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Daily scribbles on writing and living. How to get rid of cobwebs in my brain. CLOSED. |
I am over the moon with joy this morning, as I got an anonymous gift from a co-writer on WdC. I can set up a blog for the coming three months since someone paid for an upgrade. If you ever read this Anonymous One, thank you so much! Many thanks to "Request An Upgrade From RAOK" ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() I have to think about this for a moment. Don't want to rush it, don't want to solely vent or underestimate the value of a daily blog for my writing. So I will carefully try to explore what it will bring me. “All my life, my heart has sought a thing I cannot name. Remembered line from a long-forgotten poem” ― Hunter S. Thompson, Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga When I was a teenager, my little brother stole my journal out of my bedroom and read it. I was so disappointed and mad about his action, I destroyed my writing and have been struggling with the concept of conveying my inner thoughts ever since. So, I will send my daily scribbles to the world. On How to get rid of cobwebs in my brain. To let in some air and rejoice. For another clumsy attempt at writing, check out "All fingers and thumbs " ![]() I am a Rising Star from ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Comments, scribbles, and notes welcome! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Thanks, 🌕 HuntersMoon ![]() Note ▼ |
![]() A weird story: An 18 year old boy was captured by the police on Saturday night and handcuffed. He managed to escape the police station, with his handcuffs still on, and wandered through the night. In the morning he went home, where his father immediately brought him, handcuffed and all, back to the police station. The boy got a warning and was released after that. Day SIXTY FOUR "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() How frowzy is too frowzy in my household? Frowzy meaning: gloomy, dull, drab, dark, dim, stuffy, close, musty, stale, stifling, shabby, seedy, run down. I have somewhat neglected my household, the rooms are tidy but no more than that, I have to clean my kitchen and do the dishes. Writing has kept me busy these past period and since I am not much of a housewife, I have paid less attention to these chores in and around the house. I am making this commitment with myself as I write this: tomorrow I will clean out my kitchen. It is not the first time I am in a situation like this and I have written about it in earlier blogs: "Dishes or no dishes, that's the question" ![]() There is a row of linden trees outside my apartment building. I am looking at a Tilia cordata from my balcony. I love the sight of that tree with its lush green during summer and its bare branches during winter. The linden tree is the home and resting place for lots of birds. The seagull, the tit, the jay and the dove all sit on the branches and eat or rest during the day. It is a lovely sight. ![]() https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Sleepy_Hollow I listened to a part of the audio of The legend of Sleepy Hollow (above), this wonderfully written story from 1900. I think the Headless Horseman is indeed a ghoulish spirit and not Crane’s rival Brom Bones who is marrying Katrina the next morning. Although Brom Bones “looked exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related.” I don’t think it was him because apart from the schoolmaster’s wandering horse, trampled saddle, discarded hat, and a mysterious shattered pumpkin there is no further sign of Ichabod. He just vanished. Being a schoolmaster for so many years made him a conscientious man I think and he wouldn’t flee from his life in this quiet town, just like that. The fact that he disappeared into thin air makes me suspicious of foul play by a ghost or a spirit. At last the stories of the haunted came alive and took a victim, Ichabod Crane. Day SIXTY THREE "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() I never watched the Jetson, I am a Flintstones girl myself, but I get the ![]() I agree with Churchill on this. Success is not final; it makes you humble to know this. Don’t get lost in the high of a success; it is not there to stay. Failure is not fatal, it will not kill you. ![]() To avoid any spell or malediction on this Friday morning, I make my purple potions early, and without any obstacles I gather the hounds back in the house so it will bring clarity and quiet in the neighborhood. I am not a bad witch! Day SIXTY TWO "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() Two-dimensional characters use speech and act in the story but they only have one personality trait or emotion. (The Good versus Bad). They lack background, explanation, depth and dimension. Three dimensional characters have all that because of motives, desires and flaws. They are alive and the reader believes their existence. ![]() Since I use the computer I barely write by hand anymore. Even jotting down ideas is directly on the computer. I formulate ideas into words as I am typing, especially