%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |    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. |
| PROMPT November 27th Do you have any "weird" tastes in food? Carrots and ketchup? Peanut butter and ice cream? Watermelon and salt? Can you convince us to try your odd food combo? I've often wondered about our early foodstuff pioneers. Obviously, they wandered in search of strange new items to eat. Perhaps they operated on the dare system as in, I dare you to put that in your mouth and swallow it. Who waded out into the ocean, scooped up a clam, pried it open, stared at the pale, mucousy contents and thought to him or herself, I bet I can force this down. It just needs a bit of butter. Someone had to be the first to trap a lobster. Did this adventurous gourmand then look past the shell, the claws / pincers. and antenna to envision something to savour? Ah, of course, served with butter it had to be delicious. The same is true of snails. They're not all that remarkable, or noticeable. They slither along on a trail of slime and they tote their hard-shelled homes on their backs. What about their appearance screamed, eat me, you know you want to? Huh, with a dip into melted butter these would be marvelous. What drew these scavengers / gatherers to pull fungus from the ground? Oh, wait, it was the pretense of sautéing these mushrooms in butter. Who experimented with ears of corn and decided to dry each and every kernel for future consumption? Yes, it was the allure of reheating this popcorn with butter. So, butter seems to be the one ingredient that makes anything palatable. Butter is slathered on bread, buns, muffins, pancakes and more. Years ago, senior clients insisted upon a pat of butter atop their bowls of cream soup. Again, who discovered that butter could be created from milk? Careful, don't shake that fresh milk, it'll solidify. And this leads me to contemplate cheese. Most cheeses are aged. This is a fancy term meaning it's left to its own devices. In the process, cheese acquires a distinctive aroma. Despite this, cheese is a sought after delicacy. No, I don't believe I eat any weird food combinations. The person who paired chocolate and peanut butter is a genius , as is the clever one who combined salt with caramel. Now my mouth is watering as I recall fabulous pairings. Strawberry and rhubarb are fantastic. One of my newest discoveries is Chicago mix popcorn. Cheese and caramel are a wonderful taste. Oh, I'm dreaming of other delectable chocolate combos: chocolate and caramel, chocolate and mint, chocolate and orange. Ah, chocolate is as important as butter. You know if you mix chocolate with butter, and introduce heat, you create fudge. Now this is the ultimate combination! |
| PROMPT November 26th Was there ever a time in your life when you didn’t want to do something, but motivated yourself to do it? What was the thing, and what did you do to motivate yourself? August and September of 2014 found me dealing with a great many "things" that I'd rather not have to do. My Mother ended up hospitalized with what would turn out to be pneumonia and a staph infection. Both illnesses struck suddenly. On minute, Mom was in her home functioning and the next she was strapped to a gurney enroute, in a wailing ambulance, to her final hospitalization. Both infections progressed swiftly. She, however, shut down slowly, inevitably, day by day. Her decline could best be described as inexorable. It had its own timeline. Every day, my younger sister and I travelled the same roads in a 90-minute round trip. We paced the same hallways. We sat with Mom. We attempted to speak with her, and we listened to her feverish mutterings. Communication proved difficult. We did not have the advantage of context. We witnessed outbursts and strange ramblings. We consulted with medical staff. We drank too much tea. We reminisced with each other. We sent text updates to other family members. We could see that Mom was failing. Although incredibly painful, we decided that there would not be any extra efforts to sustain, or resuscitate her. Yes, we requested a DNR order. We had both heard Mom state that if necessary she wanted no heroics. She'd survived many a medical emergency and she was well aware this could not continue forever. She'd made her peace and accepted her inevitable death.. Mom did not wish to languish in a retirement home, and the idea of life support frightened her. When Mom died after a twelve day ordeal, there was a funeral to plan. We honoured her express wishes and opted for cremation.. I composed and delivered a eulogy. I hugged so many people and normally, I'm not a touchy-feely person. I received an outpouring of love and support. Post funeral I had an estate to settle. I executed Mom's behests. My sister and I emptied her home. We donated many of her earthly possessions. We created memory boxes for her immediate family and made sure to divvy up the extensive angel and Christmas ornament collection. Motivation? It's what Mom wanted.. She'd always taken care of us. The least we could do was honour her wishes and her memory. |
| PROMPT November 25th As the challenge comes to a close, reflect on the Blogging Challenge so far. Have you learned anything about your blogging style or has it evolved over the course of the month? What was the most difficult part? If you do this challenge again, what would you change? Congratulations to Ice_Dragoness NaNo Winner for your Nano win! Congratulations! *ConfettiB* *ConfettiG* *Cool* *NoteB* *NoteO* *NoteB* *NoteO* *NoteB* *NoteO* *NoteB* *NoteO* *NoteB* *NoteO* Well, this isn't my first rodeo, er, um, I mean my first attempt at blogging. In the past , I've participated here and enjoyed it. Sure, sometimes the everyday little things of life interfere, but I persevere. I sit at my keyboard and I compose a blog. I suppose I like the challenge of a daily prompt. With that short time frame, I cannot ignore, or procrastinate with my reply. It keeps me on my toes. I am compelled to string coherent words together and call my creation a blog. . Has my style changed, or evolved? Hmmm, I'm not certain. I believe my voice is mine and I express it here. Yes, there are instances in which I struggle a bit more. As I've mentioned before, my grey cells need the exercise. At least, the effort doesn't render me incapacitated, in pain, and gasping for a breath. Sorry, I cannot think of any improvements at this moment. Can I say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it? |
