Beauty Is In The Eyes Of Me

There are so many beauty products out there, both for men and women, that tell the consumers that wrinkles are ugly, that gray or white hair is not attractive, stretch marks make you undesirable, and so on.  But who are these people to tell me that I need to hide these changes that time has etched into my body?  Why do I have to be ashamed at the passage of time? 

While I understand wanting to keep your body looking attractive for yourself and others, but why can't the wrinkles, the gray hair, the stretch marks be beautiful too?  They tell a story about your life, how you've grown and changed.  I have started develop white hair in place of my natural dark brown locks and wrinkles have started to become more noticeable around my eyes and my forehead.  The white hair speaks of how I survived childhood (which is still a tough feat, even today).  My wrinkles speak of how often I have laughed, smiled, and cried.  Even the scars on my body tell the story of what I have survived and recovered from. 

So while those companies continue to pedal $100 face creams that say that they will get rid of all the wrinkles and give you baby smooth skin, I will continue to live life.  I will spend time with friends, eat new foods, try new things.  I will not spend money on a temporary beauty fix when I can appreciate the new beauty that I have been given and continue to create new tales to tell.

(Picture found: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/148267012704637278/)

Pre-Game Pub & Grill: The Deliciousness Has Arrived

I enjoy finding new places to visit and new food to try.  I also enjoy supporting local businesses and the place that Lee and I discovered today is definitely worth supporting.

After picking up some mail at the post office, Lee and I decided to stop for lunch.  We had decided on one restaurant but when we pulled in, we saw that a new place had opened up: Pre-Game Pub & Grill.  Open for trying a new place, we changed our minds and went in.

The place was nice and clean and we were greeted by some friendly staff members as we sat down.  Looking over the menu, we decided to get an appetizer: the BBQ pulled pork tater tots.  Holy cow, what a great choice.  Loads of cheese and bbq pulled pork just smothered the tater tots with a sprinkling of chopped onions.  I so did not want to put my fork down but I needed to when our meal came.

Did put down the fork briefly but not for long

My choice for lunch was the grilled cheese and pulled pork sandwich.  I chose to have it with a basket, which meant that I got a choice of coleslaw, fries, side salad, applesauce, or baked beans.  I selected the coleslaw and it did not disappoint.  It was creamy and full of flavor, with the cabbage still being nice and crisp.  The sandwich itself was also a tasebud tingler.  They used Texas toast and the cheese was very nicely melted, oozing in between the tasty pieces of pulled pork.  The pork was super tender and just seemed to melt when you put it in your mouth.

My yummy lunch.  Jealous much?

Lee had the Western burger with the basket as well.  He picked french fries to go with his burger.  His burger was HUGE!  Lee took one look at it and said that he was glad that he didn't go for a double patty.  The burger was also served on toasted Texas toast with lots of bbq sauce and3 large, crispy onion rings and bacon.  The burger had a big pile of fries that were very lightly seasoned with with salt.  

So much tasty goodness

Our meal was so very good and we almost went into a food coma right at our table.  LOL.  Lee was so full that he couldn't finish off his fries, which is a rare thing for him.  When our check came, it was lower than I was expecting.  We were full of great food and it wasn't going to break the bank.

Not too bad for all the food we got :-)  

We also found out that it was the pub's grand opening and we got to meet the owners, who both came over to our table to make sure that everything was good for us.  They are so nice.

Meet Michelle and Jim, the lovely people who own 

and operate Pre-Game Pub & grill

While we did not get the chance to have a dessert (we were too full), the menu offers a few, including root beer floats (which are made with A&W Root Beer, which is the best root beer for a root beer float in my opinion).  You can bet on our next visit, we will be trying the sweet as well as more of the savory.

Visit them in person in the Metro Shopping Center in Peoria, IL and see their full menu on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pregamegrill/

or on their website: http://pregamepub.com/

You can also follow them on Twitter: @pub_pre 

The Awesomeness of Socks

I have always had a fondness for socks. It may stem from the fact that my feet seem to always be cold.  It has been something that I have always been drawn to.

 I love any fun pair of socks. When I was a teen and toes socks were all the rage, I swear had or a dozen.  People would ask if they were uncomfortable, but I liked them.  Yes, it was a little awkward at first to have that fabric bunched between your toes but the look of them completely surrounded in their own pockets of color, you couldn't help but smile.

Now, my weakness isn't for toe socks but for just weird sock patterns in general.  As an adult, you often are required to wear some time of uniform or follow a dress code. Wearing fun and weird socks is a way to continue to embrace your inner kid but to secretly break dress code rules. I have to admit that I love finding weird ones, much to my husband Lee's mild annoyance.

Just a few of my fun socks

Rolling In the Dough (Sort Of)

With a C note in my hand to spend on myself, it would depend on how I was feeling on where I would spend it.  If I wasn't feeling well physically my truck would take me to a great massage parlor for a wonderful foot and back massage (bad joints and working 2 jobs takes its toll on the body).  However, if it was more of a mental treat that I needed, to Barnes & Noble I would head.  To load up on fantastic books to get lost in is a piece of heaven to me.  And with getting lots of books, I'll get to reread them any time.

(Prompt 280 out of 300: You have been given $100 on the condition that you must spend it all on yourself.  What will you do with your money?)











