Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Online Adoration

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014

Today's Writing Prompt: Online Adoration

Have you ever made a friend or fallen in love with someone you met online?


Oh, this one is almost too easy. I am currently engaged to a wonderful man. We met online. I had been trying the online thing for awhile with no luck. I just couldn't click with anyone. I was sure it was going to be like that for awhile, if not forever.

Then, one day, he messaged me. We talked for awhile. We talked daily for quite awhile. It was almost constantly through out the day. We decided to meet in person. We chose the Spudnut shop in Richland. Our conversation was as wonderful as always. When we were done there, we wanted more time, so we walked the Parkade and visited some of the shops. I'm not even sure how much time we spent, but we enjoyed the time.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure. I was so comfortable. I was hoping for sparks, fireworks, or something else like it. I figured we would just stay friends. A coworker suggested I give it some more time.

So we continued talking. Then I invited him to my house for a day of cards, Yahtzee, and other games. We had a blast. My kids loved him. I was so happy. The warm glow was much better than any fireworks could ever be.

On May 2, 2011, he did the cutest thing ever. He asked me if he could tell his friends that I was his girlfriend. I knew then that I was in love.

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posted by Unknown @ 6:15 AM   0 Comments

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Art

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2014

Today's Writing Prompt: Art

What's your favorite work of art? What do you love about it?


This one is actually pretty easy though I have 2. They are called The Accolade and Godspeed, by Edmund Blair Leighton.

I've always been interested in all things medieval. King Arthur, Merlin, Knights of the Round Table, those are all very cool. A man being knighted by his queen, a lady bestowing her token on a knight before he goes off to war; these are what I imagine when I think of chivalry and knighthood.

While I was looking for these images, I found another that I found pretty neat. I'm a bit of a Star Wars fan. Add that to one of my favorite images and I'm all for it.  This one is also called The Accolade and was found on deviantart.  The artist is mataleoneRJ.



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posted by Unknown @ 8:00 AM   0 Comments

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Alliteration

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2014

Today's Writing Prompt: Alliteration

Using the first letter of your middle name:
Write as many words as possible in 1 minute, that start with that letter, that describe you.




This could be interesting. My middle name is LaDawn. I'm going to try for the 60 seconds.

Loveable
likable
literary – as in I like to read
listener
little – as in short

Well, that didn't go as I planned. I thought I would be able to come up with more. Anyone else give it a try? Let me know how you did.


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posted by Unknown @ 6:23 AM   0 Comments

Monday, January 13, 2014

Food Oddities

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014

Today's Writing Prompt: Food Oddities

What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?




I can think of a couple of things that I have eaten that some might find weird.

I'll start with the oldest. When I was in grade school, my friends and I would do something that could have gotten us in trouble. There was a cactus patch just the other side of the fence at the back of the playground. We used to take turns slipping through the fence to get the prickly pear fruit that was on the other side. While not the easiest thing to eat, especially for kids with no tools of any sort, we enjoyed it. I haven't had any in a very long time, but I remember it tasting very good.

The other thing I like to eat that most find weird is peanut butter and pickle relish sandwiches. My ex was really grossed out by it, but he put up with it while I was pregnant, thinking it would go away. My mom used to make them for me as a kid, so I knew that it wouldn't. I still prefer pickle relish to jelly as an adult.

Now this next one grosses me out as an adult, but I loved it as a kid. My grandma used to make us kids a snack of peanut butter, butter and syrup sandwiches. What a sweet, sticky mess that was! We loved it. Thinking about it now, I know I would not be able to stand it.


I'm sure I've eaten other weird things, but those are the ones I remember.

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posted by Unknown @ 5:46 AM   0 Comments

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Education

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7, 2014

Today's Writing Prompt: Education

What do you think is the most important thing for today's kids to learn in school?
POSTED BY SONNET FITZGERALD AT 5:00 AM 0 COMMENTS




This is kind of a difficult one. I really don't think that any subject is more important than any other. However, I do think that my girls are learning many valuable things in their current school.

They are learning that if you take your time and do it right the first time, you don't have to do it over again. They are learning that they are responsible for their own actions. I've tried teaching them this one myself at home, but I think having someone else tell them what I have been saying has hit home better. We still have moments of “this is how I am”, but they are getting fewer.