for blogging. For longer stories I try to make an outline first, but usually I just start writing and go from there. The fact that a writing program, such as Word is having a certain layout helps me tremendously in my writing. You can put new lines in between older ones, delete or highlight what you have written so far and that works better in the process. ![]() If it was a famous writer say like William Shakespeare and I was able to buy his writing set: an ink pot and a pen he really used in his writing, than I would be tempted to buy it. I would give that item a very prominent place in my house or my study, so I could look at it often and get inspired by it. Other than that I would not be very interested. I don’t care much about famous people in general, they are just people who happen to be in the eye of the storm a lot, sometimes because of their achievements, but sometimes only because others have an insatiable desire to put people in the spotlights for no apparent reason other than the need for temporary hero’s. Day SIXTY ONE "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() As it happens I am having an off-day today: I have caught a cold and my ears are closed. I am sneezing and generally feeling unwell. I have postponed two appointments today because of it. I generally don’t talk about me not feeling well and hide inside my house. I soldier alone. Only when it is taking me more than a week I will let others know I don’t feel well. In that case I will ask for help if needed. But I prefer to be sick on my own and don’t bother others with it. I just don’t like the feeling of being dependent on others. I rarely ask for help. ![]() 'Thank you' is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding. Alice Walker ![]() I love October as the month of fall. The colors of the leaves are golden, orange and red, the pavement is full of crackling dead leaves and the weather is crisp and hopefully sunny. We have left the summer but are not yet in winter. That transition period is mostly a time of reflection. Day SIXTY "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() A full-scale career change would only be possible if I was younger. Then I would consider going back to university and do English Language and Literature this time. After that I would move to the States and try a career as a writer. Perhaps teach psychology or English at high schools first to earn a living and then try to write that bestseller sequel so I would be in a position to write full time. There was a time when I wanted to move to the States permanently, but life got in the way so it didn’t happen. I would need the English language and Literature degree so I would be more confident in the English/American language. I probably ended up marrying an American and raising kids in the process. ![]() The most patient person in my life would be me. I learned to be a patient person, life taught me that. Because of my misfortune in the past I learned that life can be harsh sometimes and you need to go with the flow, don’t go against it. That means you have to be patient with yourself and others, let people be themselves and live by the motto ‘live and let live’. I try to do that in my daily life. I did go faster or slower than the pace of life was dictating and that didn’t work for me, it always meant trouble. So I try to follow the pace of life as it presents itself to me and go with it. ![]() For my writing, having the sun around me, fresh air coming from outside through the open balcony doors and not too cold in the house are the best ingredients for me to write. That means that most months year round are good enough for me, except when it’s too cold to have the doors open. But then there is the heating to make it comfortable inside the house. All months of the year have their own inspiring atmosphere to me. Day FIFTY NINE "Give It 100!" ![]() |
In my country some young people in my neighborhood do swear a lot out loud on the streets. I think it’s a very bad habit and frankly I despise it. They use the word ‘cancer’ a lot. It is pronounced ‘cahnquar’ and when shouted, as they do, it is felt through bone and marrow. I dislike it especially for two reasons: one, it does sound very rude and offensive, two it refers to the illness and that is a sad reminder of my mother’s passing since she died of lung cancer. I think it is very bad behavior. I use the word ‘shit’ sometimes myself. And because it is an English word it doesn’t sound as awful to my ears, however some people take this word as offensive and bad behavior as well. Using swear words is most of the time without thinking, it is a bad habit and we probably should be more aware of the impact it can have on other people. Having said that: sometimes it’s just very appropriate to swear in a situation where everything is going wrong and you want to vent it with a sudden outburst. "The Challenge" ![]() |
