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 |    My random thoughts and reactions to my everyday life. The voices like a forum. |
| I do not know quite what happened or when , but my hubby and I now qualify for seniors' discounts at some venues. This creates a quandary; in order to save money, but not face, we have to admit to our age. HMMMM..... We definitely do not consider ourselves to be old. In this day and age ,when people as a whole are living longer and healthier lives why are 'young seniors', those in their fifties, like moi, considered 'old'?? It's so true that age is just a perception! "Maturity" is very objective/subjective, and I object! Whew, a few years have skittered by since I composed this biography block. Those "fifties" are in the rear view mirror and they are distant, fond memories. Oh, I do not plan to stop writing any time soon. |
| Tues. Apr. 7th Prompt. by Fivesixer (653) What is the best thing to come out of staying at home (so far)? Let's see... Me, myself and I have become better acquainted. Sure, sometimes we disagree, but it never results in fisticuffs. We struggle to use our indoor voices, but we tend to be vocally loud. Okay, we're working on the only-one-speaker-at-a-time-thing. Waiting for one of us to spit out an idea and listening without comment is not easy. We tend to be impatient and blurt out our thoughts before the one-in-the-current-spotlight finishes. Yes, we all consider this distracting and even a bit rude. We all wish to be heard. Our self-isolation, #SaferAtHome, quarantine, shelter in place time has been productive. We've collaborated on a few writing projects here at WDC. Myself's typing skills seem to have improved, but more attention to the sensitive 'caps lock' key would help. Me and I groan in frustration if we are forced to back track to ferret out the lack of capitalization. The whatever shrug from myself aggravates the rest of us to no end. Capital letters are important. Me and myself believe I is too self-important. I garners the attention and is always noticed. See, capitalization works! The entire there-is-no-'i'-in-something philosophy doesn't cut it with I. Of course, this does apply to me and myself, go figure. Teamwork is a work in progress. With this just-stay-home movement, we are learning that we need each other. We've discovered 'distractabaking' and meditation, but for obvious safety reasons we do not practise both at the same time. |
| Mon. April 6th Prompt by Fivesixer (653) Family Movie Night! Pick two movies your family and close friends can come over and watch. Give us a brief synopsis (no spoilers!) and share with us what you'll be snacking on throughout. Only two movies?? There are many to choose from, many genres, many stories, and many laughs. But of course I would choose comedies. My family and friends need to forget about their worries and lose themselves in the catharsis of laughter. No one will ask why so glum, chum? They will chortle, giggle, tee hee, whinny, guffaw and gasp. It will be music to my ears. My first movie choice is one I consider to be a classic comedy Weekend at Bernie's. I know you can't possibly hear me, but I am snickering as I write this. Here's a brief synopsis. Larry and Richard, two office co-workers, believe they've discovered something hinky with their company's finances. Anticipating promotions if not at least praise, they inform their boss. He invites them to attend his beachside home for the weekend. They jump at the chance to schmooze and rub shoulders with the wealthy. Nothing is as they expected. They discover their boss, Bernie, has a secret life, one they're not equipped to handle. They find their host inexplicably deceased and they panic. For the entire weekend, they pretend that Bernie is alive and participating in all activities because they fear being implicated, or murdered themselves. Most of the comedy derives from the ridiculous situations with the body. They lose it, they take it boating, and more. A poor, perplexed hitman features in the action, too. The two friends experience an exciting weekend escape. The second movie is also a classic comedy The Princess Bride.This is a hilarious spoof of a fairy tale. Our lovely heroine, Buttercup, loves Westley. They are tragically separated and she is pursued by the dastardly villain, Prince Humperdinck. Buttercup suffers the indignity of a kidnapping and she is rescued by a mysterious pirate dressed in black. The various characters she and her rescuer encounter are unique and best described as misfits. The lines, "Inconceivable!" and "As you wish" are synonymous with this film. There are sword fight scenes with witty repartee. Banter drives the action. Rogues abound, but are they truly deviant? Snacks? Well, since it's been an eon, or two we shall munch upon chocolate chip pizza, a family favourite. Basically, it's a giant cookie loaded with all treats sweet in nature and baked in a pizza pan. Two people in particular will protest the addition of shredded cocoanut and I still cannot believe they are related to me. Inconceivable! All will agree to peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, mini M&Ms and mini peanut butter cups. We serve it in wedges like a regular pizza. Some of us will guzzle tea while others maintain the ol' rivalry of Pepsi versus Coke. Of course, I will have reminded my guests that my eldest is a spitter when she laughs. It's a reflex, she cannot help it. |
