Category Archives: blogging

Going on a Scavenger Hunt

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DJMatticus over at The Matticus Kingdom is having a Scavenger Hunt.  I am having a rather quiet afternoon at work and thought ‘what fun!”, so I’m sharing this with all of you in hopes that you’ll join in the merriment!

Here is what he’s after:

Let’s do a scavenger hunt!!  Doesn’t that sound awesome?  I have no idea how it is going to work!!  And, yes, I’m so excited about that I am using the double exclamation points on purpose!!

How about this:

Go forth, using whatever methods you like, and bring me back whatever you think best represents:

1) The Jester (he obviously had to be writing!!)

bigjester

2) The Queen

crown

You’re the best friend
that I ever had
I’ve been with you such a long time
You’re my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You’re my best friend

3) The Little Prince

prince

4) The Kingdom (couldn’t live anywhere but a mountain top)

mountain

5) The End of the World… or, for bonus points, The World NOT Ending (it may look like the world has ended, but there is always a soft place to land.)

falling

6) Silly

Roses are red,

violets are blue.

I f&*king hate winter.

The End.

~~~

Well, now that WAS fun…..hope you all take a minute or two to participate!!

What lies beyond – Trifecta Challenge

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house

Audrey had driven by the building countless times and was always drawn to its beauty.  Today she could resist the urge no longer.   After parking her car across the street from the house, she made her way up the walkway to the front door. She knocked and was greeted warmly by a man with a charming smile and a slight frosting of grey hair at his temples.

She introduced herself and explained to the man how often she thought of this place.  There was no plausible explanation for her longing to see the inside and she was hopeful that he would forgive her intrusion.  His voice was almost ethereal as he welcomed her into his home.

The inside was just as lovely as Audrey had imagined.  Hard-wood floors spanned each room and the decor was pristine.  The fire was roaring in the fireplace which lent a diffused scent of acrid smoke to the air.  There was another odor lingering underneath but she couldn’t readily identify its essence.

The entire house was breathtaking.  Each room was decorated beautifully, boasting warm colors and tones, but even amongst those warms colors Audrey could not ignore the slight chill she felt.   Following him up the winding stairway, they made their way to the top floor of the house.  She was shown the door to what she anticipated to be the most quaint room in the house – the Widow’s Watch.  He was behind her now and slowly pushed the door open so she could enter.  The movement of the door seemed to trigger the motion light and she stared blankly at the black cavern in front of her.

His voice startled her back to reality.  “We’ve been waiting for you.”

His hand found the small of her back and he shoved Audrey into the chamber.  The door closed and she heard the lock engage.  The other smell that had plagued her was now overwhelming enough for her to identify.  It was decomposition.   Audrey screamed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

328 words written for the Trifecta Challenge to use the word “quaint” and, as always, the third definition of the word.
QUAINT (adjective)

1:  obsolete:  EXPERT, SKILLED
2a:  marked by skillful design <quaint with many a device in India
ink — Herman Melville>
b:  marked by beauty or elegance
3a : unusual or different in character or appearance :  ODD
  b : pleasingly or strikingly old-fashioned or unfamiliar <a quaint
phrase>

Remember:
• Your response must be between 33 and 333 words.
• You must use the 3rd definition of the given word in your post.
• The word itself needs to be included in your response.
• You may not use a variation of the word; it needs to be exactly as stated above.
• Only one entry per writer.
• If your post doesn’t meet our requirements, please leave your link in the comments section, not in the linkz.
• Trifecta is open to everyone. Please join us.

Motivation in my nation

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I’ve finally realized what has been missing this year, apart from a clean bill of health – I need a mantra – a string of words that I can repeat to myself to keep motivated while passing through this adventure called life. It’s interesting to take some time to think of what would be appropriate – what is going to inspire me on a daily basis.

After thinking about what could be my own personal mantra I finally settled on something that resonated with me: “Feed your mind, nourish your body”.

After all of the changes I’ve made in my life over the last two years this one really strikes a chord with me. From losing weight and learning how to properly feed my body, ending relationships that were toxic to me to starting this blog, it all seemed to fall into place. My body was craving the proper nourishment I was depriving it of and my mind was craving the attention of a myriad of words and ideas. Solved – feed your mind, nourish your body.

It’s such a simple run of words but something I can repeat to myself that will keep me focused on what has become most important to me as an individual. I now have it written on my fridge so if I feel I’m getting off my course it is there to remind me of where I was 24 months ago and where I am now.

Maybe you’ve always had your own mantra or maybe you’ve never even thought of the idea but it’s a simple thing to do, it costs no money and could potentially drive you to accomplish more that you thought possible.

If you already have one, I’d love to know what it is – and if you’ve never thought about it, give it a try. It may make a big difference in your daily life.

Not what I thought it was going to be

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The welcoming of 2014 was not the night I had anticipated.  The beef was waiting in the fridge, the wine was holding its place in the wine rack and I was curled up on the couch nursing a glass of water and a nasty chest cold with a temperature of 103F.

I woke up on December 30th after not showing any sign of illness the previous night and a few hours after getting out of bed, I hit a wall.  I spent four short hours at work and was sent home.  Being the diligent employee I am, I attempted to perform my daily duties again the next day and sent myself home.  I have spent the last three days sleeping, coughing, sipping water and not eating a thing.  Today was the first day I attempted some food so I can start getting my energy back.