![]() A very funny and totally non-political movie comes to mind I watch once a year for the past ten years because it feeds my feelings of social justice and morality is TRADING PLACES (1983) with Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. It is the story of Louise Winthorpe III, who is a managing director at the Duke & Duke commodities brokerage. Billy Ray Valentine is a hustler. The millionaire-owner of the company Randolph Duke makes a wager with his brother Mortimer that the men can be successfully swapped. ![]() When entering the Afterlife I dust off my spirit like a risen phoenix out of its cage and go about my fruiting business with love and understanding of my past life. ![]() To me the mind is a kind of naturally- occurring computer -- an information-processing device. It comes with its own medium of computation, a system of symbols that constitutes, literally, a language of thought. Cognitive states and perhaps mental states generally, involve functional relations to token symbols in this system. To view these thoughts as miracles I find difficult. I prefer this biological-computing mode of thoughts. Miracles are something totally different. Day FIFTY EIGHT "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() No, this rhetoric is not necessary during the election. I think Trump’s remarks are beyond rhetoric they are very dangerous and they evoke hate and hate crimes. Clinton is merely to sink to his level. I think they both think they can get away with this harmful behavior, and in fact they can. Citizens don’t stand up against these sound bites and mud sliding. They get the presidency campaign they deserve. Although I am not a huge fan of Hillary Clinton I think Donald Trump is one of the most dangerous men in power at the moment and I am holding my breath and my heart if he wins and becomes the most powerful man in the world. I think it is the worst scenario at this time and age with so many conflicts worldwide. It will be very harmful for the USA and for the world if he wins. Day FIFTY SEVEN "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() How well do you know yourself? I think I have a good grasp at myself as a person now. It took me a while to fully understand myself after a dark period in my life, 12 years ago. But it turned out rather nicely. I turned out a rather pessimistic kind of person, and I am still working on that. I have to be more aware of the positive things in my life. ![]() She stared at me for a moment, then grimaced and with a sigh, she put away the book she was reading. “Okay, let’s have it, what is it this time?” That first dinner is too long ago and frankly I can’t remember much, but that first cake was a bad one. I don’t make cakes so I wanted to make one with oatmeal instead of cake meal, less sugary and healthier. And I did everything according to the recipe, accept for one thing. I had to let it rest for ten minutes after preparing so it should have time to settle. It looked like crap but it had a very good taste. I made a picture of it and showed it on Facebook. For the rest of the week I ate the cake. It was that rich. But definitely not something I would offer guests. I never tried it again after that. Day FIFTY SIX "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() The Pilgrim ship Mayflower has a famous place in American history as a symbol of early European colonization of the future United States. The Mayflower Compact was the first governing document of Plymouth Colony. The Pilgrims had lived for some years in Leiden, a city in the Dutch Republic. "Just as a spiritual covenant had marked the beginning of their congregation in Leiden, a civil covenant would provide the basis for a secular government in America." It marked the beginning of the United States in the form it is now. If this voyage had never gone through, another ship eventually had made the trip, with different passengers and probably a slightly different outcome for that early start of the colony. But the USA would have become a reality nonetheless. I think it is a nice touch that the Pilgrims left from my town Leiden, where I lived, worked and studied for many years. ![]() Humor is number one, I think. But the ability to form loving relationships is a good second. It will help you through life, so you don’t have to walk it alone. Humor is an individualistic trait; the second one is a community trait. ![]() I agree. I have waited for nine months for my Muse to show up, he never did and I had a terrible writers block. Then I came upon this site WdC and all changed for me. It is for me the perfect surrounding to get motivated every day (for the past three and a half months now) to write. Without it I would have been in the same rut now. A frame for my writing inspires me the most. WdC gifted me that. Day FIFTY FIVE "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() Knowledge is never useless The murder of John F. Kennedy in 1963; in 1995, O.J. Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown-Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman, after a lengthy and internationally publicized criminal trial, the People v. Simpson. In 1997, a civil court awarded a $33.5 million judgment against Simpson for their wrongful deaths. It was one of the most publicized trials and I watched a lot of it on television at the time; 9-11 2001 and all the terrorist attacks after that in Europe. The war in Syria. It is a devastating war with millions of refugees, deaths and devastation and the world is looking but can’t do much about it. Since yesterday there is again the beginning of a ceasefire. ![]() It actually started with three sneezes today, which means in laymen’s terms that it is going to be a sunny day tomorrow. I believe that tale, since it is very hot and sunny for the last few days. In fact we have an Indian summer at the moment. Three days in a row with temperatures of 30 degrees or more (86), very hot for my country. We haven’t had that kind of high temperatures in the whole summer. I didn’t mind since I spend my summer holiday writing at WdC. It is now a bit too warm to stay focused at writing. Sometimes I take a short nap or a shower just to cope with the heat. In the weekend there is going to be some rain which is nice. The summer is over, work started again. For another few weeks I think since the firm I work for is going to move to yet another city and the distance is too far for me to stay. I had made arrangements to work as an assistant librarian in a local library but I never heard from my contact again after the holiday. She was going to mail me in the beginning of September. I think I am going to inquire tomorrow what’s up. Day FIFTY FOUR "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() Paint remover: I love that smell. It reminds me of good times moving house and redecorating. The first time was when I was going to live with my boyfriend at the time. We had managed to get a three room apartment and decorated it with light blue in the living room and old pink in the bedroom. My boyfriend was very handy and could do anything his mind was set on. So we refurbished the whole house and have lived there happily for three years. Then it was time for me to move on. That second time I got a two room apartment nearby and my then ex-boyfriend helped me refurbish that apartment. We painted it blue as I recall. We stayed good friends from then on forward. I lost touch with him the last ten years but hear of him from a mutual friend. He is doing great; having three kids and is still with my successor. ![]() I don’t agree with this prompt. I don’t think happiness is a right. It is at best a gift from Life; at worst something you have to work for to get it. Happiness didn’t come easy or cheap in my life. I have struggled hard to find it at last. ![]() I have totally forgotten about the time between birth and ten years old. I think I have blocked it out since it wasn’t the best of times for us kids in the family. There is one memory and that is written in "Splash" Day FIFTY THREE "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() My best subjects were the Dutch, English and French language and literature. I loved reading books in those languages and talking about those during oral exams. I was always a confident speaker and I think that’s 50 % gain already in oral exams. My worst subject was Mathematics, although I loved doing it, but I didn’t have the brain to fully comprehend. So I had private tutoring lessons in my last year at high school to make me understand the equations better. Best to do exams in Math because it was a requirement for entering the Social Sciences at university. And I chose Psychology. Math was a huge part of the program and I’ve always struggled with it. But I passed all the exams in the end! Also there was a big theater class in high school were we experimented with theater, made a play and performed. As I did theater in secondary school as well, I entered theater class in high school too for the last two years. In one play I was the orange wigged mistress of the main character with a dance and an excellent drunken scene; in the other play I was Rea the daughter of the Roman dictator. I loved theater and still do. ![]() They are attitudes and attributes in the writing process. Beginning is always the biggest issue; you have to have permission from your Muse to start writing. You need courage as a writer to continue the process and keep focused. You need forgiveness of yourself if you fail and have to restart again. Writing is a difficult process; there are many pitfalls and hurdles to take. But it is also the most fulfilling work to do. Creating worlds that did not exist before, creating art. I love it! Hesitantly I would take the stage, waiting for things to come. Maybe they will award me or I have won a prize of some kind, I don’t know. But I would thank everyone for the opportunity and be off again. I hate those things where I draw attention not knowing what’s going on. If I came prepared then it would be okay. Day FIFTY TWO "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() My best subjects were the Dutch, English and French language and literature. I loved reading books in those languages and talking about those during oral exams. I was always a confident speaker and I think that’s 50 % gain already in oral exams. My worst subject was Mathematics, although I loved doing it, but I didn’t