| Sun. April 5th Prompt. by Fivesixer (653) You get to pick three people- living or dead- to be quarantined with. But...in order to pass time, you have to play Monopoly. Who wins? Who cheats? Who cries? Who flips the table, sending pieces flying everywhere? You choose the players and how they see the game through its finish. I winced reading this prompt. Yep, this stirs up some memories, serious, intense memories. Monopoly is not considered a friendly game to some people. The competitive knock it up a notch and fail to see the fun in passing time with this board game. They don't play, they battle. There can only be one winner. My brother Mark and his friend, our neighbour, Rick both felt strongly about Monopoly. I suppose it represented who could brag as to being the best. They were both the second eldest in their families and perhaps they already dealt with rivalry on a daily basis in their lives. They took a board game and transformed it into a physical brawl. The game pieces and the board were flung into the air before punches were thrown. Mark karate-chopped Rick over the head. Rick saw red and shoved Mark. Yelling ensued. Mark was sent home after the boys were separated. A couple of days passed with the two of them keeping their distance. My Mom noticed my brother favouring one of his hands and she took a closer look. Off they went to the local emergency room and Mark returned with his right hand swathed in a plaster cast.The true story of his injury came out as they awaited their turn with a doctor. Mark and Rick accused each other of cheating at Monopoly. One of them believed he'd been short-changed with five dollars. The karate chop to Rick's thick skull had been in retaliation for being called a cheat. They came to injurious blows over a fake five-dollar bill! So, I would not opt to pass the time playing this deadly game with my sibling. Hmmm, who would I play Monopoly with?Okay, I'd like to see him in action, Dr. Seuss is one player. For a second game companion, I choose SB Musing  .My third player would be Captain Hook, the pirate. He already has an obvious handicap. I doubt he can spell and he's got a clumsy hook. As I anticipated, the pirate curses a great deal and brandishes his hook in our faces. When he heard we'd be walking 'the board', he assumed we'd be on a wooden deck of a ship at sea. He can't seem to sit still, he sways. Dr. Seuss smiles and jokes, but he always seems to be thinking. He rearranges the letter tiles over and over. SB Musing nods hello and sips from a tall chipped mug emblazoned with a heart. She too is a plotter. I believe her plan is to keep us preoccupied with idle chit-chat.She is the picture of nonchalance. Before we begin, we establish a few ground rules with the most important one being that a word offered up for points must be set into a sentence if challenged. I also caution that karate chops will not be tolerated. Dr. Seuss starts us off with a strange spelling that actually utilizes all of his seven tiles. Since he stands to earn extra points for this feat we challenge him to use his word in a sentence. It sounded like utter nonsense to us, but he made his word appear reasonable. Some of us are writers and we appreciate creativity, so after a two to one vote, his word stands. Hey, if he can make a combination with the difficult letters 'q, w, and x' more power to him. He mentioned something about proprietary domain and thus I cannot reveal that amazing word. Captain Hook surprised us with his momentous move. He added a 's' to that first word and he rightfully argued that if it was indeed a word then it had to have a plural. Crafty and logical, who knew? SB Musing connected several of her tiles before she and I realized we were playing the wrong game. Somehow, we'd mistaken the Scrabble game for our intended game, Monopoly. We blame it on writers' fatigue. Oops! After a bit of readjustment and counting out some funds, we reviewed the rules. Again,I reiterated absolutely no karate-chopping permitted. We agreed to refer to the money as 'booty' since someone preferred that term. Captain Hook seemed a bit miffed that there wasn't a pirate boot, or feathered hat as a game token. He chose the gentleman's top hat. Dr. Seuss expressed his desire for a cat token, but in the end he took the race car. SB Musing opted for the submarine. She said she liked the stealth of it. I picked the boot. I never seem to buy the railroads, so I knew I'd be hoofing