In their previous two schools, the classes were so big that I think they kind of got lost in the shuffle. We are now in a very small town. So small, that the 2nd and 3rd grades are combined and there are still only 12 students in their class. With such a small class size, the teacher misses nothing. Shannon has always done well in school. She is now excelling. She is being challenged in a way that works very well for her. Fiona has never done well. She is now doing much better. She is still struggling, but her teacher is finding ways to push her to do her best.

Their homework must be completely correct before their teacher will accept it for a grade. She will look it over and have them make corrections. This has to happen before recess or they miss it. The same goes for classwork. Acting up in class can also result in missing recess. This one is hard on both of them, as they really need to burn off steam, but I think it is working.


They also have a daily homework journal, where the teacher can write notes to me if needed. There is also a weekly progress report that highlights what was done during the week as well as what is coming up.

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posted by Unknown @ 6:39 AM   0 Comments

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Unusual Weather

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4, 2014

Today's Writing Prompt: Unusual Weather

You look outside: Ah, it's snowing! But look closer. Those aren't snowflakes falling from the sky!

What's it snowing at your house?


This one is almost too easy. Just yesterday, my fiance called me outside to observe the phenomenon. The tree right outside the door was coated in ice from the frost the night before. It had warmed up just enough, and the wind was blowing slightly, so that the frost was coming off the tree. It sounded like either rain or hail on the roof, but looked very much like snowflakes. It was beautiful!

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posted by Unknown @ 7:50 AM   0 Comments

Sunday, December 29, 2013

My Lack of Patience

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2013

Today's Writing Prompt: Patience

It isn't easy to come by these days; and it is rare to meet someone with unending patience. Once in a while we do surprise ourselves though...either completely losing it or retaining our patience more than even we expect. What do you think?



I used to be a very patient person.  I very rarely lost my temper.  I miss that person.

Now, my temper is a very short fuse.  Chronic migraines tend to wear you out.  I also have 7 year old twin girls and 2 step daughters, ages 7 and 9.  We are currently living with my father-in-law since my migraines have forced me to quit working.  As you can imagine, this makes things a bit rough sometimes.

I am currently working on being more patient with the girls, as they don't deserve my temper.  Most of the time.  As most children are, they can get a bit loud.  As long as I don't have a migraine, I can usually handle it fairly well.  If I have one brewing, however, I can get very cranky.

It doesn't help when I'm trying to talk them into being quiet and the words just won't come out right.  They find it funny, which just annoys me further.  That's when I have to send myself to my room.  Otherwise, I might blow up.

I am hoping that getting my migraines under at least a little bit better control will help with my patience and temper.  I know I will need it more than ever in a few years, when they all hit puberty.

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posted by Unknown @ 5:44 AM   0 Comments

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Church Bells

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2013

FFF: Church Bells

Welcome to the latest installment of Friday Flash Fiction. Enter your short work of fiction (under 1,000 words) based on this prompt by midnight Saturday to be eligible to win! The best entry will be published on the site, along with a short author bio; bringing you fame, fortune and bragging rights. Winners also receive a small prize. Entries may be posted in the comments or emailed to theoneminutewriter@gmail.com. If you post in the comments, please be sure to leave us a way to contact you in case you are our winner. Good luck! In many towns, Church Bells are a focal point. They ring loudly for all to hear at designated times throughout the day or play a pretty song on the hour. Write today's Friday Fiction with church bells as your focal point. Have Fun!
POSTED BY ~ABBEY~ AT 5:00 AM 0 COMMENTS
Church Bells

She could hear the church bells ringing across her little town. She ignored them. She already knew what they were for and didn't want to face it.

“How could you leave me?” she cried.

It should never have ended like this. Yesterday, everything was perfect. They were just starting their life together. Today, it was all gone.

Yesterday, it was all the beauty. The white dress. The flowers, cake, music, love. Now, that was all just a memory. Less than that, as she no longer had the man who shared those memories with her.

And it was her fault.

If she had never decided she HAD to have a soda, he never would have felt he HAD to get it. If she hadn't sent that message telling him how much she loved him, he never would have been reading it. He would have gotten out of the way of drunk driver.

And now he would never know what had caused the insane craving.

She cried again. “Why?”

--------------------------------------------------------------------

And then my brain froze.  :(


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posted by Unknown @ 7:00 AM   0 Comments

Sunday, December 22, 2013

My Pets

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2013

Today's Writing Prompt: Pets


What's the cutest thing you've ever seen you pet do?
POSTED BY SONNET FITZGERALD AT 5:00 AM 

I've had quite a number of pets in my life.  I've loved them all.

