full forgiveness. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: "Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision." Winston Churchill Use this quote in your Blog entry today. ---- I agree, although the idea behind Churchill’s words is obvious. A question could be, then, can courage exist without fear? I think even a mild form of fear should be there for courage to surface, as you have to fear something to react to it. That fear need not be a bone-chilling, negative-result-expecting type of a fear, either. For example, if you would think someone in the room was putting down someone else there needlessly, you would verbally defend that second person or at least you would try to change the aggressor’s attention to another subject. This is what I call doing the right thing, since you have feared the second person getting hurt and decided to do something about it. Then, there was that chance that the aggressor could get at you with putdowns, too, and so your reaction became one of courage, also. Usually, when we say fear, we think about ourselves being harmed. Yet, harm is not a nice thing to happen to any one person, us or others. And the decision to defend the harmed always shows courage, regardless of the intensity of the fear or the degree of the destructibility of the event that evoked the fear. Thus, the word fear, rather than the fright that freezes and rends a person helpless, becomes more like a reaction as a reason or catalyst to act. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: deemac  ’s "The Old Farmhouse" What kind of house did you grow up in? Tell us about it. ---- The house I grew up in was an old, wood-frame, three-story house. The memory of its first floor still impresses me. The entrance hallway had a high ceiling that cut off a good chunk of the second floor. The floor on the entrance hall was of stone and as big as a big bedroom. Since it was cooler than the other parts of the house, my mother put a sofa and chairs there to turn it into a living space during the hot summer days. The second place in this house that wasn’t ordinary was the kitchen. It had a large hearth, gas stoves, and other kitchen things. It was also very large and became the second half of the ground floor. In addition to the cupboards and other kitchen needs, we had a huge table in the middle with chairs around it that probably could seat 12-16 people. Most of the time, the leaves on the table were dropped, which made the place seem bigger. We always ate in the kitchen even with guests. At one side of the kitchen were two large floor-to-ceiling windows and a door that opened to the backyard. The other two stories of the house were like the other houses with bathrooms and rooms for living and sleeping. Years later, the house was razed down and an apartment building was put in its place as had been the fate of all other houses on the street, which turned from a neighborhood of family-owned private residences into something that became mostly commercial. I don’t consider it a neighborhood anymore and I have avoided passing through that street for decades, now. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What old person thing do you do? ----- Hahaha! Ask the mirrors in my house. Then, let me count the ways. Sometimes I hold on to my back when I bend down, but I am not sure this has to do with old age. About four years ago, I broke a lower vertebra. Although it healed well enough, it feels stiff when I bend. When the weather gets a little colder, I tend to overdress. I am afraid of getting a cold although I get the flu shot every year. If I start a task without finishing the one at hand, you can be sure I’ll forget about the first task, unless the two tasks are in the same room like the kitchen. I try to see the time either on the bottom of the computer screen or on any one of the visible clocks around the house while I have a watch on my wrist. Heaven forbid that the doorbell rings or I get a phone call, while I am in the middle of doing something. Once I am distracted, that something is left to rot or gets undone. I also have a more difficult time finding just the right word, which was never a problem, say a few years ago. Luckily, we have Google.  For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Tim Chiu  ’s "Music to the Ears" Write about music. ----- Music brings out or encourages emotions such as joy, calmness, sadness, serenity, or annoyance (for me) if the sounds turn into scratching discordant screams. I have always loved classical music, folk music, and if executed well, jazz, country, and pop, too. A quirk of mine is, if the music has words to it, I focus more on the words than the music. Even when a song is being played instrumentally, my mind brings up the words. Depending on my own state of spirit at any one time, music can bring back memories or happier and sadder feelings. The emotions or the states of feeling the music encourages may turn out to be more like moods than emotions. Some claim that people who have played an instrument are more adept to have a musical feeling. I used to play the piano during my teen years, from the ages eight to 18, but I think I would have enjoyed the music more if I wasn’t forced to do that. Also, it could have helped if I was born with a musical ear. What there was about music that the talented and the gifted know naturally by ear, I had to be taught. Still, I keep hoping that this left something positive inside me, even if it may have been unknown to me. |