| PROMPT November 24th It’s the last Creation Saturday of the month! Write a holiday related entry/story/poem using the words: festive, food, gifts, family, cheer, candy cane, and eggnog. Hank sighed. He looked festive in his crooked reindeer antlers. Although a bit tattered, they still jingled every time he so much as breathed. \he couldn't possibly not breathe. His sensitive nose twitched non-stop with all the delectable food smells wafting around him. Hearing his name, Hank focussed on his nearby family bedecked in bright Christmas sweaters of snowmen, snowflakes, and Santas. In the twinkling lights, laughter tinkled. Glasses of golden egg nog clinked to salutations of, "Cheers!" Rising and stretching, Hank trotted to the delectable peppermint candy cane waving from an outstretched hand. Gifts like this only come around once a year and he planned to indulge his sweet tooth while he could. To Be Continued? |
| My favourite food... Oh, this is an easy unequivocal answer. I love pasta. Rotini, ziti, penne, spaghetti, macaroni, lasagna, whatever, it really is all good, no make that delicious. Apparently, I've always preferred Italian cuisine. As a toddler, my tonsils were surgically removed and my parents had been cautioned to only permit jello, or popsicles for my initial recovery. That was not what I had in mind and I demanded " sgetti" . They relented and I did not suffer any ill effects. We celebrate family birthdays with lasagna. It's a tradition and highly anticipated. Oooh, mouth watering just considering it. Pasta pairs magnificently with everything, chicken, beef, pork. Of course, many veggies lend themselves to the creation of a sauce, too. Tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, and celery blend to make magic. There's nothing like the aroma and taste of garlic, oregano, and basil. |
| PROMPT November 22nd Today in the US is Thanksgiving, a day to spend time with loved ones rather than labor over a blog entry, so the prompt is short (you can thank me later *Laugh*). Write a list of five things you are thankful for. That’s it! You are free to make your entry as long or short as you choose. THINGS I AM GRATEFUL FOR: my hubby of 40 years, our children believe he has no sense of humour, but he's put up with me for a long time! My 3 children: Carrie, Christopher, and Danielle....thanks for the laughs, and the numerous unplanned expeditions to emergency rooms my 2 grandgiggles Sydney and Emily, plus Alexandra expected to grace us with her presence in early February...thanks for being so incredible and keeping me young! my siblings, my parents, my grandparents...you permitted me to just be me the gift of gab..... I meet/encounter wonderful people cookies.... unlimited books....there's always time to read just one more paper, pencils, pens.... writing material memories...I cherish each and every one WDC....thanks for inspiration, inclusion |
| PROMPT November 21st Is there a TV show/movie/book from your childhood that you still enjoy today? Tell us why it resonates with you. *NoteB* *NoteO* *NoteB* *NoteO* *NoteB* *NoteO* *NoteB* *NotehO* *NoteB* *NoteO* Yes, I did have a favourite television program as a kid. This will date me for sure since "my" show aired in the 1960's. Okay, okay that was a lifetime ago, I know. It made me laugh then and its episodes still guarantee my chuckles. In the famous tag line of the main character, Maxwell Smart, would you believe this series is Get Smart. The episodes are so fresh in my memory it's as if I just viewed them. Wait, I did watch them as recently as this summer. I confess I own a set of DVDs. Of course, when I was a kid, programs could not be saved, or taped in any way, shape, or form. If you missed an episode, you missed an episode. You were forced to wait for the next one due to air in a week's time. The wait could be torturous. Max, or Agent 86, fumbled along as a secret agent of an organization known as Control. He had the best of intentions, but he inevitably struggled as he faced off against the bad guys of Kaos. He never lacked confidence though. At times he seemed blissfully unaware of his short comings. He uttered memorable one liners such as, "quiet is un-American" and " the 'l' in Maxwell is silent." As I mentioned above, he repeated "would you believe" over and over. One of the running gags involved the many applications of phone use. In one hilarious episode, Max carried on a conversation with his Chief on a series of gadget phones that were in one of his shoes, his tie, his wrist watch, a button, and more. I thought the idea/concept of a shoe phone to be utterly ridiculous, and therefore, great lunacy. Back then, phones were anchored to a wall and far from portable. Now we have cell phones. Max' partner was a female he only ever referred to as 99. He never knew her name, but she was clearly his fan. Agent 13 always hid in the strangest places like a toilet, a bus locker, a cupboard, a clock, or a cigarette dispensing machine. Fang was supposed to be an agent in the form of a shaggy dog. The forensic genius was known as Dr. Steel and she juggled research in her top secret lab with work as a dancing chorus girl. absurdity at its best! My favourite gadget has to be The Cone of Silence. It never functioned as planned, yet Max insisted upon its use during conversations. Basically, it was a plastic dome that dropped from the Chief's ceiling to envelope people and muffle their speech. They were always alone in the office, but secrecy was paramount. The trouble ensued because this device smothered all sound even for those within it, and they could never hear each other. It was the antithesis of a speech bubble. In another episode, Max dealt with "nitro whispering", a silent explosive. As if,,,,, Anyway, the exploits and misadventures of Max struck me as ludicrous. I recognized it as a form of slap stick, but it made me guffaw. Superman changed in a phone booth, Agent 86 travelled to the top secret offices of Control via a payphone booth. It acted as an elevator. Now that would be an amusement ride! |
