Drop by drop the snow pack dies, watering the arid lands below. |
Other Blogs and Journals containing the continuing writing adventures of Prosperous Snow celebrating "The Snowflake Chronicles" "More Snow Melt" "Writing in Snow" "Welcome to My Life" "Memories of Snow" "Dreams of Snow " Poet999's Thoughts about Writing and Other Stuff http://poet999writingthoughts.blogspot.com/ Poet999 - A Butterfly Emerges From Her Cocoon http://poet999.blogspot.com/ |
It's Creation Saturday! The January 25, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is You are the architect of your dream house - describe your creation in detail. My dream house is located in the center of a five acre lot, which is 660 feet by 330 feet or 217,800 square feet (approximately two city blocks). The front, 660 feet, faces east and has a wide stone covered (not cement) driveway leading to the house, while the back (which faces west) has a narrower driveway. Both of these driveways lead to a covered faux wood carport on the north side of the house. The lot is surrounded by a wooden and various fruit bearing trees. The house, which has a peaked roof, is constructed of stone, with huge faux wood front porch that has a swing on the north side and a small table with two chairs on the south. There is a wooden ramp (no steps on this porch) giving access to the porch and the front door. The backdoor opens onto a smaller porch, with just enough room for a rolling trashcan and recyclable bins; it also has a ramp leading down into the backyard. On t he south side of the house is a covered meditation porch surround by oak trees and rose bushes. The entrance and exit to and from this porch is through the house. This house contains only four large rooms. At the back is a kitchen, dining, and laundry room combination with backdoor opening onto the back porch. At the front is a office and living room combination with a picture window looking out into the front yard and a faux fireplace (it looks real, but does not burn wood). A foyer leads from the front door to the living room, kitchen, and a hall that leads to the two bedrooms and the meditation porch. One bedroom is on the east side of the house and the other on the west; each has a full bathroom with two doors, so that each bathroom can be entered from either the hall or the its bedroom. In the back and front yards are arrays of solar panels that have full sunlight, but are concealed from from the streets by the trees at the edge of the lot. On the north and south sides of the house are small patches for vegetable or herb gardens. In addition, the house has an attic, which is accessible by an elevator on the north side of the house. This elevator can be entered from either the carport or the kitchen area. Growing around the house are rose bushes of various colors. Other unique features about this house is that it is self cleaning, has a computer controlled environmental system, and robot landscapers, who maintain the yard, the solar panels, flower bushes, and gardens. Food for Thought: "Yesterday is but today's memory, and tomorrow is today's dream." - Khalil Gibran |
Day 429: Tuesday, January 21st, 2014, the writing prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" on National Hugging Day is When you are introduced to be people do you hug, shake hands, nod your head or just verbally acknowledge the other person? What's your style? Does it make a difference who the introduction is too? My introduction style depends upon the person I'm being introduced to because I like to respond to that person's introduction style. If I'm being introduced to another Baha'i, and that person hugs the Baha'i he or she is being introduced to, then I hug. If I'm being introduced to a friend of a sibling, and that person's style is to hug the siblings of their friends, then I hug the person in return. Otherwise I either shake hands. nod, or respond verbally depending on the other person's acknowledgment of the introduction. Over the years, I have found that people are most comfortable with responses that are similar to their own introduction style. As to which style I would prefer and am most comfortable with that depends on whether it's a business or social situation. In a business situation, I would prefer either a verbal or a head nod response because of the way some business people shake hands. I like the firm, but not too tight handshake; unfortunately, the handshake method of numerous business people is either too firm or too wishy-washy. A too firm or overpowering handshake indicates the person wants to sell you something whether you want to buy it or not, while the other type of handshake indicates the person isn't confident about the product or service he or she is selling. True, there may be physical or medical reasons for the wishy-washy handshake, but that isn't the first thing that comes to mind. In a social situation, it depends on the gathering and the type of refreshments being served. I'm a none drinker, so if I'm at a party where liquor is being served (a rare occurrence) I prefer a verbal acknowledgment or a hug because these types of acknowledgments give me an indication of how much alcohol the person has consumed and I can avoid him or her later. I should note here that male drunks have more of a tendency to hug a strange woman when first introduced then when those same men are sober. I like to know who I have to avoid at parties where alcohol is being served. In the social gatherings I normally attend (where no alcohol is being served) I prefer to respond to the other person's introduction style. Thought of the Day: "Only truthful hands write true poems. I cannot see any basic difference between a handshake and a poem." - Paul Celan |