it. This game dissolved into bedlam from its start. The pirate objected strenuously to being sent to jail. He claimed it was profiling, stereo-typing, and just bad form. He didn't feel he should have to relinquish some of his treasure to secure his release. Dr. Seuss wasted no time amassing a railroad consortium. SB Musing purchased Illinois Avenue assuring us it would prove to be the most valuable real estate of the game. Three times she rolled doubles with the dice. Captain Hook pouted in jail. Upon his release, he struggled to roll the dice. He insisted that there had to be a magical way to do it. A few times, he jolted the board and blamed it on his poor landlubber balance. In the end, Dr. Seuss declared bankruptcy and struck the game to the floor. He claimed that railroads' were a risky investment and they had to crash in some real way. He left muttering, "I do not like this game, Sam I am." Captain Hook responded, "How did he know my name? I am Sam." Clever SB Musing composed her own rhyme. "He does not like Monopoly. He does not play with two or three. He does not like this board game stuff. He just stomped away in a huff." |
| APRIL 4 UNOFFICIAL PROMPT by ~Dragon~ (644) As we're staying #SaferAtHome, I hope you're all staying hydrated- whether that be with water or other liquids! How many cups/glasses/mugs/etc do you have at home? Which is your favorite, and why? Tell us about how you got it. I will tell you that I no longer have wine glasses collecting dust. A lifetime ago, I received two sets of sparkling wine glasses and carafes as wedding gifts. They always felt extravagant and unnecessary to me. When she explored the house as a toddler, my eldest would tap the shelves displaying those delicate pieces just to hear the tinkling. They had to be wrapped and packed every time we moved, so at our final relocation I presented them to my youngest. I also do not possess much in the way of drinking glasses. For many years, I served beverages in plastic Tupperware tumblers. This did not happen because my children were rough and careless. No, I am the killer of glasses. Alas, they do not survive my hand-washing and some have bitten back creating a need for stitches. Again, as wedding gifts, the hubby and I were given six sets of glasses. Only a few stalwart members survived to celebrate our first anniversary. Glass is so delicate. With most mugs ,on average, I am a better keeper. That's not to say I haven't smashed a few by dropping them at inopportune moments. I store mugs at both my home and my camper. I feel they are much safer if I do not attempt to transport them between the seasons. One of my favourite cups suffered a horrendous demise one sunny day at camp. It had been a gift from my youngest daughter and featured a humorous caption with a moose. While carrying it filled to the rim with fresh, hot tea I executed a manoeuver known to most as exiting through a doorway. It did not go as planned. I still sense that an invisible entity pushed and or tripped me. That cup and I hurtled through the air. I crumpled to the ground bruised and battered. That poor mug struck the side of the trailer and shattered. Some of the neighbours probably assumed I'd thrown my tea in a fit of anger. I'm certain it all looked quite dramatic. As I type this blog, I sip tea from a tall mug gifted to me from my eldest grandgiggle, Sydney. I love the lettering on it, 'Be Yourself.' It's a two year veteran now. I refuse to count my venerable / vulnerable mugs. I don't want them to believe that their days are numbered. Three hang from a wall-mounted mug rack in my kitchen. They enjoy a sedentary life and they are free to partake of family gatherings from their safe perch. They are the only survivors of a set gifted to me by my deceased mother-in-law. Each one has a unique caricature face and they speak to my love of doodling/sketching. Viv knew I'd love them. I wish the Muppet character mugs she found for me were still with us. She drank her tea from them. I raise my mug of tea and clink it ever so gently with yours. Virtual toasts do not endanger my ceramic crew. |
| California just announced an extension of the self-isolation through May 1/April 30. With all this newfound time spent at home, TV time is also skyrocketing. What TV/movies do you recommend for us to watch, on which platforms, and why? I choose not to pay for cable or satellite service. I find them expensive with most of the channels spewing out the same or similar programming. I've never been a fan of daytime t.v., sports, or game shows. I have no control over the content and timing of movies and serial episodes. Since I already pay for my internet subscription, I opted to pay a bit more for Netflix access. With this I can watch what I want when I want. If I'm in the mood and enjoying what I'm viewing, I may binge watch. I like the variety available. I have a library of t.v. series, documentaries, and movies to entice me. I also have