(Photo: armydre2008/Flickr)

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Picking my favorite photograph is a hard one.  When I think about it, I have two favorites.  The first would be a picture when I was younger (around 12) and I was holding my baby sister, trying to get her to sleep.  It was after a soccer game and I'm sitting in a rocker, just patting her back & rocking her.  My baby sister and I have a pretty strong bond even now and I think that this was the starting moment.

My second favorite would be from my wedding, where my husband and I are facing each other, just staring into each others' eyes. We still look into each others' eyes the same way over 15 years later.





(Prompt 281 out of 300:  Describe your favorite photograph)

Reading is Reading

To me, reading is reading.  Comic books and graphic novels are a great way to help struggling readers improve their reading skills.  It also helps those still learning English to absorb more and gain a better understanding of American culture.  Plus, a lot of kids today don't read enough and their imaginations grow stagnate.  Reading helps revitalize their imaginations and will lead them to better things.









Prompt 282 of 300:There is a strong trend among kids to read comic books or graphic novels instead of regular books.  What do you think about that?)















(Photo from https://johnrieber.com/2015/11/27/best-2015-holiday-gift-ideas-food-family-travel-it-girls-runaways-five-great-memoirs-as-holiday-gifts/pile-of-books/)

Cross It Off The Bucket List

Everyone has those things that they wish they could do before they die.  On May 18th, 2018, I got to do just that.  I went to my very first concert.  Now before you say “what’s the big deal?” you must remember that I am in my mid 30s and have never been to one before.  

Going back a little bit here, one of the bands Lee and I really wanted to see was Linkin Park.  Sadly, every time there was a concert in our state, it was always in Chicago, which was financially out of our way.  When Chester died, it saddened me to think that we’d never be able to see the original members preform.  So, while looking through my Twitter feed one night, I noticed one of the bands that I follow shared a posting of up coming tour dates.  Just out of curiosity, I clicked on the link, thinking that, once again, the nearest location to us would either be in Chicago or St. Louis.  I was very pleased to be proven wrong.  There was a concert scheduled in Moline, only a couple of hours from us, with tickets still available.  An additional bonus was who else was preforming with them.  I shouted for Lee, told him my idea and a plan was born.  We bought the tickets, took the day off from our jobs, rented a hotel room for the night, and traveled forth on a bucket list adventure.

Fast forward to the day of the concert.  I was so excited, I would burst out into excited giggles all of a sudden, which made Lee chuckle.  He said my excitement was infectious.  And why wouldn’t I be excited?  Not only was I checking something off my bucket list, I was seeing two bands that I really enjoyed (Shinedown and Five Finger Death Punch), one new band that was making waves on the music scene & I liked (Bad Wolves), and another band I hadn’t heard of but was looking forward to hearing live (Starset).

We get to the arena and I am so excited I actually am doing little jumps when I walk.  The security people check my purse (nothing to hide there) and we go to find our seats.  As we are walking towards the stairs to our area, I am hearing loud music. Can’t really make it out but I figure that it is just music being played through the speakers.  How wrong I was.  It was actually Bad Wolves doing their set.  I was pissed!  The tickets said that show stared at 7pm.  Apparently it was the headliners that started at 7, not the openers.  I got to hear the rest of their set, including their cover of “Zombie” (which is a wonder cover of such a good song).   They had very little in the way props on stage, just the members of the band & their instruments.  And I have to admit, even from my seat, the lead singer was still rather cute.

Bad Wolves

Starset had a very interesting performance.  They were the only one of the bands that had costumes, which I had to admit, looked rather hot to wear.  Plus, the helmets that some of the guys were wearing had to be heavy.  The songs were interesting but a little difficult to follow.  Part of the problem was the audio guys had the sound up to such a level that it made hard to hear the music clearly.  The band also seemed more focused on the visual presentation than the music itself.

Starset

Next came the first of the headliners: Shinedown.  They had a great set.  Lee and I sang a long with several of the songs that we knew.  I was excited that they preformed "Human Radio" which was a song off of their new album & sang along with it.  They also played songs from previous albums as well.  It was great getting to hear them preform and they had a great energy on stage, which was very infectious.

Shinedown

Five Finger Death Punch was the last to preform but well worth the wait.  They played a really good set.  One thing that I was surprised about was how much audience interaction there was,  They asked all current & former military members to stand to thank them for their service.  The lead singer even invited kids up onstage to have them sing with him.  It was a lot of fun singing along with them as well.

Five Finger Death Punch

Lee got me a Shinedown t-shirt & 2 key chains for himself.  I also got Five Finger Death Punch's newest album.  This was such a wonderful experience for me and I can not wait to do it again.

This Is Your Life

My best friend Marie posed this question to me: What songs would be on the soundtrack to your life?  This was, and still is, a tough question.  Think about it.  The average soundtrack is about 16 songs and that is not counting the small, instrumental pieces that often push it to about 20 songs.  You have 16 songs that sum up you and the course that your life has taken.  The other thing to think about is whether or not the soundtrack selections would change based on your life.  Certainly the soundtrack that would have covered your life when you were 10 years old may not match what it would be now.  So, after thinking and thinking and thinking about this, here is my soundtrack, with the 16 songs in no particular order, for my life now.   I have also included links to each song for your listening pleasure.

"Flight of the Bumblebee" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
https://youtu.be/aYAJopwEYv8
This particular song seems to play in my head a lot when I am in a rush to get anything done.  It is a song that I have always liked too.

"I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden
https://youtu.be/jjnmICxvoVY
This is Lee's and my song.  We both feel that it fits us perfectly so enough said.