It's Creation Saturday! The January 18, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is Our brains are master creators when we sleep, creating worlds of dreams for us to explore every night. Write about the last vivid or lucid dream you remember and what you believe its significance was. What was the last vivid dream I had? According to the October 30, 2013 entry in "Dreams of Snow " , I haven't had a vivid or even lucid dream in about three months. I know I've had scattered foggy memories of dreams during that time, but none of them stay with me long enough to write them down. This is strange and scary because normally I can depend upon, at least, one vivid or weird dream every month and sometime several in a month's time. I reread "A Moving Dream" and found that it occurred after I had gotten up to turn off the alarm and then sit back down on the couch to meditate. I know I've been meditating in the last three months, but my meditation hasn't been after getting up to turn the alarm off and then sitting back down. Also, in October of 2013 I still had the alarm sit at 4:00 am instead of 5:00, so that may have something to do with my foggy and unremembered dreams. I know that most of my dreams, since 2007, have occurred in the early morning hours. Since I can't sleep in a bed and get any rest, I have to sleep on a couch, loveseat, or in a recliner. At least in those, I get a little bit of rest even if I wake up about every couple of hours. This is the description I wrote in "Dreams of Snow " about the dream: "In the dream, Mom and I, with the help of Liz and Bill, were packing up the house. I was worried about where I could afford to move because I could not afford the studio or one-bedroom apartments available. Mom was going to go into an assisted living home where she would have nurses to assist her. In the dream, Mom was still old, but she did not appear to be suffering from Alzheimer's disease. I had a thought, about finding moving Mom with me instead of an assisted living residence. I decided to call Frank to discuss the idea with him. I had difficulty calling him for a few reasons. First, I could not find my cell phone and then when I did find the phone I had difficulty finding his number on my contacts list. I used Bill's cell phone and got through to Frank, but the call was dropped. After finally, getting through to Frank we decided that moving Mom in with me was a good idea. I started to call one of the places I am no the waiting list for a one-bedroom apartment to see if they had a two bedroom and this is when I woke up." This is what I wrote about the dream at the time: "This dream occurred after I had gotten up, turned off the alarm, and sit back down to meditate. I also recited a prayer before I dozed off. The depression and worry in the dream concerned finding a one-bedroom apartment I could afford. I was relieved and excited at the prospect of moving into a two-bedroom with Mom. I was still excited and relieved when I woke up, even when I realized that Mom has passed and I could not move into a two-bedroom apartment with her. Before I dozed off this morning, I recited this prayer revealed by Baha'u'llah: "He who put his trust in God, God will suffice him. He who fears God, God will send him relief." I think the dream was telling me that I would find a place to live and a way to afford it the apartment." Since I haven't had a dream I remember this year, I'll reset the alarm to 4:00 am and see if that changes the way I remember my dreams. I'll see how that works the rest of the time I stay in this house. I think I will also go back to meditating in the Baha'i scriptures instead of counting my breath because that seems to have an effect on how I remember my dreams. |