international options. My tastes wander all over the map. I love murder mysteries and comedy, but I also enjoy the action/thriller genre, true crime, and history. When hubby graces me with his presence, we view romances and chick flicks, or series about vehicles: restoring them, creating them, racing them, smashing them, discovering collector cars, and more. I do NOT recommend viewing the documentary The Trials of Gabriel Fernandez.' It's best described as heart-wrenching. This is an indictment of Los Angeles and the Department of Family and Children's Services. I felt horrified and angry that child abuse not only exists, but is accepted as inevitable by many of those 'working' in the field. The system is fraught with problems. For guaranteed laughs, I suggest watching 'Nailed It!'. The efforts of people to recreate the decoration of cakes is hilarious. If you wish to me amazed by the raw artistic talent of body painters, may I direct you to 'Inked.' Given themes and time constraints, these artists transform their canvases, human bodies, into walking phenomenal art. The best paintings involve camouflage. Models disappear into the background no matter what it is. They could be posing in front of a beach back drop, or the toy section of a store. For American comedy, I recommend 'The Ranch' and "Grace & Frankie.' They both deal with current affairs in an adult manner. Some of the best murder/mysteries are made in Europe. I liked 'La Mante', 'Shetland', 'The Five', 'Broadchurch' and 'Hotel Beau Sejour.' Don't worry, there are sub-titles and translations. For period pieces, I recommend 'Peaky Blinders' and 'Send in the Midwives.' In my estimation, most of the great television series come from Great Britain. |
| My coworkers and I had a virtual happy hour today where we all just chatted and played "Never have I ever" It was great to feel the connection between everyone, even though we're physically distanced. How are you trying to stay socially close to others while #SaferAtHome and physically quarantined? Today is April 2nd, and I've been self-isolated since March 15th. For nine days before that I stayed in rural Quebec never leaving the house. My forays into the outside world consist of grocery shopping and visits to the laundromat which I curtail to one day per week. I nod and say hello from a distance. I haven't resorted to running to a window and banging on it to gain someone's attention. I also have not opened a window and hung out it to better see a favourite someone and shout a greeting to them. I'm definitely socially-distanced 'cause I reside on the second floor and no one could reach me unless they are willing to climb nineteen steps. I doubt anyone would notice me half in and half out a window shrieking like a mad woman. I'm not eager to risk a less than graceful fall either. Thank the universe and some clever inventors for the internet! Daily, I share private letters, jokes, videos, and photos via a wonderful application known as Messenger. No dial up connection, no pony express, no courier, no carrier pigeon, no flares, and no postal worker required. We instantly converse and natter away. Pretty well everyone I know and care to keep in touch with has a cell phone, so we have the option of speaking, or texting each other. Most of my family and friends live at a geographical distance and we appreciate having an internet connection. Of course, we do not share private matters there, but we also communicate via Facebook. We try to avoid the ridiculous drama that may be present. We like the shared humour. I still appreciate good ol' snail mail and actual hold-in-my-hands letters. If I wish a quicker response, I send my news via e-mail. Company is just one of these methods away, so I'm not totally isolated. If I crave a living, breathing, in the flesh person to converse with I hang around the nearby post office. Sooner or later someone arrives to pick up their mail and I can strike up a conversation. Hopefully, I don't choose a person with hearing difficulties. |
| PROMPT March 30th Congratulations on making it to the last day of the competition! What was your favorite prompt from the last month? What was the most rewarding aspect of participating in the competition? It's the end of March already? Where has the time gone? I had a sense of shifting, changing. From my window perch, I noticed snow melting. The time change spring ahead 'thing' has brought longer periods of light, less gloom. Pick a favourite prompt from this month, eh? Yes, I know we read all about it in the constant barrage of news, but I rather liked the prompt dealing with COVID-19. We're all dealing with it and it is the elephant in the room, every room now. It permitted us to vent in a manner that doesn't involve us throwing objects. It assures us that we're very much alive, frustrated, yet alive and coping. I also liked the prompt asking about how we dealt with rain. This is probably because I like the