"Burn MF" by Five Finger Death Punch
https://youtu.be/agXG9vzDryI
I had anger issues as a kid and sometimes I still get flair ups, especially when you consider the fact that I work in retail.  There are days when I just want to tell everyone to just go to hell and this song definitely fits those moods.

"Shatter Me" by Lindsey Sterling featuring Lzzy Hale
https://youtu.be/49tpIMDy9BE
Sometimes you get stuck in a part of your life, not because you want to but because you are afraid of what the change you need to happen will do to your life.

"Bully" by Shinedown
https://youtu.be/Y7NVxAMQn_I
I am was an outcast when I was young and I am now.  It happens when you are different from those around you & no matter what you do to fit in, you will always be that square peg trying to fit into a round hole.  But one does need to remember that the bullies can be defeated.

"Leave Out All the Rest" by Linkin Park
https://youtu.be/yZIummTz9mM
You always want to be remembered by those that you leave behind, to leave some positive mark on the world.  I often hope that is what I am doing.

"Yeah" by Usher
https://youtu.be/GxBSyx85Kp8
I realize that this may not seem to fit but whenever this song came on the radio, my pals and I would dance to it.  Makes me think of more carefree times.

"California Love" by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre
https://youtu.be/5wBTdfAkqGU
I am a Cali girl at heart and this is a song that I have always loved.  I realize that the lyrics don't fit me but the soul of the song does.

"The Rooster, The Donkey, The Dog, & The Cat" by The Poxy Boggards
https://youtu.be/tKHCpnz-0js
I got to perform with a Renn Faire group for a few years and it is always something that I look back on fondly.  The fun and the laughter is something that I try to remind myself of whenever it seems a little dark.

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper
https://youtu.be/PIb6AZdTr-A
This was a song from my childhood and one that I would always dance to.  I still do to this day & I even will sign the chorus as I sing and dance to the song.

"Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley
https://youtu.be/e8jAqvmnsIk
A song about heartbreak by the King himself.  Nuff said.

"Letters From Home" by John Michael Montgomery
https://youtu.be/X75sVw0xH2c
This song always made me tear up when I heard it but when my husband was shipped to Iraq, it took on a whole new meaning for me.  Even now, it makes me think back on how I felt and how lucky I am that he came home to me.

"Let The Boy Cry" by Gala
https://youtu.be/_bxaDvSTGl0
To me, a song about being true to yourself and fighting those who want to change your uniqueness.  I come from a stubborn line of women.  Don't tell me that I can't do something because that will make me try even harder to do it.

"Jekyll and Hyde" by Five Finger Death Punch
https://youtu.be/HCBPmxiVMKk
As a child and even as an adult, I have to hide parts of myself in order do my job.  I hide my spiritual path from many and I hide my health issues.  Many people have to do the same as I in order to survive in life.

"When They Come For Me" by Linkin Park
https://youtu.be/2cC4LQV2tf8
This song just speaks to me and gives me strength when I need it.  In the movie of my life, this would be the song that they would play during the montage of where I pull myself up and accomplish my goal.

"Boadicea" by Enya
https://youtu.be/JKQwgpaLR6o
In the midst of all the stress in life, I find it helps to calm my mind and meditate.  I have always found Enya paarticularly soothing.

Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Looking

An occupational hazard of being a writer is the fact that you are a people watcher.  You aren't watching to just look.  You are watching to get ideas for characters, for situations, and even places.  Us writers can creep people out with the way we just sit there and stare.  Luckily, many of us have gotten good at not making it obvious that we are observing you or the situation that you are currently involved in.

For example, there is a bank whose parking lot I sit in every morning and every afternoon for crosswalk duty.  I will often just park my truck in a specific space where I can watch for students and sit in the cab, out of the elements.  There is one particular lady that I have observed for this entire school year, mainly because of what happened in the late fall.  This particular lady broke her leg.  And it was a pretty bad break too considering the fact that she had to use a little cart to get around once she came back to work.  Here are some things that I can tell you about her simply from watching her.

1. She is a teller.  Tellers always arrive before the bankers in the morning since the bankers only have to be there when he lobby is open.
2. She is cared for by her spouse.  Since she broke her right leg, it would have been very difficult to drive so her spouse dropped her right off in front of the door every day she used the cart.
3. She is financially stable.  The car that her spouse dropped her off in was a higher end sports car.  Not the most expensive but definitely not the cheapest either.
4. She is well liked by her coworkers.  Every time she arrives the same time as a coworker, she always waits for them & will chat with them as they walk to the door.
5. Even though her leg is healed, it still gives her some trouble, especially during colder weather.  The limp that she has becomes more pronounced during the colder temps.

See?  It is interesting what you notice when you sit down and just observe :-)

Don't Speak

When you are told to do not something, it seems like it is all you want to do.  I am under doctor's orders to not talk for the next few days due to contracting laryngitis.  I don't think that I have ever had it before but so far it is rather frustrating.  My voice wasn't very strong to begin with so going to pick up the meds from the pharmacy was tough because if I did have a question, I would have had to write it out.

For the next two days, I have to rest my voice and take my meds.  The hard thing will be to not speak.  It will be interesting to see what experiences I have during this time of no speech.