DAY 425: The January 17, 2014 prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" is What would be the coolest city to visit? (In US) The coolest city in the United States is any city I haven't visited or lived. The cities I've lived in are Blackwell, Shawnee, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The cities I visit in Nevada are Boulder City, Searchlight, Henderson, and North Las Vegas. The cities I've visited in California are San Diego and Anaheim. The only other cities in the U.S. that I've visited are New York City, New York and Colorado Springs, Colorado, so this leaves a whole lot of cities I've never visited. I did fly through Chicago once, but since I didn't stayed only long enough to change planes, I'm not counting that as a city I visited. What would be the coolest city to visit? I think I would like to visit a city that is warm, but not too hot. It has to have some type of tourist attraction; perhaps haunted houses and an entertainment district. Mom visited New Orleans once and she liked it, so perhaps New Orleans. Mom also visited Catalina Island, she liked that as well; I'd like to visit that island, but it isn't a city. Still it must have some interesting tourist attractions and animals. The three cities in the U.S. I would like to visit are (1) New Orleans, Louisiana , (2) Chicago, Illinois, and (3) Santa Catalina Island, California. I don't know how cool they are because I haven't visited them and seen the attractions, but I know that they sound cool. I know that two of them Mom enjoyed and that over Chicago it looked nice from the air. That's about all I know about them except what I hear on the new, but national news stories usually aren't good publicity for any town or city. |
It's Funny Friday! The January 17, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is Write about a silly impulse buy that you only regretted after bringing it home. What made you think it was a good idea? Lately, my silly impulses have concerned good in the middle of the night, which is a time I'm not willing to get dressed and drive to a restaurant or store. Thinking back over the past several years about purchase, I've had a lot of silly impulse to purchase stuff, but at the time I didn't have the money so I couldn't buy anything that I would regret later (there are advantages to being low on cash with a lot of debt). The only silly impulse I can remember is the time I had a political campaign poster put up in our yard when I was living with my mother and stepfather in Shawnee, Oklahoma. I know it was a politician they back (and therefore the rest of the immediate family had to back), but I can't remember the person's name or whether it was a local or national election. Anyway, the sign was put up and the next morning he took it out when he was backing his pickup out of the yard. At the time (because of his reaction), it wasn't funny, but think back over the incident I find it amusing and revealing. I don't put up political posters any more, all though, I do find most political campaign ads either amusing, tear worthy, or down right hilarious. In fact, sometimes I laugh so hard at the campaign ads I cry. ***** Now on to something that's more important then political ads and silly impulses, which is Earth Day 2014 and the Earth Day Neworks1 2014 campaign. This year's campaign is Green Cities2, which focuses on using renewable energy to power our cities and businesses. Footnotes |
DAY 424: The January 16, 2014 Writing prompt "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" on National Do Nothing Day- Someone read my mind - is If you had the opportunity to create your own day, what would it be? Would you have any special perks to make your day unusual or memorable? First, I want to know "How do you do nothing?" I mean, even if you stay in bed all day, you have to get up and go to the bathroom or answer the door and if you don't do either of these things then you turn over periodically and turning over is doing something. If you ask your kids, "What are you doing?" and the answer you with "Nothing!" then you know you have to go see what they are doing. Human beings or any other animal was created or evolved (depending on your opinion) to "Do Nothing!" National Screw Up Day I think we need a National Screw Up Day, when everyone in the world is allowed to screw up without worrying about the ramifications or shoulding on themselves. If a person screw up on this day, then the supervisor pats the person on the back, says "Nice screw up." and lets the person go on to the next project. At the end of the day, the person who makes the most screw ups gets a trophy. Eventually, the screw ups have to be dealt with, but that can be done the next day or the next week depending on whether National Screw Up Day falls on a Friday, which is always National Procrastination Day. Fridays become National Procrastination Days because everybody put off on Friday everything doesn't have to be finished until Monday or Tuesday. If anyone is unsure how to screw up or procrastinate then he or she should take a look at congress because that body seems to be expert in both screwing up and procrastinating at any time of the day, week, month, or year. Food for Thought: "Well, I screwed it up real good, didn't I?" - Richard M. Nixon |