| For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From SusanFarmer ’s "Journaling" "who am I becoming?" This is a good question. Who are you becoming? Are you the same person you used to be? --- Surely, I am not the same person I used to be compared to the day I was born. Whatever has happened and keeps happening to me changes who I am, sometimes in a huge way and other times, in tiny amounts. Honestly speaking, who I am becoming is not for me to say. That decision lies with the higher ups. All I can say is that I watch myself, my reactions, my actions, and especially my thoughts. This is because everything stems from thoughts. If I can handle my thoughts, I can handle my reaction and hopefully, along the way, I may become a better person, so that I can be good or tolerable during the calmer, good times and during any drastic changes, slow or sudden. Change is usually stressful and disconcerting for all living beings. Those who have cats will attest to that. A cat is a very fragile animal that doesn’t take well to change, even when we change the placement of furniture in a room. As for me, I do like the comfort of a routine, but life has taught me to accept changes, especially those that are a lot harder to swallow. I understand that even a positive change can make a person feel uneasy, but taking things as well as I can and learning to manage stress do help my adjustment. Even when the changes seem to be negative, meeting them with a cool head can assist me in developing new habits for adjusting to those changes. This is called resilience, which the word reminds me of my high school Home-Ec. teacher Miss Lindsay, RIP, who told us the best defense we can develop for the life ahead of us would be resilience, and I always took her words to heart. Consequently, in my life, all her words have helped me greatly. Thank you, Miss Lindsay! For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What's your favorite holiday movie? Holiday song? ---- I am not much for movies nowadays. Among the oldies, though, are: It’s a Wonderful Life and A Charlie Brown Christmas because I recall with much delight that these were the ones I watched with my children when they were little. As to the holiday song, I always preferred The Little Drummer Boy, which might have been inspired by a Czech carol called The Carol of the Drum. I think it is a much more thoughtful song than the silly jingling ones. For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What kind of birds visit/live where you are? Did you know the University of Michigan did a study on migratory birds and it was noted migratory birds are getting smaller and their wings are wider due to climate change? Have you noticed the changes yourself? --- Where I am, we have mostly Florida birds, but in winter, we can also spot cardinals, doves, sparrows, some waterfowl, and blue jays. I am not familiar with that University of Michigan study and I haven't noticed any difference in the size of the birds I see, maybe because I didn't look for it. It may be. It is just that I haven't noticed it. As to the birds here, among our local host birds which visit the golf course at the back of the house, I notice mostly the sandhill cranes, huge flocks of white ibis with one or two black ibises scattered among them, turkey vultures,eagles, ospreys, owls, woodpeckers, wrens, mourning doves, all kinds of ducks and geese, and crows and raven. Of these groups, Sandhill Cranes go about in families. Several years ago, I made friends with a family of four. They usually come at the porch door and knock on it with their beaks. My late husband used to tell me, “Look, your friends are calling!” When I go out, they don’t escape. I can just be among them, feeding them. They’ve even let me take photos of them, up close. Now, these are huge birds. The adults are as tall or taller than me, but they are mild-mannered, even if their cries sound like throaty shrieks. Over the years, I had generations of them visiting but I can’t tell anymore which ones were the original four.     |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Do you believe you can go as far as your gifts will take you or are there limits? --- It depends. I think gift giving is a joy and it has to meet the receiver’s likes and personality. I usually try not to overdo anything as to not put the other person in sort of an owing position. If the gift I am giving is the gift I am sure the receiver will really appreciate, then I don’t pay too much attention to the cost. Still, many gifts need not be costly. Then, talking about the cost, I always put financial limits on me, which means if I purchase anything on a charge card, I have to have enough saved already to meet the cost. This takes care of the extra fines for later, should I fall back in paying the card’s monthly charges. Anyhow, I always try to pay the total amount when the bill from a card arrives. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From GabriellaR45 ’s "Invalid Item" Write about searching for the poetry of your heart. --- After reading Gabriella’s beautiful poem a minute ago, I can’t come up right away with such colorful imagery as she did. However, the poetry of my heart doesn’t need a search. It is in volumes already with the compiled treasury of memories that mostly have to do with people alive or not and most other living things, say pets, animals, plants, etc. Then, I also consider just about everything on earth as living, although for me, a beautiful sunset is not poetry in itself, but if I have sat and watched it with a loved one, then I find the poetry in it. Books are objects for most people but books, writing implements, all artwork, and all objects for creating art, be it crochet hooks, paintbrushes, or landscaping tools are also included in the poetry of my heart. In short, anything I can see the human in it is poetry to me. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Why is it easier to talk to a stranger rather than someone you are close with? === I didn’t even know this could be a problem. I can talk to strangers and friends alike about general things with the same abandon. When it comes to personal things, there are some things I can discuss with close friends better if they are privy to what’s happening. Even so, I really don’t discuss anything with anyone that I wouldn’t want other people to know. If there’s anything I learned in this life, it is how to handle my own stuff. In the case of therapists, however, it is said that people can relate better to a therapist since they feel a therapist understands the human psyche. Maybe! I was married to a psychiatrist and have known many other therapists. Honestly and with my apologies to my late husband, I don’t think the therapists are all that astute, except they mean well and they know how to answer and treat a patient according to their assumptions based on what they think they see and what the patient tells them. In short, no one can know everything and everyone, and I am a big proponent of self-sufficiency.  For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Angelica- Happy July 4th!  ’s "Where I am From" Write about you are from. I think I am going to have a little fun with this prompt. The universe is a vast place. Inside it, I was born on a tiny planet in a non-descript solar system. Where I come from is a place where sometimes it is the last place I want to be in; however, although a good number of explorers have tried to invent ways to move us off this planet, they haven’t been successful, as of today. For that, I am truly glad. First, I like the air of our planet where I can take deep breaths and not get hurt or killed since my body is made to breathe this very air better than what we might find elsewhere. Second, we have a solid ground to stand on. Imagine going to live on a gaseous planet! Maybe some birds could manage it if they could adjust to a different atmosphere but not the other living things we have on our planet. Another thing I like about where I come from is the gravity. It isn’t too light so we can go high up whether we want to or not, and it isn’t too powerful that we end up as a mush, flat on the ground. I also like the variety of life on my home planet. We have all kinds of creatures and plants that live on land, air, and sea, and we have all kinds of land and water forms. My home planet is self-sufficient. Our food and air recycles to sustain us all the time, and we can go to wherever we wish whenever we wish, on the planet. Except at the moment, we’re at a standstill due to a pandemic, which I am miffed, annoyed, nettled, and disturbed about. Talking about annoyances, we have seasons on earth that go round and round repeatedly, which I am not very sure I like so much. Due to my old age, I don’t take well to drastic changes in weather. Added to this continuing change in seasons, some dimwits among us have come up with a change in clocks twice a year. That, I abhor more than the seasons’ changing. Still, the worst thing about where I come from are the wars our inhabitants create, usually out of thin air. These wars destroy us and our place, worse than the weather and natural disasters. Sometimes, because of all this warring and fighting behaviors of the inhabitants, I and some others I know don’t like being here. Can you blame us? |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: In the book, The Berlin Candy Bomber by Gail S. Halverson, a pilot threw down lots of candy parachuted by handkerchiefs to the children of Berlin, during the siege of the city by the Russians at the end of World War II. What are your thoughts on small but kind acts like this? Do they have the potential of bringing about World Peace? === I believe only purpose, compassion, and love by everyone will bring about world peace. Still, kind and small acts by the few may have an impact as they may encourage imitations, which may grow and roll about like an avalanche. It may just be that such an avalanche can overcome all acts that compromise peace and may do everything to restore it. We have to realize that when we reach down and lift other people up, we are also revitalizing our own hearts. There are many organizations that encourage people to do simple acts of kindness, even if it’s only a smile or a kind word to someone who needs it. One such organization is: http://www.onethousandactsofpeace.org According to these people, if everyone did three simple kind acts a day, we will have a better world. We may or may not belong to this or any other organization or a religious sect or idea, but trying for three small acts a day, shouldn’t be too difficult. Who knows, we may just have a better world this way. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Bruce.  ’s "Invalid Item" What is your favorite season and why is it your favorite? --- I have been kind of fickle about seasons. At one time, my favorite season used to be autumn, but then at the middle of my life, my body came up with allergies against the pollen from the weeds and the pollen that eked into the air from the falling leaves. Thus, since I despise sneezing and coughing and losing my breath, autumn lost its special place immediately. Summer is too hot, especially where I live now, and winter is too cold and cruel almost everywhere. Until, a short while ago, I thought Spring had to be the best season for its rejuvenation and new life, but then, I realized most of my loved ones passed away in Spring. So, until a fifth season shows up, I have no favorite season left, although I love nature in general. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Lyn's Prompt: Use these words in your blog entry... purple, pumpkin, determine, clock, scarecrow and Shelia. === Shelia the Cat a story for children It was the day before the Halloween night when the old black cat Shelia determined she needed to be owned. So she decided to pay a visit to a witch’s house. Since no one else wanted a black cat, Shelia thought of Amanda the witch might want to adopt her and possibly protect her from the tauntings of the purple crow in the neighborhood, but as Shelia ambled through Amanda’s vegetable garden, the huge scarecrow with the pumpkin head caught her eye. She slowed down, worrying if the scarecrow would attack her, but the scarecrow was standing in the middle of the patch like a frozen statue. So, Shelia turned toward Amanda’s twisted house with puffs of black smoke emerging from its chimney. A few steps later, she heard an unintelligible chant. When she neared a couple of yards more to the house, she could make out the words to the chant. “Come little cat, come! Camouflaged in the witch’s suit, I am a hungry woman. I can eat a horse, or a bat, or even a cat. The blacker the better! I am now drawing one closer to me! Come little cat, come!” Shelia meowed in terror, stopped short, and turned around. How could she be so dumb to let herself go under a witch’s spell? She didn't need her very own personal clock of life stopped like that. Dashing through the vegetable garden, bumping into the scarecrow, and flying with the wind, she ran away from Amanda’s domain. After all, no one needed to be owned for protection. Not by a witch, not by anyone else. Shelia might as well protect herself from the purple crow or anything else that scared her. Hadn’t she done that all her life, anyway! For: "Space Blog" Prompt by Megan: From Don Two  ’s "One Million Stars" Write about the universe and the stars. Sometimes I wonder about the stars and their numbers. Just how many of them exist in the universe, I ask myself. That amount must be so huge that it must far outnumber our systems of counting. Yet, the astronomers say, the stars are not scattered randomly thoughout the space. They bunch together in galaxies, just like us people. There are about six billion people on earth, which is a countable number. Still, can anyone claim to have met all the people on this tiny planet, which is not even a star? Then, why in the world, would I want to know the number of all the stars? Chances are I’ll never meet or set foot on those stars either, and neither would I want to. Who knows what lurks in those darker corners of the universe? Better safe than sorry. I’d rather exist in my tiny little corner than traverse a whole crazy universe. Isn't one crazy planet enough to loiter about? |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Discuss this quote: “I think of myself as a bad writer with big ideas, but I'd rather be that than a big writer with bad ideas.” ― Michael Moorcock ---- As I always say, to each his own. Michael Moorcock can think of himself and his writing in any old way he wishes. As for me, I am not into big ideas or bad ideas. I am into writing. I am not a big writer as far as fame and fortune is concerned, and I never go after fame and fortune, but I am a big writer because I like to write a lot. I always did. Just to be a writer is good enough for me. To be a better writer, though, one has to put up with one’s own bad writing and hope that it will get better. Since day one, I have been working on that one. As to ideas, any idea can be developed into something. When you least expect it, the simplest of the ideas can produce good results. The same can go for bad or big ideas, too. It depends on who is writing it and who gives it the time and effort to develop it. For: "Space Blog" Schnujo Enjoyed Colombia 
Write about that day in 2001. 9-11. What were your thoughts? --- My husband and I were watching CNBC that morning. On the screen, Sue Herera said something like, “Something’s going on behind us at the twin towers!” Then she turned a little and asked the cameramen, “Can you direct the cameras there?” That’s when we saw the first plane half in and half out of the first building. The rest bothers me way too much to write about. Each time I think of what followed, that horror attacks me and doesn’t go away for days. Suffice it to say that, we followed each step the New Yorkers took and every darn thing that happened after that. What I can add is that, on a personal level, my older son was working in downtown. He lived on Long Island and took the train to be at work at 10 AM. He had to be just in the train then or barely out of it when the first plane hit. He called us from his cell, asking us what was happening. The problem for most of the people on the streets was that no one knew what was going on. So, we watched that catastrophy step by step and informed him as to the goings on, with him calling us every five to ten minutes or so. The trains had stopped, then. He couldn’t go back. So, with everyone else, he began walking uptown. Then, he got into some bar around the Colombia University where people were watching TV. He was thinking he could get a ride with someone and go over one of the bridges. His father told him to go back to the train station and wait till the trains would start working. I was even afraid of that. At that point, like us, everyone thought it was war and we were being attacked. The trains began working sometime around 4 PM and my son went home, after that. We were all affected badly. The sorrow lasted even to this day, and those images still haunt me. My son stopped working in the city for good. That trauma caused some kind of a PTSD in him, and since he refused therapy, I am sure he still feels the effects of it. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Would you rather write poems, short stories or news items? --- All of them. Non-fiction comes more easily because I am more experienced in it, but this doesn’t mean that I prefer it to others. Quite the contrary. I like poetry in general. I write poetry a lot on my own just for the sake or it, but I do not post what I write either here in WdC or somewhere else. Most of the poetry I have on this site were either written for slams or for some occasion or contest. Stories--short, long, or novel-size—are intriguing to me the most. Through them I can experience more of life and more of my own internal potentiality. Despite the blood, sweat, and tears of it all, I find stories to be excellent emotional outlets that lead to improved and improving communication, thinking, leadership and organizational skills (by that I mean because of the proper handling of the characters and other story elements), and facing personal difficulties. Talking about personal difficulties, writing in general and reading, too, have saved me some from truly bad moments in my life because they gave form to my ideas and suppressed the negatives my mind could create so easily. Reading and writing! I think they always stick together to become best friends for me. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Dr Gonzo ’s "The Way I See It" How do you see earth? --- I have never been up in space to view the earth in its absolute fullness. I can only see with my eyes little parts of it at a time. From the pieces of the planet that I have physically seen, the earth can be a place as hot as hell, as colorful as the entire spectrum bound together , as fresh as newborn anything, and as cold as the look in a killer’s eyes who is dressed all in white. The way I see it from what I have read and heard about it, the earth fosters all kinds of beautiful and amazing animal and plant life, cruel sometimes and kind at others, set on vast oceans and blue seas, lakes, and all types of waterways, and deserts, valleys, flatlands, and majestic mountains. What I don’t like about the earth is that most of the species and humans are extremely selfish. If only to survive or to feed their egos, people and species have to eat one another, war with one another, and grab things from one another. On the more positive side, just about anything on earth adapts to a new place on it, that is a living thing--plant, animal, or human--not indigenous to a place but can be naturalized with some success. Coming to humans, as much as organizations, Nobel laureates, corporate partners, citizens, and world leaders claim to work for unity, there is no global understanding of shared concerns even though some scream their heads off about globalization, which in essence, means trade and commercial gains, and means nothing where true human values are concerned. If a true unity of humans were to be possible, there would be no wars and no divisions. This warring, divisiveness, and chomping on one another, I think, makes the earth a place of shame. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Write about a closed door and what's behind it. --- Funny you should ask! Right now, I have two closed-doors in the house. One is to my bedroom and the other to the study. The reason is a cat. I sort of adopted my son and daughter-in-law’s wayward cat, Noche, a black, eleven-year-old disturbed cat, who I taught I could train. Do I have a big head or what! My son was going to take her to a no-kill shelter, and I didn’t have the heart to let her in there as they had declawed her when she was a kitten, and I had also read that the unadopted cats in such shelters were handed out to medical research. In my bedroom, I have my bed, bedroom furniture, a few books, e-readers, and Kindle Fire pads. The room also has an adjacent bathroom and a walk-in closet. The reason Noche isn’t allowed in there is because she kept punishing my kids by peeing and pooping in their beds. Their crime was adopting another cat and a Cheshire Retriever after getting Noche. In the study, which used to be my husband’s, are his books, file cabinets, and a desk, and also the internet modem, which at this point, I am guarding with my life. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to write this. Do I get Noche’s peeing and pooping? So far, some pooping not on furniture but on the floor, which I clean easily. She does pee in the two litter-boxes I put in an extra bathroom, and sometimes, she poops in them, too. I also found out that she misbehaves when she’s afraid of something. In my son’s house, I think it was the big aggressive dog that started the whole thing. Noche needs a lot of love, now. At least two to three times a day, he meows to me for love and I pet her and play with her for at least a half-hour, each time. Last night, I was tired and cut the session short. Then at 5 AM in the morning, I heard her cries. I got up and played with her. This morning I found poop on the tiles. I guess it happened at 5 PM, when she felt bad. Noche is, in fact, a very loving cat, and I won’t give up on her, although I promised my son I wouldn’t take much from the cat and should she become unmanageable, he could take her to wherever he wants. Yet, I am quite sure that Noche is going to stay with me now. and the two closed doors will stay closed. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: Roari ∞  ’s "To My Muse" What do you do for Writer's block? Writer’s Block? Is there such a thing? I think we should be able to write whenever we wish, regardless of the outcome. In my opinion, Writer’s Block may happen when we expect perfection first, and second, while we are composing something and we hit a snag. That snag is not Writer’s Block. It is our mind asking for extra time and space to think out the problem in that specific work. When this happens, it is a good idea to leave that piece alone for a time and go to other projects. Searching for ideas is usually a good ploy to keep off the nervousness about writing. Another one is getting into the habit of writing every day, no matter what comes out of one’s pen. When all else fails, we can always write a review, a book review, or a letter. Just sitting down and noting whatever the eyes can see and the ears can hear is another thing, also. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: “Art completes what nature cannot bring to a finish,” says Aristotle. “The artist gives us knowledge of nature’s unrealized end.” What do you think about this connection between art and nature? --- It is said by those who study humans and human bodies that viewing art has the same effect of reducing stress levels as being in nature. I think this is because, even though we may live in crowded cities, we humans are not separate from nature. Then, as beautiful and fresh as nature can be, our assessment of it adds to it in a great way. In other words, what nature opens to our senses, the artist’s interpretation of it adds to it and makes it a collaborative experience. As an example, imagine yourself looking up at the sky on a starry night. Then look at Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Do you see the revolving energy and dynamism in those stars? This is what art brings to our senses and to what nature endows us with. Nature might have been here before humans arrived, and I can't help but imagine that it was created by its Creator partly to make it a source of inspiration for us to create, also. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From PandaPaws Licensed VetTech ’s "Invalid Item" Saluting the Brave Men and Women who fought in WWII. --- I did not serve in any war, but I was born during the end of WWII. So, I respect and applaud this special breed of people who exemplify to us honor, pride, dedication, valor, and service, and I am grateful to them for making the world a better place. The atrocities and the left-over negatives of wars are unimaginable. Those of World War II especially had to be the heaviest. Yet, they had been carried away and dealt with by these brave men and women, in ways I can’t even begin to imagine. When I was growing up, I was intentionally made to respect those in uniform, be it they might be in the military, law enforcement, firefighting, or from the ranks of first-responders. I don’t have grandchildren to instill such a respect but I think it is important to show those that put their lives in jeopardy to protect us and our nation. May we always have such heroes to fight for us and may they always feel our thankfulness. But most of all, may we become smart enough and astute enough to make sure those who badmouth our heroes are silenced forever. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Image by Lyn “Use this image to inspire your blog today. It's at Stonington Harbor in Maine, where my oldest son lives in Maine.” === Although the image here is gloomier than the other photos of Stonington Harbor I found online, it is probably more accurate of this place in winter than in summer. Granted, I have never been to Stonington, but I visited many other places in Maine, usually in summer and a couple of times in winter. I can also see how that rocky, fog-bound coast can affect its residents and play a central role in their lives. Chances are this image was taken from Route 1 that hugs the coast of Maine. This is only conjecture on my part, of course. What entranced me about the image were the rocks and their bunching up together. I always loved the rocks and climbing on them. That is, wherever we were if there were rocks to climb and make my mother crazy. I doubt I can do this anymore, but this image reminded me of those far-away times and also projected related images into my mind of the old clipper ships; although, I doubt they would dare to come too close to these rocks when the fog stood on guard over them for days at a stretch. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Paul  ’s "Doug The Dog" “Life becomes more bearable with someone who loves you.” --- In my thinking, you either enjoy life or go with the flow. I never thought of it as being bearable or unbearable; however, when the tide turns against a person and they lose too much, especially the one they love the most, that unbearability factor shows its ugly head. Yes, someone who loves you makes life better. I won’t argue that, especially because I used to have such a someone with me for most of my life. Still, as a principle, I am not dumping the reasons for my being or happiness on any one person. First, it is too difficult for that someone to carry the burden of my being or happiness on their shoulders. Second, I am the one responsible for myself, provided my intellect and judgment isn’t harmed by disease, age, or stupidity. Then, life becomes stimulating when you look at how people do things. Right today, I learned that someone I know washes her vegetables in large loads in her clothes washer. Then she stores them in the veggie bin in her fridge. Well, that was news to me but interesting anyhow. I may have gone on a tangent here, but I was trying to make a point about making life bearable worthwhile on the worst of days. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: There are 83 days left in this year. Have you accomplished the goals you set back on the 1st day of this year? Have you set new goals with the intent to accomplish them in the last stretch? ===== I am not one for setting goals. They have never worked for me, and even when they did, their results were less than satisfactory. I think the reasons for this can be explained. First, goal setting creates an unneeded pressure while giving me a sense of failure. Then, while adding undue importance to a project and concentrating on its progress, I end up focusing on the result, and that cannot be a winning solution. I set, however, very short-term goals such as those on a daily basis or goals I need to take care of within days. Short-term stuff isn’t too difficult to handle. For all my incompetence with personal goal-setting, however, it is a fact that whenever I worked in a team, I was the one who stuck to the goal 100%. Maybe I am one of those people who do better work with a team. On the other hand, I can understand how goal setting can help a person. First, it gives them a target or a plan which may become a vehicle on the route to success. It encourages commitment and also clarity on the course they may want to take as vague goals do not motivate people. It is said that the most efficient people do set challenging goals and commit to them, and unlike me, they thrive on the social influences and the expectancies of other people. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From TheBusmanPoet ’s "Decisions" Write about decisions. ===== Anyone can make decisions, snap-decisions or slow decisions that take their sweet time, but are they effective with good results? This is where the human judgment comes in. I think it may be better to take one’s time and make decisions based on the projected effectiveness of the results while examining the underlying realities of the problem and the work that needs to be taken care of. A decision may seem clever at the beginning, but it may not be sound. It is better, therefore, not to make very many decisions without thinking, unless one cannot help it with an urgent situation at hand. The trickiest decisions have to do with deciding between right and wrong. Even when the intention is good, it doesn’t mean the rightness or the wrongness of the matter is clear. I would say, classify and define the problem, then specify its answer, while testing the validity of the decision. Even then, unknown factors may be in the play. In short, decision-making is a risky project. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: What do you think of the graphic depictions of violence in books, and is the threat or anticipation of violence in a story much more effective and frightening than any graphic depiction of it? --- I don’t care if the genre is horror or murder-mystery. I think there is no need for graphic depictions of violence anywhere in a book or in a movie for the simple reason that they shouldn’t serve as “how-to”s for the sick minds. Elongating the moments and filling the readers with anticipation of some cruelty or something sinister would work better. The more skilled authors like Dean Kuntz do this to perfection. Now, read this excerpt, which is a bit long for an excerpt, but I had to take the whole thing to make a point. Here the character is reacting to a shadow while under the influence of a nightmare. See how the author is elongating the moments to fill the reader with anticipatory terror. “She was probably still spooked from the dream that awakened her after midnight, the same one she'd had on a few other recent nights. The man made of dead, rotting leaves, a nightmare figure. Whirling, raging. Then her gaze dropped to her elongated shadow, which stretched across the close-cropped grass, draped the curb, and folded onto the cracked concrete pavement. Inexplicably, her uneasiness swelled into alarm. She took one step backward, then a second, and of course her shadow moved with her. Only as she retreated a third step did she realize that this very silhouette was what frightened her. Ridiculous. More absurd than her dream. Yet something in her shadow was not right: a jagged distortion, a menacing quality. Her heart knocked as hard as a fist on a door. In the severe angle of the morning sun, the houses and trees cast distorted images, too, but she saw nothing fearsome in their stretched and buckled shadows--only in her own. She recognized the absurdity of her fear, but this awareness did not diminish her anxiety. Terror courted her, and she stood hand in hand with panic. The shadow seemed to throb with the thick slow beat of its own heart. Staring at it, she was overcome with dread. Martie closed her eyes and tried to get control of herself.” From False Memory by Dean Kuntz. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From SusanFarmer ’s "In the Midst of Tumult" "Choosing a stillness moment even as everything around us convulses." Everything around us is definitely convulsing with riots, COVID-19, the election, and soon, the holidays. What do you do to calm the insanity? ---- It isn’t what happens in the world but it is our reaction to it. Keeping a cool head in times of trouble isn’t easy, but one can do it if one is already prepared for it. As for me, a few decades ago, I learned meditation. It took a long time to really make it a habit, a habit that shows up on its own in times of trouble. It seemed frivolous to do this in those days, but I am happy I attempted it because now, the meditation thing comes to me automatically whenever something fearful or disturbing happens. Once one learns the technique, one can adapt it to his or her liking. One can, for example, incorporate the name of a Saint or God into it or let the meditative words stay as they are. What would have happened if I didn't know about and hadn’t learned meditation? Then, I would have to go with keeping myself busy and creating jobs to do and reading a lot, which is I always do anyway. Keeping busy has its plusses, and also, enjoying the nature helps, but for those of us living in big cities, nature isn’t easily accessible. Then, it is always a good idea to breathe deeply and think, “This too shall pass.” |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Describe what Memory Lane looks like? --- At Memory Lane’s entrance, you notice two tall walls standing across each other on the two sides of the road. These walls are covered with climbing roses of all colors, and from afar, you think, ‘how lovely and such a heavenly smell,’ but when you near either of the walls you see that these roses have the biggest thorns. This is because roses are warning you to look from afar and not touch for if you try to get closer or touch, you might be subjected to intense bleeding, as some things, especially memories, are meant to be enjoyed from afar. A nearer vision or better grasp can hurt you. So you try to walk in the middle of the road, noticing road signs along the way. Here are a few of them: “Proceed at your own risk!” “Beware of the too-sweet memories. They are out to distract you.” “Check out the facts well because bad experiences can be presented out of context.” “Remember why you forgot even forgave.” “Your details may not be accurate.” These warning signs are the only correct things on this lane. Your memories aren’t. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Annie ’s "Windows of the morning" "Morning is my favorite time of day......." What is your favorite part of the day and why? --- I’ll go with morning, too. That I woke up still alive is a gift. That a cat waits for me at my bedroom door in the morning is the biggest compliment I can receive. That I can cook for myself and can take care of myself is my bonus. That I don’t owe anyone anything and I own my home is God’s grace and I am thankful for it. For those and for many other things, I am thankful for all my mornings. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: In an interview, Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard, who wrote the six-volume autobiographical novel My Struggle and many others, said, “I don’t really pay much attention to the world. I’m not very present. I’m detached from almost everything. I’m very occupied with myself and my own mind. I’m not in connection with the world—but in writing, I can be.” What do you think? If writers are attached to writing, how can they write if they are detached from the world? ==== I believe this is called in psychiatry depersonalization disorder. People with this disorder describe a sense of complete detachment, a life lived as if on autopilot, characterized by an absence of emotions, good or bad. Such people observe life through a fog as if they don’t own their bodies. They may also have OCD and other mental disorders. I guess such people write about stuff as they observe the world behind their fog, but I don’t think, they’re able to feel with their characters or even their own emotions. Depending on their skill, some writers can get away with this. Then, sometimes, due to our digital connections, we may feel disconnected and depressed even though we are connected to the entire world through the internet. It is a catch 22 situation. I think it is okay to feel sad, detached, or depressed from time to time, but if it happens often or unrelentingly, the person feeling that way should better seek professional help. Although Knausgaard, here, claims some kind of a detachment, I doubt that he is seeing himself clearly. If he were, his writing wouldn’t be so successful. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From Lisa Noe  ’s "Invalid Item" ."I can't believe this is happening on my birthday." Odd things happen on birthdays. What birthday do you remember best? --- It was my older son’s first birthday. He didn’t understand what the cake was for. When it came to blow the candle, he stuck his entire head into it. Luckily, a neighbor pulled the candle out of the cake at the last minute. As the result, I had to wash the baby while my husband had to go get another cake, but the bakery was out of cakes, and he came back with a full load of eclairs. I think eclairs taste better than any cake, so we were all happy about what our son did, our son with icing all over his face and body. I don’t think any of my own birthdays can top this one. |
| For "Blog City ~ Every Blogger's Paradise" Prompt: Now that we have only a couple of days to the "October Novel Prep Challenge" [13+] by Brandiwyn🎶  , are you going to write a novel this year? With or without doing the NaNo, what is your best approach to write a novel: vignettes, outlines, character developing or what? If you are a NaNo rebel, what is in your book-writing future, then? If you are not ready to write a novel yet, what do you think of the NaNo program?-- My favorite approach to any writing is pantsing. But is it the best approach? I don’t think so. As enjoyable as pantsing is, a more organized thinking especially with the longer works brings out the best result, and that is why I so appreciate the Prep. Not that prepping always works for everyone or every book, but it makes the rush-rush writing in one month much easier. To tell the truth, when they say NaNo month, it is never the full month. You’d better have your novel completed within three or four days after the 20th. Because there’s Thanksgiving and other stuff that can get in the way. NaNo would do us a bigger favor if they accepted the entries within the first week of December, but that is not in our hands, is it! Even so, although each year I say I won’t do this, I end up doing the NaNo bit anyway. Because the one year in between that I didn’t do, I wasn’t happy with myself. I don’t have OCD but I might have developed one concerning NaNo. Again, this year, I said I wouldn’t put me through this again, but as soon as I saw Michele’s post, I was there. Now, about last year’s NaNo, I got 54k plus words, but the book is not finished. I didn’t reach any viable ending. Thus, it is not even a first draft like the others were. And here I am again to possibly write a totally different story.  As to prepping, it depends what kind of an idea I get for each book. Sometimes an interesting character or an outline pushes my thinking around. Last year, I wanted to write about a voyage of sorts like the Odyssey,  This year, I am thinking of a theme but I don’t know how I’ll work it in a story with characters and a halfway decent storyline. It is always a challenge, but then challenges usually keep us alive. For: "Space Blog" Prompt: From princess ’s "Hugs" "The many meanings of giving a hug" Why do we all like hugs? -- We like hugs because we are pack animals and feeling hugged relieves stress as our brains can produce soothing chemicals (like oxytocin) that help us feel safe and less agitated for a while. This, in the long run, helps boost our immune systems, regulate our heart rates, and lower our blood pressure. But now, the tide has turned. We have the epidemic and no hugs. Suddenly, hugs have become risks. The more people we hug, the higher is the risk of getting the virus. What happens is that when we meet someone to hug, we take a step, then stop, and so does the other person. So instead we wave from afar or we message one another with “hug” words or send hugging emoticons. It may just be idea that counts, but then, it may not be as some bandaids can fall off. Thus, hugs may be the most-missed thing at this time. Once the epidemic goes away, the consolation prize can be that we’ll be hugging one another all over the place and feeling good again. Something real and meaningful to look forward to, I'd say. |
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