Enough is Enough

I saw something today that angered me and I just needed to vent.  It frustrates me to see happy news from people who say they love & care for me in social media for the whole world to see but couldn't be bothered to text me the news, let alone call me.  I'm not asking for a call every time a happy or sad event happens, but major events would be appreciated, i.e. engagement, birth of a kid, death of a mutual family member, etc.  You ask me to call but you never return the courtesy.  It is all on me to make the effort to stay connected but yet the street goes both way.  I can't be expected to do all the work.

And keeping contact with family is work, especially if there is distance between members.  Call, text, hell even write a freaking letter!  I'm not saying that it has to happen every week but more than once a year would be nice.  Don't use the excuse either of that you are too busy.  Both of us have lives and things that we need  to do, but again I state, contact between loved ones takes effort of both parties parts, not just one.

Adventures in Friendship: Day 8

It has been a couple of days since Marie went back home and I got to thinking about how lucky I am to have a friend like her.  She won't like me bringing this up because she says it gives an idea to our age, but we have been best friends since we were eight years old.  We have definitely fought the odds with our friendship.  Our friendship survived the big move when Marie & her family moved to the other side of the country right before we started high school.  We wrote constantly, which still happens to this day, and we stayed in touch.  Our lives grew, we got jobs in the adult world, we got married and yet, we stayed in touch.  And it wasn't just a letter here, a phone call there.  There is a connection between the two of us that goes deeper than most.  We know each others past, both the good and the bad.  Yes, there has been times where we fought but the conversation has never stopped.  Marie gave me a picture frame that pretty much sums up our friendship:

"Hey girlfriend!  We may not see each other for ages but we never seem to miss a beat.  Our friendship is a never ending conversation."

So to you, my dearest friend, my sister from another mother, & my evil twin, thank you for being my friend for all these years.  Having you visit me this spring was fabulous.  I look forward to many more adventures and years of friendship. 

Until our next conversation, smooches!

View from one of the planes when

Marie went home

Adventures in Friendship: Day 7

Bowling has never been my best sport but it is one that I will willingly participate in, no matter how much I suck.  We decided to play a few games at a near by bowling.

The 1st game

The 2nd game

So, as you can see both Marie and I totally suck at bowling.  The fun stuff about bowling is the not knocking down all the pins but the silliness that can happen  during the game.

As a tradition, whenever we get together, Marie and I always have to bake cookies.  They were chocolate chip and very tasty.  As the cookies baked, Marie had me try the game Portal, which was rather fun.  The computer voice was crazy and I could be heard yelling at it a few times.

Our final adventure was to check out the 8 Bit Bar.  Totally fun!  Lee, Marie, and myself played lots of old video games.  Lee was very kind to play designated driver so I got to enjoy a strawberry cider and a pear cider.  It was a real blast from the past to see and play video games that I hadn't seen in years.

Mario art

Adventures in Friendship: Day 6

Great comedian

Starting on Thursday, my second job had an associate thing where we got a higher than normal discount while I was on vacation so I did have to swing by there to pick up a few things that I really wanted.  After that, we went searching for the famous Richard Pryor statue that is somewhere downtown.  I did find it one day but that was when I got lost coming back from the post office.  We both took pictures in front of it and pictures of it.

We did do a typical sleepover activity during Marie's visit: doing our nails.  Our nails actually matched: dark purple nail polish on every other nail with a nail wrap covered in flowers n the others.  They turned out really pretty.  When we started our nails, we watched Howl's Moving Castle.  When moved on to Monsters Inc then to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Adventures in Friendship: Day 5

So being the silly & goofy people that we are, we decided to do tie-dye one Wednesday.  We didn't dye t-shirts but four bags: a purse and three smaller bags that you could use when you go on a trip to store make-up and things. 

All our supplies

It was harder to dye the smaller bags because the fabric was was thicker and didn't absorb the dye as well as we hoped.  It was a lot of fun.  I hadn't done tie-dye in a really long time.

All ready to go

The bags themselves turned out really nice, although I did decide to dye parts of my arm in the process.  While rinsing the dye from the bags, we discovered that the purse actually had 2 smaller pockets in it.

The dye has staying power

Adventures In Friendship: Day 3 and 4

So yesterday, got to show Marie some fun little shops in my town before I had to be a responsible adult & go grocery shopping.  She had a lot of fun at all of them but she really enjoyed the store Relics.  It is a place I have gotten fun socks and lots of fun postcards.  Marie had a blast stocking up of fun cards and postcards.  During our grocery shoping trip, I will admit that I threaten to throw a chicken at her, much to the disapproval of the staff. I said it jokingly but they must not have realized that.

My new socks

Today was museum day. Got to enjoy a show at the planetarium and check out a lot of neat stuff about Illinois. There was a great photo experience where we were photographed in front of a field of pennies. The fun part was that Marie was wearing a green shirt so some of the pennies appear on it as well.

A sign I found on one of the exhibits

We both had some fun exploring some fun shops near my home as well. Once we got home, we relaxed for a bit and Marie made us a very yummy egg bake for dinner. 

Looking forward to more adventures tomorrow :-)

An Odd But Lucky Thing

I would say that one of the odd things in my purse would be a small coin that I have dubbed "the goddess coin".  I'm not sure how I got it but it has lived in my coin purse for the past few years.  Most would say that it doesn't look like a goddess, just a person who may be doing yoga.  To me, she is a little goddess.  It just feels like the right thing to call her.  She feels lucky too.