have the brain to fully comprehend. So I had private tutoring lessons in my last year at high school to make me understand the equations better. Best to do exams in Math because it was a requirement for entering the Social Sciences at university. And I chose Psychology. Math was a huge part of the program and I’ve always struggled with it. But I passed all the exams in the end! Also there was a big theater class in high school were we experimented with theater, made a play and performed. As I did theater in secondary school as well, I entered theater class in high school too for the last two years. In one play I was the orange wigged mistress of the main character with a dance and an excellent drunken scene; in the other play I was Rea the daughter of the Roman dictator. I loved theater and still do. ![]() They are attitudes and attributes in the writing process. Beginning is always the biggest issue; you have to have permission from your Muse to start writing. You need courage as a writer to continue the process and keep focused. You need forgiveness of yourself if you fail and have to restart again. Writing is a difficult process; there are many pitfalls and hurdles to take. But it is also the most fulfilling work to do. Creating worlds that did not exist before, creating art. I love it! Hesitantly I would take the stage, waiting for things to come. Maybe they will award me or I have won a prize of some kind, I don’t know. But I would thank everyone for the opportunity and be off again. I hate those things where I draw attention not knowing what’s going on. If I came prepared then it would be okay. Day FIFTY TWO "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() Pick one or more of the fifty words listed at the end of the article and use it/them in a story or poem. {BcoFs) ![]() This prompt is a difficult one for me. I can’t remember any advice my mother has verbally given me, but she was an advice against marriage by her presence and behavior with my father. For me she was the example of what I didn’t want to be: unhappy in a marriage that clearly wasn’t working. My mother and father always quarreled as long as I can remember, they fought their battles every day for the entire 39 years. Although they loved each other, they could still sit and hold hands and were extremely focused on each other, they didn’t know how to live with each other, in my eyes. As a result of that, the three kids learned that marriage was not the best choice in life, and relationships were always difficult. Both my brother and me never married at all, and my sister once married but got divorced long time ago (as three out of five do these days!). All three of us are single now. I vum (declare; slang word from New England) that’s for a reason. ![]() If you are able to be happy for other people, happy when others are doing great and you can rejoice their lives it makes you feel better. You are delighted for them, and since you know those people it might rub off on your life as well. Furthermore you are then able to place yourself in their shoes, and it triggers feelings of compassion. If other people can have a wonderful life then it’s possible for you to have a wonderful life aswell. It triggers a sense of community spirit. Muditã is a helpful state to rejoice life in general, knowing that we are all interconnected as human beings. Day FIFTY ONE "Give It 100!" ![]() |
This week in the UK, police were called on approximately 50 students because they were wearing improper uniforms. Should students be required to wear uniforms in schools, for any reason? And should these uniforms require very specific standards, or should families be allowed a little leeway regarding lesser items like accessories, jewelry, and shoes? Have you ever had to wear a uniform to class? How would you feel if you had to purchase an expensive set of clothing for your child to wear, only to be told it wasn't enough, or that he or she was wearing something improperly?(30-Day BC) I read the reasons why English kids wear uniforms in the first place are three fold. To remove the need for parents to spend out big money on the latest brand names and to avoid the embarrassment of students whose parents do not have the money to keep up with the latest in overpriced fashion. Secondly to preserve a working environment where students can concentrate. To encourage a sense of membership of and pride in an educational institution. Day FIFTY "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() ”Do you want to know?” I looked at her enthusiastic face when she greeted me after all those years. I had something to tell her and she wouldn’t like it. “Your boyfriend Pete, he was the former boyfriend of my cousin. He has been in jail, did he tell you that?” ![]() His life was never the same after reading “Catcher in the Rye”, by J.D. Salinger. He identified totally with this coming-of-age novel, written in 1951. When he read this excellent novel about Holden Caulfield, a 17 year old boy in between adolescence and adulthood, he recognized this Holden, who admired in children attributes that he struggled to