It's Opinion Thursday! The January 16, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is Do you believe we should tolerate everyone's opinions no matter how misstated or misinformed they may be? How delicate are you when discussing your opinions with others? Make your case as logically as possible without emotion influencing you. As the young man said to his grandfather on the old man's 90th birthday. "I take after you, Grandpa, I'm willing to listen to everyone's opinion no matter how ridicules and uninformed it is." All right, now that I've got the levity over with, I can continue with this post. Do I believe we should tolerate everyone's opinions no matter how misstated or misinformed they may be? I think there's a limit to how much a person should tolerate the opinion of other, but I think that limit occurs when the other person is screaming at you that you're wrong without listening to your argument. A person or group shouting their opinion is emotionally attached to the opinion and, therefore, doesn't care about the opinions that disagree with them. Short of a miracle, there is no logical argument you can make that will convince them they are wrong. How delicate am I when discussing my opinions with others? I will not get into a shouting match with someone who is emotionally attached to his or her opinion because it doesn't do any good and it brings me down to the emotional level of the other person. I'm a relatively mature adult (at least I think so) and I base my opinion on numerous sources and meditating upon the opinion. In most cases, I'm willing to change my opinion given the logic or scientific proof of the other person's argument. If the other person thinks I'm going to hell because I disagree then that person is emotionally attached to his or her opinion and is entitled to that opinion, but not entitled to get me into a childish shouting match because I disagree with someone who doesn't want to listen to me or doesn't care about my opinion if it disagrees with him or her. Thought of the Day: "Few people are capable of expressing with equanimity opinions which differ from the prejudices of their social environment. Most people are even incapable of forming such opinions." - Albert Einstein |
DAY 423: The January 15, 2014 prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" is What was the last good book you read? There is nothing like a good book on a cold winter's night when the wind is howling, the snow is blowing, the electricity is out, forcing you to read the book by candle light. What was the last good book I read? This is a difficult question because all the books I read are good. The books I read are the Baha'i scriptures, poetry, science fiction, and fantasy. Books I have been known to read in the past (and may read again sometime in the future) are self-help and doctoral dissertations. Right now, I'm in the process of deciding what book I want to read, so I'm reading a compilation of Baha'i scriptures that I can meditate on in the evening and the morning. Downsizing and moving has put crimp in my offline reading and yesterday it stalled my online reading entirely and writing entirely, so as a result, today I'm attempting to catch up on blog entries and work in the house. There is nothing like a good book on a wet spring night when a gentle rain is falling hazing all the streetlights. When I was a teenager, I read romance novels. They weren't the hot and heavy popular romance novels of today, but they were of that genre. I found them interesting up to a point; however, once I discover H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allan Poe I lost interest in the romance novels. Today, the only romance novels I care for are in the science fiction, fantasy, or horror genres. All though, from some of the popular romance novel I've seen and glanced at those can be consider fantasy as well; at least, compared to the romance I've encounter throughout my life. Food for Thought: “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.” - George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons |
It's War Chest Wednesday! The January 15, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is Write about a childhood experience that you remember vividly. Include as much sensory detail as possible. Since I'm going to be catching up on the writing prompts that I didn't do on Wednesday, I'll start here and write my way through them. I'm not entirely sure what happened on Wednesday, but I think part of the problem was that I didn't start writing Wednesday morning like I usually do, which had an affect on my mood. accomplishing my writing goals, and everything else I did during the day. I accomplished two things on Wednesday. First, I accomplished was looking at a studio and a two bedroom apartment, I decided on the studio because I have to take into account my ability to clean it by myself. Also, if I have more then one bedroom I have a tendency to collect stuff that I don't need, but for some reason can't bring myself to get rid of, so I decided on the studio and chose to downsize even more then I have already. Second, I went to my grief counseling meeting and considering the way the decision to downsize more affected (or is the effected) me yesterday, I'll be attending for the next year to deal with the issues I encounter in moving. Childhood Experience One of my most vivid childhood experiences was watching Grandpa Frank roll his own cigarettes. He would remove one cigarette paper from the pack, lay it flat on the table, and then open the tin containing the tobacco. After opening the tin of Prince Albert Smoking Tobacco, he removed a pinch, placed it on the cigarette paper, spread it out, and then (if necessary) removed another pinch of tobacco. Grandpa did this until the tobacco form a straight row down the center of the paper, when he had enough tobacco on the paper to make a good smoke, he would close the paper over the top of the tobacco and seal it with saliva, and take the cigarette outside or into his room to smoke. If he was going to fill his cigarette case then he would continue rolling smokes until the case was full. |