My goddess coin

*I challenged Marie with this one too.  Here is the link to read hers: https://eclecticthe.blogspot.com/2018/04/odd-change.html












Prompt 283 of 300: Describe one odd item that you have in your purse or wallet right now.)

Adventures In Friendship: Day 2

So the day started out good. I made deviled eggs and my death by chocolate pie for a late lunch/ early dinner at my mother in-law's house and had a very nice chat with Marie. We all enjoyed the food at my mother in-law's and as dinner was wrapping up, it started to snow! It's the first day of April and we get freaking snow!  I've said it before and I'll say it again. People need to stop messing with Mother Nature's meds.

Anyways, it kept snowing as we left. It got thicker when we stopped for a visit with some of Marie's family and short visit with a few of my friends. By the time we headed home, the roads were slick and rather slushy. We counted three cars in the ditch and three other cars driving without their headlights on (idiots) but we made it back to our home safe and sound.

Adventures In Friendship: Day 1

My best friend Marie came to visit me on my spring break so I decided to document the occasion. :-)

She arrived today and being inspired by my half of the friendship necklace she gave me (my half says "weirdo #1") I held up a small sign that simply said "weirdo #2, which made her laugh. We had a late lunch with my husband and did a bit of gift shopping for some of her family that we'd be seeing the next day. It was really funny to see that we were wearing the exact same socks. It was totally not planned and neither of us knew that the other owned the socks but apparently great minds do think alike. Ha!

Aren't these great?!

Once we got to my house, we delved into a blast from our childhood: dyeing some Easter eggs. Even though I dropped a couple, they still turned out pretty good.  Since my husband isn't too fond of hard boiled eggs, Marie and I will be turning them into deviled eggs for tomorrow's lunch with some of Lee's family.

Our masterpieces

I've been looking forward to this visit for weeks and I know that we'll be having a lot of fun in the days to come.

Why Should I Trust You?

I got to thinking this morning about trust.  Trust is something that we should have in a lot of people in our lives; both in people that we know personally and people that we don't.  Now, according to dictionary.com, there multiple definitions of the word trust when used as both a noun, adjective, and verb.  I want to focus on the definition that we most commonly use when we relate to people: to have confidence in; rely or depend on.

I say that we apply this to two different types of people: trusted friends and trusted strangers.  Those that would fall under the category of trusted friends are people that we really know well: close family members, best friends, spouses, etc.  These are people we have spent time getting to know well.  We have more in-depth knowledge of them that the average person walking down the street.  These are people who, for the most part, could trust with our mental and physical well-being.

The second group are the trusted strangers.  These are people we don't know on a deep level or maybe just know by name only.  This level of trust that we have in these people sort of goes against our nature.  We don't want to trust them but, for one reason or another, we need to. When we go to a doctor, we know nothing about them except that they went to medical school and passed their board certification.  We have to put our trust in them that they will do what is best for us and not try to put us through anything that we don't actually need.

And that second level of trust goes way beyond the local level, if you think about it.  We have to trust that the governor of our state won't allow companies to pour toxic run-off into our water supply. We have to trust that our president won't launch a nuclear strike just because another country's president said that he looked like a bloated dead fish.

This web of trust links every person, all across the globe.  It is a bit scary to think about how much trust we have to have in people, beyond who we know, to be able to live our lives in a relative safe frame of mind.

To be honest, my trust doesn't stretch as far as most due to a lot of negative past events.  When a negative event happens, it does erode away that trust in others and it is very hard to put it back.  Perhaps this is why so many societies are struggling: because of this trust that has never been fixed.  And it is something that needs to be fixed, desperately, or else our lives and the lives that are connected to ours, will continue to erode away to nothing.

She Sang For Me

When I was seven, my dad died and I went from a private school to a public in the middle of second grade.  I was a smart kid but not the most popular and I had issues with fitting in.  My new teacher was Mrs. Garcia and she made me feel so welcome.  She was great at getting me acclimated and never made me feel bad about not knowing something.

One big moment that sticks out in my mind of her kindness is when we did a play of Jack and the Beanstalk.  I got to play the harp that sings the giant to sleep. A lot of people wanted that part and I felt really lucky to get it.  Sadly, during the performance I got a very bad case of stage fright and couldn't sing.  Mrs. Garcia came to my rescue and sang for me,  I remember that kindness to this day.  I always look back at the love and warmth that she not only showed me but to every student under her care.

So, to Mrs. Garcia, wherever you are, thank you.  You will always have my love and a special place in my heart.

(Prompt 284 out of 300: Write about a teacher of yours who did something noteworthy.)




















(Photo from: https://belvedere.sbcusd.com)

Spring is In the Air

In my neighborhood, the trees start to get new leaves, the grass starts to turn green, and dandelions start to appear.  (Which I don't pull up since I like them and they are good for bees.)  The real spring magic for me is my backyard.  My backyard has a lot of trees, which doesn't allow for a lot of grass to grow.  What does grow is a bunch of different weeds that have really beautiful flowers.  This brings a lot of young rabbits and birds to my backyard, which my cats love to watch.  It is like having my own little wooded glade in the middle of suburbia.

The spring goddess from Fantasia 2000

Prompt 285 out of 300: What does spring look like in your neighborhood?)
















(Photo from: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Fantasia-disneyscreencaps.com-7263.jpg)

Free At Last

The first phrase that came to mind was "Your student loan debts have been completely paid off."  Now, I took those loans so I could get the education I wanted (due to circumstances that I could not control, I was unable to get to my true goal) and I understood that they would have to be paid back.  However, the payment that I make each month is over half of whatIi put towards my rent, which is crazy.  It would be a great relief to no longer have that debt and be able to complete all the repairs needed on my truck.