sounds of rain and we tend to shelter in place for it. The prompt that offered us a set of random words intrigued me. Here, make of this what you will. Weave this combination into something that is cohesive. This round of 30 DBC co-existed with that darn virus and a time of self-isolation. Is this a new version of March Madness? Let's prolong cabin fever after the trials of winter. While seated on my computer chair, I travelled great distances. No restrictions, no baggage, and no virus busting protocols. It provided me with a daily activity, a challenge, a nudge to write. It also offered me a variety of reading material to peruse. I could both send out and receive comments, initiate on-line conversation. My fellow bloggers and I validate each other. We are a community. |
| PROMPT March 29th Do you write like you talk? Blogging is inherently personal and therefore leaves a lot of room for your unique voice. How do you show your reader your personality through your writing? Hmmm, do I blog like I speak? Yes, I believe I do. As I compose my responses I pretend I'm conversing with some one, every one, other writers. At least that's what I tell myself when I try to intervene and question myself. Not all conversations are with me, myself, and I. I'm a temporarily self-isolated writer, not a crazy one! I like humour and I treasure a good laugh. I attempt to share that with my writing. No one can witness this, but I speak quickly, animatedly, and loudly. Sigh, I am admonished to shush, can you believe it? No I'm not Italian, but sometimes I gesture wildly and point and wave. I wouldn't say I'm excitable, I'm enthusiastic. Okay, at times I'm long-winded, too. I write of the everyday things, the vignettes, the foibles and faux pas. I seek to strike a common chord. Language and communication fascinate me, so I recreate dialogue. What people say and how they express themselves attract my attention. I ask questions. I like to use the exclamation point! |
| PROMPT March 28th Write about something positive. What is something good that’s happened in your world recently? Share a smile, share a laugh, share a success. I tried to copy and paste a comic from Facebook, but, poof, it's floating out in the nether space of the vast internet now. So.... I shall endeavour to describe it. Picture a cat smiling proudly and sitting at a table next to a book titled' Fake It 'til You Make It.' Yes, this feline is at a book signing. Other cats are waiting in a line before the table. One says to the other, "I hear he started out just walking across a keyboard." Ta-da-boom, ( a drum crash ). Isn't that what we do here at WDC? No, I'm not insinuating that anyone is fake. I'm merely saying that we write over and over, always searching for the magic blend of words. We do not give up, or throw in the towel. We 'walk' across our keyboards when we respond to these prompts. Like with any sauntering, we discover things. This past week, I crossed the finish line of The Wonderland Challenge. A series of prompts directed me to compose poetry, short stories, and blogs based upon 'The Alice in Wonderland' books. I loved this journey! Initially, it felt like falling down a rabbit hole. I twisted and turned in the dark trying to make sense of my predicament. I learned that my imagination likes to be unleashed to cavort freely. This is one of my blog posts from that pursuit. "On the Same Team"  I proffer it to the rabid sports' fans unable to view and rant at any new games/matches/events at the moment. |
| PROMPT March 27th Someone shared the poem “The Trough” by Judy Brown with me today and I want to pass it on to you. I found it incredibly comforting during this time of global crisis. In your entry today, write about how the poem makes you feel, or write a poem of your own. The Trough Judy Brown There is a trough in waves, a low spot where horizon disappears and only sky and water are our company. And there we lose our way unless we rest, knowing the wave will bring us to its crest again. There we may drown if we let fear hold us in its grip and shake us side to side, and leave us flailing, torn, disoriented. But if we rest there in the trough, in silence, being in the low part of the wave, keeping our energy and noticing the shape of things, the flow, then time alone will bring us to another place where we can see horizon, see land again, regain our sense of where we are, and where we need to swim. This is indeed a comforting prompt. It reminds me of Dory in the animated movie 'Finding Nemo'. Her motto is keep on swimming. Become one with the wave, do not fight it. The wave can and will carry you. Trust that "things" will return to normal. Ride out the fear. Here is a COVID-19 related poem I composed. Social distancing's a new trend in answer to a bug, COVID-19, viral stalker. No to kiss, handshake, hug. Self-isolate, stay strong, be calm. This blight is not so smug. |
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