| PROMPT November 20th SeaWorld. Good? Bad? Ugly? What is your opinion of zoos and aquariums? I will admit I have visited zoos. To see wildlife up close is an amazing experience. Photos do not do them justice. Never do I envision myself on a safari, or an expedition admiring animals in their natural habitat. This is the attraction of zoos. They eliminate expensive travel. They are accessible. A day jaunt through a zoo is feasible, and possible at any time, especially for children. Zoos provide safe havens and vantage points for curious kids. I do, however, wonder about captivity. How do these creatures cope with it? Most wildlife exists in an unenclosed area free to wander and roam at will. They are not fenced in and separated from not only their own kind, but other animals. They rely upon themselves for food and shelter. They hunt and gather when and where they choose. They determine their territory, or range. They co-exist. They mix and mingle with others of their species. They are free. Sometimes, the denizens of a zoo seem to be apathetic, bored, lethargic, disinterested. They have no need to worry about their next meal because that problem is taken rom them. No effort need be expelled. Food appears regularly without any physical out lay There is no foraging, digging, storing, stalking, hunting, slaying, climbing, or whatever. Shelter is provided, free of choice, free of input. Contact with fellow creatures is limited, or doesn't exist. The mating pool is diminished. If they do have companions, they are the same all the time. Where's the variety? Their enclosures do not represent their native habitats. Where is the space to roam, wander, migrate? The animals seem to be contained both physically and mentally. |
| PROMPT November 19th As I’m sure you’re aware, November is NaNoWriMo and the site is abuzz with novelists typing furiously to reach their word count goals. What motivates you to write? What motivates me to write? Words fascinate me. Especially, in the English language there are so many words. Describing someone ,or something can be accomplished with such a wide plethora of choices. There's such a range of nuance. Colours for example are not just their assigned names. Emotions are complex and expressed in a multitude of ways. Many words have double meanings and only add to the fun of writing. Thus a writer may decide that a character is "blue", and not intend this as the skin shade. In reality, generous souls do not actually possess a "heart of gold", but it reads as impressive. Writing permits me to play with words. I can include them in any sequence, and create new combinations. They are flexible, compliant and open to manipulation. I could describe a man as " short and anxious". Am I referring to his physical stature and/or his temperament? The possibilities with words are endless. I suppose I also like to capture moments. I endeavour to recreate what I experience. I enjoy this challenge. My bits o' writin' may never be published. I can live with that. All of my journals, and scribblers, and scratchings will provide my family with a small library of reading. Long after I'm gone they will hear my voice. Perhaps some of what I leave behind will be the "right write." |
| PROMPT November 18th For those of you in the US, this week is our Thanksgiving holiday. Write your blog today as yourself in the future. What will you thank yourself for doing? Who and what else are you thankful for in your life? A short time ago, my family and I celebrated our version of a Canadian Thanksgiving. I'm not only grateful for them, but for the option to not eat turkey. Oh, it's not as if we dislike poultry, we wanted something else on the menu. So, we were grateful for our choice of a substitute , ham and scalloped potatoes. After a vote, the majority wanted apple crisp instead of pumpkin pie. I didn't have a strong preference either way 'cause I am grateful for any and all desserts. Actually, I must confess that I am grateful for food, and the access to a variety of it. The chatter and laughter that reigned only bolstered our togetherness. These fun times rate at the top of my gratitude list. I'm excitedly anticipating the birth of my third granddaughter. It is so true that surviving your offspring's childhoods is worth it since the gift of grandchildren is the icing on the cake. In the future, there may be another generation, so I am grateful I got that ball rolling and set that in motion. Someday, I will know my great-grandchildren. I will one day thank myself for enduring two knee replacement surgeries. Oh, I will appreciate being pain free, or at the very least being "less-pained". How sweet it'll be to stand, balance and walk with non-collapsing knee caps. Huh, I might even be somewhat semi-graceful. In this fabulous future, I will finally have two good legs to stand on. If I choose, I could kick myself for not pursuing this procedure more vigorously in the past, and miracle of miracles, I will not fall over! |
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