(Prompt 286 out of 300: What is one phrase you would really like to hear right now?)














(Photo from: https://www.focusonthefamily.com/lifechallenges/managing-money/breaking-free-from-debt/breaking-free-from-debt)

My Link Is Not Severed

Having a child is a big responsibility and it can be a very rewarding one for those you truly want to undertake the task.  Many see it as a path to immortality of a sort.  The links from the past will carry on into the future, the family line will continue, someone will care for you in your twilight years, etc.

But what about those people who can't have kids, for one reason or another, or who don't wish to have them at all.  Are they to be objects of pity or scorn by those who have them?  Will they be left forgotten in their old age, a lonely individual laying on a bed in a nursing home without a single visitor?  My answer is no to all of these.

I am, for reasons that I will not discuss here, not able to have biological children of my own, even though they are wanted.  But I do not consider my link to the future severed by any means.  My children are many, more than anyone person can birth on their own.  My children are my students, the readers that read the stories I send out into the world, the offspring of mine and my husband's siblings, and the offspring of those I consider part of my family.  Part of who I am will live on in them and those that come after them.

Yes, I will admit that I often worry about who might care for me when I'm in my twilight years but I try not to dwell on it.  What happens will happen.  Time will continue to flow forward into the cosmic expanse & nothing I do will change that.  I must trust that when my time comes to cross the veil, there will be those who love me to wish me farewell.

(Photo from: http://www.thethingswesay.com/i-like-to-think-that-the-universe-brought-us-together-for-a-reason-that-were-supposed-to-help-each-other-grow-into-the-people-we-were-always-meant-to-become/)

Never Will I Ever

In no particular order, a list of 25 things I will NEVER do:

1.  Go sky diving (Why jump out of a perfectly good airplane?)
2. Tattoo my face (I like tattoos, just not on the face.  Too much of a distraction.)
3. Get piercings anywhere on my body (already have 2 in each ear and no more for me)
4.  Cheat on my husband (I'm loyal.)
5. Kill animals for fun (If it is not for food, it isn't happening.)
6. Visit Antarctica (Too cold)
7. Moto Surf (Watch Surf Ninjas to get this reference)
8. Bungee jump (don't have a fear of heights, just falling from them.)
9. Own a gun (unless I'm in  a post apocalyptic dystopia)
10. Own a motorcycle (have enough trouble staying balanced on my own 2 feet)
11. Walk naked through town (unless you are paying me billions of dollars, up front)
12. Participate in an orgy (not into group sex)
13. Do drugs (I'm crazy enough, don't need any more help)
14. Swim naked in a public pool (in my own, yes)
15. Participate in a biggest eater challenge (don't want to die of food)
16. Star in a porn video (just NO)
17. Disrespect the holy place of any religion (not my style)
18. Steal a car for fun (I don't look good in orange)
19. Swim with sharks (unless it is a whale shark since they won't eat me)
20. Eat raw oysters (Yuck! Plus not a huge fan of seafood)
21. Go deep sea diving (snorkeling, yes)
22. Go spelunking (fun word to say though but I'll just stick to the guided cave tours where I just walk around)
23. Wrestle an alligator (don't want to be lunch)
24. Lick a cactus (Ouch!)
25. Assassinate someone (No matter how much they piss me off.  I'll just send them lots of bad energy instead)

Creating this list was a lot harder than you think but it was rather fun :-)




(Prompt #287 out of 300)






















(Picture from https://www.google.com/search?client=tablet-android-samsung&biw=1280&bih=800&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=wdmUWszaEqjJ5gKBtrzADQ&q=not+to+do+list&oq=not+to+do+list&gs_l=mobile-gws-img.3..0l3j0i30j0i24.128654.135161..135829...1....85.1240.17..........1..mobile-gws-wiz-img.....3..35i39j0i67j0i5i30j0i8i30.csmyWM4%2FXp4%3D#imgrc=jRLn8Db8wtKfzM:)

I Wonder

Thanks to a darker night, these thoughts crossed my mind this evening.

I wonder...

...do people actually care about me
...would I even be missed
...why I even try to rise above things
...should I even continue to try
...what would happen if I were gone
...should I walk away from it all
...what changes should happen
...what changes shouldn't happen
...is the light at the end of the tunnel the train or the sun 

Life is a Beach

Now, living in the center of the country, the beach is something that I miss a lot.  I grew up on the West Coast and for several years when I was a kid, we got to go on a camping trip to Pismo Beach.  It was so much fun. We would camp out at this campground that was a short walk from the beach and we'd walk to the beach every day.

One of my favorite memories was digging in the surf and watching the sand crabs dig themselves under the sand before the water came back in.  I also loved throwing cheese balls for the seagulls, getting tons of them to land, then running at them, shouting like an idiot & getting them to fly off.  I got lucky that I was never pooped on during those episodes.

The only real downside was that the sand got everywhere. And nothing is more uncomfortable than walking back to camp with a lot of sand in your bathing suit.  The sunburns weren't a joy either, and being pale, I definitely had some sort of sunburn after a week.

I'm not sure that I would want to live at the beach, but it is sure nice to visit.