It seems I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog reading, but I just wanted to wish you all a very Happy new year and all the best for 2014!

I’m outta here

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Today’s post will be short because I’m getting ready to head to the city to see The Tenors!!  If you haven’t heard of these guys, they are a very talented foursome of Canadian singers whose voices blend to make absolute magic.  You can listen to them here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E6-AYce-_M

Mondays are difficult for many, so if you are looking for a little escape and want some romance in your day – head over to see Edward Hotspur’s Romantic Monday.

Have a great day everyone and stay warm!!  It’s -35C here today with the windchill.

Did you hear what I hear?

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So, the beginning of the subject line is a slight deviation from a Christmas song…but it is appropriate on more than one level.  For those of you who love Romantic Mondays as much as I do, I am channeling my inner high school geek and perpetuating a rumor that has piqued my curiosity.

Romantic Monday will breathe life once again this coming Monday, December 16th, or so I have heard and am hoping.  For those of you acquainted with this special day, I hope the holiday romantic in you will join me in making sure this rumor comes to life!  Be sure to stalk Edward Hotspur and let’s make this rumor a reality.

Merry Romancemas!!

The real me

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If you want to know the real me, the true essence of my being, read my words.  I live in a world of people.  I engage with people every day of my life and I present a mere part of myself but, if you want to know me to the core of my vitality, read the words that I have written.  Those words are me.  Those idioms and poems somehow define me by using words I could never use on a daily basis.  Those phrases and ideas bring more of me to the surface than simply seeing me in three dimension.   Those words are my truth.

I connect with people emotionally and physically but, on a much deeper level, I spiritually connect with words.  Their subtle nuances paralyze me.  Their deep meanings leave scars that carve a map of my journey.  Their richness fills me and leaves me satiated.  I could be poor in monetary means the rest of my days but I will be rich if I still have words.

I am a slave to my passion, a victim of the alphabet that forms phrases in my mind.  Words wake me from slumber and force themselves into my conscious thought.  They wrap around me, enlivening me with their embrace.  They saturate the white noise in my brain.

Words will always bring the real me to the surface.

Tomorrow’s Outlines

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This is my first poetry duet with Hastywords and hopefully not my last.  She is truly a talented writer and beautiful person.  I’m sure you’ve already clicked follow on her blog, but if you haven’t you are missing out!

~

I found myself wandering aimless

between several different worlds,

in and out like a homeless ghost

my mind splitting, fracturing

and my perspective splintering

Lost in a cavern of realities

whispers of promise echoing

taunting, just out of reach

unsure of which path to choose

I float in a sea of uncertainty

bleeding colors

The colors of my past are bleeding

hiding lessons learned in a foggy gray

feelings and emotions are muddled

until I feel I may drown, breathless

inside all my lost yesterdays

The canvas of my life stares blankly

looking back at me with ambivalence

urging me to lift my head

beckoning me to not just tread water

but to thrive and embrace what lies beyond

Before despair takes me asunder

I focus only on paths ahead, determined

blurry lines begin to sharpen, harden

into black and white, new outlines

new paths, waiting to be colored in

~

(image credit: Stina Persson)

Requesting a favor

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Hello to all of my blogging, Facebook and Twitter friends.  I am appealing to you for a bit of help.  I have started a new blog for Shamrock Lodge (my new job) and would love and appreciate it if you could check it out and follow if you could.  The more exposure we get, the longer I get to keep my job.  😉

Here is a picture of where I get to go every day to work, and below is the link to the new blog site.

IMG_0749

Shamrock Lodge

Freshly bathed in saline

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I am a churning pool of emotion.  I am one of those people who can put themselves in anyone’s shoes to feel the emotion that pulls on their heart-strings.  Sometimes it is a true blessing and sometimes the catastrophic emotional breakdown is embarrassing.  The control of the outpouring of tears in public has been much improved but behind closed doors all bets are off.

Empathy is a gift that I feel truly fortunate to have.  It is easy to be sympathetic and try to understand what another human being is enduring but to be able to delve into that raw emotion and feel the searing scars of that pain as if it were my own enables me to really reach out to that suffering soul and comprehend what they are going through.

That mutual experience of emotion, for me, is not strictly reserved for direct contact with another human being.  I experience the same overwhelming sensations if I am watching an emotionally charged movie, listening to beautifully composed music or reading a consuming book that drips with powerful sentiment.  Last night my face was awash with tears watching a simple television show.  I’m not sure what came over me but the story was deeply touching and as I felt the first tear caress my cheek I knew there were more to follow.

Perhaps part of my longing to write with such feeling is because I want the person reading to have the same experience I had while writing it.  I want the emotion that held my heart prisoner to be injected into the reader with the same paralyzing sensation that I so easily succumbed.  I can only hope that once my novel is complete, the characters that I birthed will be overflowing with angst, ready to cry on a whim and that I can somehow find a way to make those feelings jump off the page.