find in adults, like innocence, kindness, spontaneity, and generosity. The book is still regarded "as the defining work on what it is like to be a teenager.” Holden is at various times disaffected, disgruntled, alienated, isolated, directionless, and sarcastic, feelings and attitudes he recognized fully in himself. After reading the novel he packed up his things, bought a second hand car and left the dormant town in the mid-west he grew up in. He left for adventure and never looked back. He worked on a ship for a couple of years, saw the world, and settled in Bali, Indonesia where he opened a scuba diving resort with some friends and grew a beard. Was it not for Catcher in the Rye he would have become a shop owner of meat products like his old man. He never regretted the choices he made and was a very happy man leading an alternative lifestyle. ![]() On 9/11/2001 I was at home on sick leave. That morning I had just done some chores around the house, probably looked at my garden, and was just curious if something happened that day, so I switched on the television set at our local news. They reported something was happening in New York, so at 9.05 American time I switched over to CNN. I saw the first tower in smoke and watched in horror to see the second twin tower being hit by a plane. The television stayed on from that moment, I never left the scene 24/7 for days. It was horrible, it was heartbreaking. I immediately called my dad so he could watch too. We spoke briefly about the horrors that happened and I returned quickly to the television set. It was my main focus for weeks on end, I was so touched by it and all was magnified by the fact that I watched it from the start; I felt I was part of the whole situation and felt personally affected by it. I have been to the States twice since then and was totally head over heels in love with the country. I hope to visit Ground Zero in New York City in spring of next year, to finally be able to pay my respects to the deaths of that dreadful day so many years ago. Day FORTY NINE "Give It 100!" ![]() |
![]() ![]() I loved this 16th Birthday Celebrations week on WdC. It was my first and I dived into all the different things to do. I gifted 8 free Merit Badges to various people, and played the scroll games on messenger, great fun. I participated in different contests like "Invalid Item" ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() "The Challenge" ![]() |
![]() Two people with money to burn have put down deposits for the ultimate getaway -- a trip around the moon, the president of the space tourism firm that booked the trips said this week. If money was no object then I would consider going someday. The feeling of being unattached to the earth and actually see the earth when traveling in space would be astonishing. Walking on the moon in a special space suit would be fun too, experiencing the moon’s gravity. It would be a once in a lifetime trip. If the money is there, why not? I think despite problems on Earth you could spend the money on (poverty, climate change, refugees etc.) it is very important that science and NASA are exploring what’s out there in the great big yonder. That costs money! If they can fund it by exploring space tourism then I would be for it. Hopefully they will not clutter space with waste. ![]() They shared everything, their home, their time, and their lives. The two elderly sisters were content with living a quiet life in western France. They took care of each other, especially now Clare the oldest was bedridden. But the other sister, let’s call here Eugenie, had a secret dream she never told Clare about. She wanted to travel and see something of the world while still in her sixties. So every month Eugenie bought a lottery ticket and dreamed a little dream about what to do with the money once she won. Which she never did. Till one day in spring: she went to the grocery to see whether her ticket had won anything when the lady at the counter gasped and looked pale: “You won one million euro Eugenie, congratulations.” Eugenie was in shock, walked back to the house, saw her invalid sister Clare and realized she could do nothing with the money while Clare was still there. So she picked up a pillow and smothered the invalid Clare till death. Then she packed her things and left town. She was caught by the police a few weeks later whilst in Paris to prepare for her big travel around the world. She got sentenced with fifteen years in jail. A true story set in the 1990s I think. It is an example of how some people get into a different mode of thinking once big amounts of cash are involved. There is nothing wrong with dreaming a little every month but to actually kill your sister because you don’t want to share and can’t see beyond the greedy point of getting the money is terrible. People turn into animals when money is concerned. Their psyche get all mixed up. Money is the root of all evil. Today’s society is all about materialism. ![]() http://www.designboom.com/architecture/reactor-house-alex-schweder-ward-shelley-... I walk along and stop Day FORTY EIGHT "Give It 100!" ![]() |