(Prompt 288 out of 300: Write about the beach: your favorite memory of a trip, what you love, what you hate (e.g., sand gets everywhere).  Would you live on the coast if you could, or is it better just to visit?)












(Phote from: http://pismobeach.org/ImageRepository/Document?documentID=47949)

Life is a Stage

I did plays my junior and senior year of high school.  I was never in the lead, so in two of the plays I was in, I preformed as two different characters.  It was a lot of fun, especially when it came to picking out our costumes.  Our school was really old and actually had an old bomb shelter under the stage, which is where all the clothing and wigs were stored.  And since I was in a digital art class, I got to design the tickets, programs, and flyers for the show.

I would also learn my lines rather quickly, along with several other people's.  During dress rehearsals, whenever someone yelled, "Line!" I could be often heard yelling the line they needed from the wings, much to the irritation of the director.





(Prompt 289 out of 300: Were you ever involved in a school play as a student?  Did you act, sing, design props, play an instrument, or hold prompt cards?)















(Picture from: https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&client=tablet-android-samsung&tbm=isch&q=drama+masks&chips=q:drama+masks,g_4:greek&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjrpaSBiabZAhWp54MKHSj-BBkQ4lYIRCgA&biw=1280&bih=800&dpr=2#imgrc=toEcS7_IfUBpQM:)

Scrubbing Away

This was a hard one, but the soap I have would wash away the damage done to old car parts, restoring them to a new condition.  Driving an old truck, you end up having to replace parts that are just worn out in order for your truck to keep running.  And it can take a big chunk out of your savings if you aren't paying attention to the warning signs that something is about to fail.  A soap that could magically wash away that damage would be a great relief to my checkbook.  Although, it would mean that I  would probably need to take a beginners mechanics course so I would have an idea on what the parts should and shouldn't look like.

(Writin prompt 290 out of 300: You have a magic. What does it wash away?)

Hissy, Hissy, Little Snake

I find snakes rather interesting.  Here is a species that moves rather elegantly on their stomachs while humans look like utter goobs when they try that method of movement.  The beautiful mosaic of colors of their scales is quite lovely, even on snakes of plainer colors.  They are also a very helpful species, even though mankind doesn't want to admit it, getting rid of other species that can damage our food sources.  They also have a bad rap due to a major Abrahamic religion.  So, I think that I'll continue to like these amazing creatures, no matter what others say.

A pretty Rainbow Boa Constrictor

(Writing prompt 291 out of 300:  Snakes, interesting or creepy? Why?)













(Photo from: https://www.sinisterserpents.com/images/snake-pics/rainbow-boa-constrictor4.jpg)

Can Be Worse Than Death

I think that the worst emotion that you can feel is loneliness since it can spiral off into so many other negative emotions: despair, anger, and hatred, to name a few.  Consider, for example, one of modern history's  most hated men:  Adolph Hitler.  He was a lonely person who wanted to be accepted by others.  That loneliness grew to despair and he tried to overthrow his government.  When that failed, the despair grew to anger and he tried to put the anger towards someone else, someone to blame for everything, which grew to hatred of all those who were not the ideal form.  However, loneliness can be a catalyst towards better emotions, such as joy and love. It lights a fire under you to avoid loneliness by seeking out others and creating positive bonds with them.  It isn't always easy, but it is possible.

(Prompt 292 out of 300:  What is the worst emotion a human can feel?)

(Photo from: https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/media/images/shutterstock_504388312.jpg)

To Read or Not To Read

Do you prefer to read electronic books or paper books? Why? (Prompt 293 out of 300 from the writing prompt journal)

While I do appreciate the ease and convenience of reading on a tablet, nothing beats reading an actual paper book.  The excitement of turning the page, eager to find out what happens next, the feel of the paper between the fingers, and the smell of "ink on paper" smell of the book itself.  heck, even the random food stains on the pages from when you were reading while eating because the book was so good that you just couldn't stop reading.  So, I'll always be a bit old school and always have my paper book.

Living In a World of Fantasy

What book or book series did you wish would continue when you were done reading it?  (Prompt 294 out of 300 from the writing prompt journal)


I fell in love with a book I found in the library as a teen called The Silver Wolf by Alice Borchardt.  (She was the older sister of Anne Rice).  I fell in love with the stories she spun.  The last book I read of hers was The Raven Warrior, which was the second book in a series she started about Guinevere, Lancelot, Arthur, and Merlin.  It was amazing to read such an interesting twist on the Arthurian legend and have Guinevere portrayed not as a weak willed, church controlled wife of Arthur, but as a strong queen and leader to her people.  Sadly, Mrs. Borchardt passed away and no other books followed The Raven Warrior.  I would have loved to read how the story ended.

(Photo from: https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1388546321l/258660.jpg)

So Bored I Could Die

So I am currently working with my students on figurative language and we are on hyperbole.  For those that don't know or can't remember what a hyperbole is, it is the use of a gross exaggeration to descibe something that could never happen in real life.  A great and very common example that has been heard being uttered by many teens is "I'm so bored that I could die".

This type of figuative language can be a lot of fun to write and my students are really enjoying themselves. They are currently writing their own entry of a believe it or not style hyperbole.  It has to answer the 5W+H questions but it can be about whatever they want.  My plan is to create a little booklet with all of their entries and they even said they wanted to have mine in it too.  Here is my example:


The Amazing Car Meal

Joboo Johosaphat*, long time resident of Slipped Disk, NE decided that he was tired of all the cars in his driveway.  So he came up with an unusual way to get rid of them.  Starting at 5am with six cans of pasta sauce and a steak knife, he began to cut up and eat the cars.