It's War Chest Tuesday! The January 14, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is You have 30 seconds to give a speech to the entire world population and after you finish, you will die. What would you say? Thirty seconds to give a speech, I'm not sure I could do it because it takes me longer then that to write a thirty second speech. As for giving a speech off the top or the bottom of my head, well that could be bit difficult too because I seem to encounter stage fright at the most in opportune times. I could just stand there, stare blankly at the audience for 29 seconds and then mutter something like "Live long and prosper." or "Does anyone know where the ladies room is located?" All right, I suppose I should get serious, but I don't want to. I'm back on my thyroid meds, feeling like my old self, and between writing spurts attempting to either pack or carry stuff out to the trash. Not that I'm going to carry the aluminum trashcans to the curb either to night or in the morning, I will roll the plastic trashcan to the curb, but someone else can set the aluminum cans out for the garbage trucks to pick up. Since I have only thirty seconds to give a speech to the entire world population and then I die, I suppose the best thing to do would be to tell them about Baha'u'llah. All though, thirty seconds is an extremely short time to tell them everything I know about who Baha'u'llah is and what is mission was. I think the first thing I would say is, "If you have any questions about this subject then, after I die, find the nearest Baha'i and ask her or him to give you more information." Then I would say, "This is my favorite scripture from the writings of Baha'u'llah 'Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt me, and with Thy love in my heart all the world’s afflictions can in no wise alarm me.'3 That should just about take care of the thirty seconds before my body collapsed and my soul ascended into the next world. Footnotes |
Day 422: "All children have to be deceived if they are to grow up without trauma." Kuzuo Ishiguro The January 14th, 2014 prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" is Do you agree or disagree? What are some popular deceptions that should be told to children? Do you believe it is more traumatic being deceived as a child or more traumatic dealing with the harsh realities of the world at a very young age? I don't agree with that because just the opposite could be true when the child finds out about the deception, especially if that had to do with someone or something very close to the child. In fact, I'm not sure that, in present world conditions, you can prevent a child from being traumatized in someway. A parent can mitigate the trauma by making sure the line of communication remain open so the child can talk about his or her feelings, but I'm not sure that it can be prevented. Of course, I'm not a psychologist or expert in child psychology, so I could be wrong about preventing childhood traumatic experiences. I think the important thing when it comes to trauma is learning how to handle it, which is something we do either at the time it occurs (with the help of parents) or it's something most of us do as we grow older and face the side effects of the trauma. If we don't learn how to deal with the side effects then we are stuck in the trauma and need help to deal with it. I think it's better to teach children how to deal with it at the time it occurs because eventually. when the child becomes an adult he or she will have to deal with the side effects of the trauma. Thought of the Day: “As a matter of fact I had a terribly traumatic childhood. But afterward I sort of reraised myself.” - Michael Gruber, The Good Son |
It's Wildcard Monday! The January 13, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is What do you do when there is nothing to do? I have never found a time when there is nothing to do; however, I have encountered several instances in the past and present when there were thing I didn't want to do, but I have never found moments, second, or even nanoseconds when there was nothing to do. If I ever do encounter such a time then I will write even if it's only about having nothing to do. It's easy to find something to do, if you just open your eyes and look out the window you will see the birds flying, the bees buzzing, and the grass growing, if nature's creatures can find something to do so can you. If I don't have writing project to work on then I have housecleaning to do. If I have a moments rest between projects and chores, I can meditate or set and look out the window contemplating mother nature. If it ever does get to the point where I have time on my hand then I can volunteer at one of the senior centers or I can go to the gym. The problem isn't having nothing to do, the problem is having time to do everything I want and need to do. If you can't find something to do there's plenty of volunteer jobs for you. |
