04.13.16 – End of Day Notes

What I did today: Today started way too early, around 3 am. I intended to only write a Hump Day poem and then go back to bed, but 15 hrs later, I am still up. I am sure I will crash and burn soon.

Here are a few other things I did today:

• a small stones
• a science fiction story for the A2Z titled The Keep
• a poem for the April PAD Challenge
• a prose poem for the NaPoWriMo
• and for this blog, the A2Z post, The Sandbox Writing Challenge, and the Wednesday Hodgepodge

I also managed to visit some A2Z blogs today. Here are a few I enjoyed:

• This descriptive kiss scene from a WIP via Shelli @ Shelli Rosewarne
• A beautiful poem and reminder via Srivi @ The Piscean Me
• A powerful cleave poem @ lifehomeandaway
• An informative post on Keystone Species via Ann @ Science Ladybug
• A moving, personal story about Project Why via Damyanti @ daily(w)rite
• Lore behind the Kitchener Stitch in knitting via Michelle @ Ma’s Needles
• A fabulous Knitting Cake that you’ve just got to see via Sara @ Sara Writes
• Need some advice on how to be more patient? Check this out @ S.D. Gates
• This beautiful post about her deaf son via Linda @ Linda G. Hill

And here are a few non-A2Z posts that I enjoyed today:

• This gorgeous Haiga via Bastet @ Through the Eye of Bastet
• A beautiful spring Haiku via LadyLee @ ladyleemanila
• A beautiful poem about Native American women @ Artistic Smash
• Great advice on writing action scenes via Ell @ Our Write Side
• This clever book promo via Kent @ DirtySciFiBuddha
• A beautiful, inspiring poem via Shiva @ theshivasponder

What I learned today: Tons… just look at all of that fascinating stuff up^ there!

What I am most proud of today: Despite this horrid headache, I got stuff done.

What did you do today, dear readers? Learn any lessons? Have a reason to be proud? Share your thoughts with me in the comments!

Wednesday Hodgepodge – 04.13.16

for Wednesday Hodgepodge @ From This Side of the Pond

1. What’s the last thing you did that could be described as ‘taxing’?

Every Wednesday is taxing for me. I have a friend who has requested a special poem just for her every Wednesday and it is taxing to come up with something each week. Still, I manage to come up with something each week and have for the last 10 weeks. Surprises me each time.

2.  If you cold plant a garden of anything, what would be in it?

I love vegetable gardens – tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, green onions, green beans, various types of lettuce

3.  April 10-16 is National Library Week…will you celebrate with a visit to your nearest library? When did you last make a trip to the library? What are you reading right now? What’s one title on your want-to-read list?

I just visited my local library this past weekend. Currently, I am reading AMBER WAKE: Gabriel Falling (The Razor’s Adventures Pirate Tales) by PS Bartlett and Ronovan Hester, but I haven’t had much time to devote to it the last week. On my want-to-read list, Echo Volumes 1 & 2 by Kent Wayne

4. Share a saying or an old wives tale you heard while growing up, you believed to be true or that you paid attention to ‘just in case’.

*laughs* we were told that when it thundered, God was bowling, lightning was lightbulbs blowing in Heaven, if the sun shone during rain, the Devil was beating his wife and if the sun shone during a snow storm, the wife was beating the Devil.

5. Are you a fan of onions? Garlic? Ginger? What’s a dish you love that contains one, two or all three items listed?

I love all three… my fave dish is Garlic Chicken.. it contains all three.

6. Where does nurturing end and indulging begin? What are some skills or qualities you think a person needs to posses in order to be viewed as mature?

For the first question… I have no idea. I was not nurtured as a child nor indulged and I have no children of my own to experiment on. As for the second question, controlled anger, patience, and a giving spirit are all signs of maturity to me.

7. What leading figure in any field would you like to hear speak, and why?

Thich Nhat Hahn, he is my Buddhist teacher, but I’ve never been to hear him speak, only studied with him through his writings and videos.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

If my head didn’t hurt so badly, I would be feeling randomly delicious.

10 Daily Currents – 04.13.16

It is Wednesday at 2:50 pm and I am currently…

1. listening: a friend chattering on the phone, the tv in the kitchen, a big truck roaring by, someone playing loud booming bass down the street.. quite the cacophony of sounds

2. eating: chicken thigh, broccoli

3. drinking: iced tea

4. wearing: black pants, black t-shirt, black socks

5. feeling: tired, sinus headache

6. weather: warm-ish, sunny, about 60 degrees

7. wanting: a nap

8. needing: to get through more A2Z posts

9. thinking: I may watch The Hobbit tonight… at least the first movie

10. enjoying: conversing with my friend

I had a thought, dear readers… if you’d like to grab these 10 Daily Currents and write your own, link back to my post so I can share along with you!

The Sandbox Writing Challenge #35 — Let’s Make a Deal

This week Calen presents us with two related questions:

What is behind this door that you want?

At my age (49!), there is very little left in life that I want. I am not materialistic, so I don’t want things. I’ve never been obsessed with money, so I don’t want money. I tend to just take care of my immediate needs these days. If I were to really desire anything in life, it would be to help end hunger, poverty, discrimination, abuse, and war. Peace would be my greatest want. How unrealistic is that?

Imagine having the key. What is stopping you from opening the door?

If I had the key, the solution to end all of those above things and have a peaceful world, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the key. I would unlock the door and swing it wide open for all to step through freely. But with so much hate and greed in the world, I can only do my small part and send out love as often as possible in whatever way possible.

How about you, dear readers? What’s behind that door that you want? Will you turn the key and step inside? Share your thoughts with me in comments.

#atozchallenge – Martin Luther King, Jr. Inspires Me

I never paid much attention to political issues as a kid. My parents were civic-minded and always voted, but they didn’t discuss such things around us kids. They also didn’t talk about racism. I was around 11 when I first learned about Martin Luther King, Jr. We saw his speech, I Have a Dream, in my 6th grade History class. His words moved me to tears. It was after the film that I experienced an awakening. My African American classmates all had tears in their eyes too, but I was the only white person in the room with tears. I’d never noticed the color of skin prior to this moment. These were my friends and classmates. There was no difference in my eyes. After this moment though, I was teased horribly by my white classmates. They called me a N-lover. I didn’t realize that hate still existed so strongly in the late 70s as it had in the 60s and long before then. I gained a lot of African American friends after that and lost a few white friends. It didn’t matter to me. I was not racist and I wouldn’t tolerate those who were.

Dr. King’s words have always stuck with me. I too wanted a world without hate, prejudice and racism. I saw all my fellow man as Human Beings, not by race, nationality, religion or creed. I still long for peace and hope to see it in my lifetime. I’ve done a lot of research over the years about the 60s, MLK, the Kennedy’s and many others. It has become a favorite time period of History for me. So many powerful people whose lives were cut short because of Hate and Fear. Here are some of my favorite MLK quotes:

 

And here is the speech that began it all:

Interesting Facts: MLK was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s day was made a U.S.. Federal Holiday in 1986.

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Thank you for joining me for the A-to-Z Challenge. If you’d like to see who else is participating, check them out here.

Each day, I will be posting about People Who Inspire Me.