He started with the VW Bug and went on to the pickiup truck, dousing with pasta sauce for extra flavor.  He ended his car feast with a Vespa scooter.  When asked how he was feeling, Joboo said, "Full and satisfied".

(*Not based on an actual person)















(Picture from: https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/66618391.jpg)

I'm Late, I'm Late For a Very Important Date

What date do you have circled on your calendar?  That is, what upcoming date or event are you looking forward to?  (Prompt 295 out of 300 from the writing journal)


Unlike a lot of people, I actually look forward to my birthday.  But, it is not for the reasons you may think.  It is the one time of year that I can be completely selfish and have the day be all about me.  Work calls me and asks me to come in? Nope!  Not setting an alarm to wake me up?  You bet ya!  I always take my birthday off from my job(s) every year and dedicate the day to some me time.

This is something that I tell people a lot.  It is okay to be selfish on your birthday.  Treat it as your own personal holiday.  Do what makes you feel good (as long as it is legal) and take care of you on your birthday.

(Photo from: https://i.pinimg.com/236x/b4/60/87/b460877e377a5af8033877c044b6184b--alice-in-wonderland-white-rabbit-alice-in-wonderland-quote.jpg)

For the Love Of...

(Prompt 296 from my 300 prompt writing journal)

The prompt was "What is your favorite physical aspect of your partner?  If you are single, describe something you like about your crush or your fantasy celebrity date."

This is a difficult one.  I do have a lot of things that I love about my husband Lee but if I hand to pick just one physical aspect, it would have to be his hands.  I love to hold them.  I love the strength in them, especially when he gives me a foot rub.  Sometimes, when we hold hands, I'll absentmindedly rub my thumb over the back of his thumb or the back of his hand (which drives him nuts from time to time).   Not sure why I do it.  But his hands are wonderful.

Side note: Don't get me wrong, I do love other physical aspects i.e. eyes, lips, smile, butt (staying PG here)

(Photo from: http://photos8.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Hands-in-the-Shape-of-Love-Heart.jpg)

Wrap Me In Bubble Wrap

(Prompt #297 out of 300 from my writing prompt journal)

Complete this simile: "Awkward as...."

...a giraffe in roller skates.  It just felt right to complete the simile that way.  I am an awkward person most of the time, both socially and physically.  About 70% physical, 20% social, and 10% other stuff.  I trip over my own feet.  It's what happens when you walk with your feet very close together and are pigeon toes (toes point inward).  I am also constantly hitting things and bruising myself.  The phrase "what did I hit" can often be heard from my bathroom or bedroom when I change clothes.  I swear, some days, I need to be wrapped in bubble wrap.

(Photo from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIshBCPC5R5wX2-8IHiowpXpSAsbHGDoAYI1g5CMa17kZTWwWx2Mb0whzx2jI3_olBduniSJFf_7kljT0p4JpcTID5KdVlw3-TAaGM0IamZEZacX0QZifxdkPOS-0wruMj3JygES9F3P6K/s1600/funny-giraffe-by-bgiormova-600px.jpg)

Facing One's Demons

We all have our internal demons.  Those parts of ourselves that can come out at the worst times and reek havoc on our lives, both personal and professional.  We face down these demons and sometimes emerge battered but victorious & sometimes we come out more dead than alive.  Whether these demons of the mind are of our own making our not, it is important to face them. 

A friend of mine had an issue where she was doing harm to herself.  I do not know what event created said demon but it was one that she had been battling for a while.  She decided that she had had enough with her defeats and took a big step in making sure that this particular demon no longer ruled her life.  That is one of the hardest things to do.

To this day, I still fight with my demons and that is something that many people don't understand.  Those who have never had any type of mental health issues think that once that internal demon has been defeated, that it stays defeated.  That is definitely not the case.  Sure, the demon can stay dormant for days and even years, but it can resurface due to outside triggers (i.e. school, work, friends, relatives, strangers).  However, I try not to hide my struggle, especially from those that care about me. 

So, if you are still fighting your internal demons, I tip my hat to you.  Keep fighting back, don't lay down in defeat.  Reach out for help, even if it is a stranger.  Don't give up.

(Photo from: https://theinnerdemons.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/inner-demon.jpg)

Resolutions, Smesolutions

It is a new year and people are going around, creating resolutions of how they will improve themselves, make themselves better people, et cetera, et cetera.  I have decided that I do not like this particular practice.  Don't get me wrong, I am not against someone wanting to improve themselves for the better but don't do it just because the year has changed.

If you are going to change, don't wait for the new year to do so.  Do it the day that you think about it.  And don't give up if you fail to make it.  Change takes work.  You try, you fail, you try, you fail.  Use each failure as a reminder of how you can do better the next time.  You are changing yourself just by trying.  As we tell children, keep trying until you succeed.

And while you are trying to change yourself for the better, remember to continue with the things that make you a good person.  Continue to be kind to others, give love to those that need it, offer friendship to new people.

So, with this in mind, I will make no resolutions today.  I will remind myself to keep up with and improve my writing.  I will remind myself to keep making a difference in my students' minds & continue to help them become better people.  I will remind myself to continue to be a great friend and loving wife.  I will remind myself to continue being the best version of myself every day.











(Photo from: http://saboronthebay.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/2018.jpg)