The January 13, 2014 prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" is Whats your learning style? Do you prefer learning in a group and in an interactive setting? Or one-on-one? Do you retain information best through lectures, or visuals, or simply by reading books? I learn better by repeating the information over and over or writing it down several times while repeating it. This may be why I had so much trouble with certain classes in school because I didn't find my learning style until later in life. It helps If I can take notes during a lecture it helps or while reading a book, but not as much as repeating the material aloud while taking notes. I didn't discover my learning style until after I became a Baha'i. In fact, it was a year or so after I declared my belief in Baha'u'llah that I discovered it. I had been reading the morning and evening prayer aloud, from the prayer book, when it dawned on me one day that I had memorized the prayers. I still read the prayers aloud periodically to make sure I haven't forgotten the words, but most of the short prayer I say everyday I have learned. I've even memorized one of the longer prayers by doing this. Thinking back over my life, I should have know this because when I was a child I memorized Psalms 23 and the Lord's Prayer by reading them aloud over several weeks. I can still repeat both or parts of both on the spur of the moment. I have to think a bit to repeat the entire 23rd Psalms, but not the Lord's Prayer (at least most of the time). All though, I think it's good idea to have a copy of the scriptures with me when I talk to someone about them because memory is fickle thing especially in a conversation when it becomes necessary to repeat the words exactly and not paraphrase them. |
I created my first Interactive Story called "The Museum of Linking Objects" [ASR], but I'm the only one who has added anything to it. The only responses I've had so far is one like and one person e-mailing me with a correction I needed to make. Sometimes I get so involved in the creation of an item that I forget the rules and don't check them before I post something. Another problem I have is my finger forgetting how to spell a word. I have an idea for another interactive story, but I seem to be stuck on the introduction. I will let leave it alone for a while to see if something comes to me. In the meantime, I need to figure out a way to get people to add to "The Museum of Linking Objects" and I'm not sure how to go about it except to post the link in every blog entry until I get some additions to it. I'm looking forward to reading the additions. I'm excited about the interactive and, therefore, a bit impatient to see some additions. ***** On Friday, I went to the title company and signed the final papers for the sale of the house. Now I'm a bit worried about where I will go after it finally closes. At this point, the only place I know of going is to Searchlight, there is a place for rent up there, but I can't afford to rent the place, pay the power bill, and pay for a cable connection. It isn't that I won't have a connection to the Internet because they have a Senior Citizens Center there that has computer and connections to the Internet. I just don't know the speed of the Internet connection or how difficult it is to get a computer. I have a family member who wants to help pay for my connection, but I'm not sure about accepting the offer because I don't know how much the power bill will cost me per month. I was hoping that when I moved from this place, I'd be able to stop worrying about the damn power bills. I'm tired of stressing about paying the power or any utility bills. The problem with Searchlight is most of the places there are all electric and it's the electric bills that are so high. Well, there isn't any use stressing over it tonight because the place in Searchlight might be rented (I hope) and some place may open up here in Las Vegas over the next two or three days. I think the best thing for me to do is just focus on the bright side. I know everything is going to work out, so I need to focus on my strengths and do what I can do without worrying. |
The Sunday Review! The January 12, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is Blog. Tell us about your week. Include your favorite blog entry from your fellow challengers from the preceding week and, most importantly, why. Before getting into the review of my week, I'm posting the link to my latest creation and asking anyone reading this to please consider adding something to my first Interactive Story.
The week of January 5-11, was a frustrating week in one respect. I spent the entire week attempting to get a prescription filled because my doctor hasn't faxed it to the pharmacy. I called her office and left a message, but no one there got back to me so now I have to wait until, at least, Monday before getting the damn prescription. I suppose when she calls me on Monday, if she or one of her office assistance does call me, I'll have to go to her office and talk to the nurse or someone else. I would have gone in long ago if I someone at the office hadn't told me to call the pharmacy and have the pharmacist contact the doctor. I like pinkbarbie's blog entry about cooking: "Invalid Entry" . It reminded me of my family's reaction the first time I attempted to cook for them. All though, considering that the only thing I did was open a can and warm the contents up, I think they over reacted. You can't tell how good a cook someone is if the only thing the person does is open a can and heat up the contents. It's different if the person opens several different cans, mixes them together, and then heats up this mixture because there are something that should not mixed with other things because the mixture just taste weird. Thought of the Day: "Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all." - Harriet Van Horne |
It's Creation Saturday! The January 11, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is Do you cook? Share with us one of your favorite recipes to prepare. Did you invent it yourself? An old family creation? If you don't cook, remind all of us why we shouldn't let you near a stove. It's Saturday and the creative cooking bug stung me overnight. Since I have difficulty cooking a mean for just one person, I'm fixing my breakfast and either my lunch or supper, while I'm composing this entry. This is one of those mornings when I have to sit down between peeling and dicing the ingredients. 1 red onion any size you chose or have on hand peeled and diced 1 green pepper any size you chose or have on hand sliced and diced 1 bok choy any size you chose or have on hand diced or sliced depending on the size of pieces you want 6 potatoes peeled and sliced (you can use more if you like because six was all I have in the house) I peel, slice, and dice everything before turning on the electric skillet to warm. After slicing the ingredients, I put them all in the same container to wait for the skillet to heat. I don't know how much oil I put in the skillet because I don't use a measuring spoon. I pour the oil into the skillet and then turn the skillet on t o heat. Once the skillet reaches the temperature I want, I put all the ingredients in making sure that I mix them while they are cooking. Since the only spices in the house I have are cinnamon and pepper, I use those in this dish. I don't know how much of each I use because I just shake them on while the ingredients are cooking. DAY 419: January 11th, 2014 is National Step in a Puddle and Splash Your Friend Day The writing prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" is Would you or better yet have you done that to a friend in fun? What other silly things have you and a friend shared looking back on? If you could write this friend an anonymous letter would they know by the situation that is was from you without you signing the letter? I have fun cooking and writing, since most of my friends are on Facebook and update their status several times a time I can only presume they have fun updating their status. I mean what's the use of dong something if you're not having fun. As for writing them an anonymous letter, I'm not sure that's a good idea because many of my old school friends are fanatics when i t comes to religion and politics. The friends I value most, along with my friends on writing.com, are those I met after I came to Las Vegas who view earth as a single country and humanity as its citizens. These are the friends I could jump in puddles with or splash. The rest I will keep in my prayers, but their fanaticism prevents any real discussions beyond the polite how are you and nice weather isn't it types of discussions. Thought of the Day: “The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.” - E. E. Cummings |
It's Funny Friday! The January 10, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is What is one funny TV show or movie that will always make you laugh no matter how many times you watch it? What makes it funny? Convince me I should watch it. The TV show that always makes me laugh, no matter how many time I view the reruns, is I Love Lucy. I think she was one of the funniest female comedians that ever lived. I still laugh at all the episodes when I watch them on television or online. However, the funniest episode I ever watch was the one were Lucy got a job in a chocolate factory. That episode was so funny that even today, I laugh when I think about it. I especially like the way Lucy mixed her metaphors in this one with "I think we're fighting a losing game." Day 418 prompt for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" Is there anything you are a total nerd for? A TV show, a card game, a video game? You know a ton about it and love to watch/play it. If you do, tell us about it. If not, tell us why. I've been a nerd for several television show over the years. I think the first one that I nerded about was I Love Lucy. The next one was Star Trek and then Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was also a nerd about The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I still like them and will watch the shows and their offshoots when I get the chance. I especially like I Love Lucy and Star Trek no matter what episode or offshoot. However, today I am a nerd about poetry. One of my Favorite Poems: Which may explain why I'm such a nerd about poetry. “All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring |
It's Thursday evening and I'm not feeling well, which seems to be normal after a long day. Yesterday, I changed my alarm from 4:00 to 5:00 am, so I seem to be about to get up easier of a morning. I called the pharmacy again today to ask about the prescription that the pharmacist requested twice last week. He said he would call the doctor to see what was holding it up and I haven't heard from him yet. I'll call again tomorrow to find out what's going on. I'm signing the final papers for the house tomorrow afternoon, so I think I'm going to have to be out of this house in about a week. After I find out how long I do have, I'll call my sister in Searchlight. She said there was a place there to rent, unfortunately, I can't afford it and an internet connection, so may end up giving up the internet connection. I'm not happy about it. I could be jumping to conclusions because I may be able to find something here in Las Vegas that I can afford and keep the internet connection. This is going to become one long rant because I'm tired. My back is hurting, which it does of an evening. I'm not sure what causes it, but I think it has something to do with my neck being stiff and hurting in the evening. I feel cold all the time and it isn't that cold in the house. It stays around 55 degrees most of the time, which may be the reason that I feel cold, but if I turn the heat on then I have an unreasonable power bill that I can't pay. I will be so glad to move. I don't have a bed, but I can take the loveseat or find something at the second hand store. At least, I hope I can because I'm not sure I could deal with sleeping on the floor. The main problem with sleeping on the floor is getting up and down, once I'm down then there isn't a problem until I go to get up. Maybe I'm worrying over nothing, I do have a tendency to do that. I think when I go to bed the couch tonight, Next week, when I post my goals for I'm going to cut it down to just writing and I may cut the word count down until after I move. I'm tired right now, so I shouldn't make any decisions. Making a decision when I'm tired is equivalent to making a decision when I'm depressed. In either case, the decisions aren't made logically. I'm not sleeping well and I haven't been sleeping well for a long time. That's probably why my health is getting worse. I need to get more rest. I need to purchase and recliner or a bed with a comfortable mattress. |
It's Opinion Thursday! The January 9, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is What issues would you take a stand on, and what campaign promises would you make, if you ran for Mayor of your current town or city? First, I don't know why anyone in their right mind or even the left mind would want to run for a political office of any kind. Second, I'm not running for Mayor of Las Vegas or any other political office. It isn't that I probably couldn't get elected, I mean Las Vegas once had an ex-mob attorney for mayor and now his wife is mayor. Obviously anyone or almost anyone can run for office in Las Vegas and get elected. I wouldn't run for political office because there is too much disunity and partisan politics, but if I was going to run for an office the platform would be unify across party lines. I don't think a platform like that would get anyone elected because the constituents one party thinks the constituents of the other is going to hell because of either religious beliefs, their political affiliation or both. As a results the constituents of the other party are offended because of this implication and don't want to cooperate. Before going on to the rest of this entry, which is about love. Take a look at my favorite president, who is trying to make the world more awesome and give it a reason to dance. DAY 416: JANUARY 9TH PROMPT for "Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum" is "Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all." Is this true? This quote refers to the love of one human being towards another, which is only one of the four types of love. Since there are four different types or kinds of love, love can never be lost. Sometimes we confuse the love of one person toward another with passion rather then love. Love is never lost, but becomes the seed of opportunity and test; from which will grow a stronger, brighter love. Love is a spiritual attribute that manifest itself on the physical plane. A strong love requires that both participants have good self-esteem and respect for the other person and themselves. Love requires daily work and sacrifice on the part of both individuals. Thought of the Day: "Love is only of the four kinds that I have explained. (a) The love of God towards the identity of God. Christ has said God is Love. (b) The love of God for His children—for His servants. (c) The love of man for God and (d) the love of man for man4. These four kinds of love originate from God. These are rays from the Sun of Reality; these are the Breathings of the Holy Spirit; these are the Signs of the Reality." - ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Paris Talks, page 182, The Four Kinds of Love Footnotes |
War Chest Wednesday! The January 8, 2014 prompt for "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS" is If you had the choice, would you rather be incredibly gifted and talented at one thing, or slightly better than average at lots of different things? Why? I want to be a Snow of all trades, slightly better then average at a multitude of jobs. The things I want to be above average at are the mundane things I encounter on a regular basis. I would like be able to unclog a sink using a snake or replace a facet without having to call a plumber or a relative. I would like to be able to change an overhead light without having someone stand behind the ladder to catch me if I fall. I would like to be able to change my own oil (I can change a flat tire if I have the proper equipment). I would like to be slightly better then average at doing the little things around the house or apartment without calling a technician and having to wait at home all day when I could be at the gym flirting with all the old men or young men. I don't mind being the average Snow, I'd just like to do things slightly better then average once in a while. Now for a little musical or comedy relief |