The first one that comes to mind is Cleo.  My dad came home with a fluffy bundle of puppy excitement.  I was in 1st grade.  Cleo was a collie/german shepherd mix.  We all loved her.  As a puppy, she would fall asleep in her food bowl.  As an adult dog, she would pull our little red wagon around the yard by means of a robe in place of the normal handle.  She would carry soda cans around the yard, usually before chewing all the way through said cans.  She also like to scare the neighborhood cats by carrying them around the yard, usually with their head fully inserted into her mouth.  She is also known for nursing at least one kitten along with her litter of puppies.  She was quite the guard dog.  I remember Mom having to shut her in one of the bedrooms if she needed to scold/spank one of us kids.  Cleo did not like it when we got in trouble.  Sure, we deserved what punishments we got, but she didn't know that.  She had to put down due to tick fever.

Festus was my dog.  My grandma got him from a no kill shelter shortly after my grandpa passed away.  This was also during a time when we lived with Grandma.  He became pretty attached to me.  The summer after 6th grade, we moved about 2 hours away.  Grandma made us come back and get him because he was pining.  I loved that dog and he loved me.  I came home one day to find he had disappeared.  We still don't know for sure what happened to him.

My dad found Sammy at the pound.  We were all missing having a dog.  Sam was the cutest golden retriever/sheltie mix I have ever seen.  He had the golden coat of the retriever, but otherwise was all sheltie.  He loved to jump everything.  He would eat almost anything!  I remember trying to give him radishes once; he had eaten everything else we gave him, why not?  He lived a very long time.  Dad had gotten him when I was 12 or 13.  He stayed with Dad until he had to be put to sleep due to old age.  I was 25 or 26.  My girls got to know him, very briefly.  As you can see, he made a very good pillow.

I've had a number of cats as well.  DC, Callie, Monkey Boy, Houdini, and Killer were all fun cats.  I miss them all.  I have Mama Kitty, Cuddles, and Pandora to keep me entertained now.  Mama Kitty is a bit old and likes to sleep most of the time.  She can be counted on for a good cuddle.  Cuddles, much like her name, loves to cuddle.  Most of the time.  You have to wait for her to come to you.  Trying to pet her when she isn't in the mood can leave you with scratches.  When she has her eyes open, she looks at least half feral.  Wide eyes and watching everything.  Pandora can't be more than 2 years old, I think.  She has been known to lick walls and carry around plastic eggshell halves to play with.  She also likes to nose her way under blankets to snuggle up next to your legs.  You will both be very warm.

I've had a number of wonderful pets.  I find myself a much happier person having at least one.

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posted by Unknown @ 5:40 AM   0 Comments

Coal?

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2013

Today's Writing Prompt: Coal

Who in your life deserves a lump of coal in their stocking this year?

(If you're not familiar with this tradition: Hundreds of years ago, Santa Claus was said to bring food, toys, money, or small gifts for good children to fill their stockings hung by the fireplace to dry overnight on Christmas. But children who had been naughty that year received only a lump of coal in their stocking!)


Someone else put it very well.  "I cannot think of a single person this year who deserves coal in their stocking!"

 My family has been through a very trying year.  We have moved twice, lost a family member, one had surgery, and we have all had to adjust to a new life dealing with my health issues.

 The first move was a good one.  New place to live, better school district, closer to where I worked, closer to my kids' dad, closer to Ted's kids.  It was a good move.  We were all pretty happy with it.

 In July, we lost Ted's mom.  It wasn't as much of a shock as it could have been, as her health wasn't the best.  It still was not an easy thing, for anyone.

 In August, one of my girls had her tonsils removed.  Shannon can be a bit anxious at the best of times.  The pre op blood work about did her in.  The after surgery part about did Ted and I in.  When her medicine was working, she was her happy, normal self.  When it wasn't, she was whiny and more than a bit clingy, which is NOT normal.  When her throat didn't hurt, her ears hurt.  She didn't want to swallow anything!  Not water, not medicine, and, most especially, not food.  It was almost a full 3 weeks of this.  We were all glad when that all stopped.  I'm even more grateful, as she hasn't been sick since.  Not even once.  (knock on wood)

 In September, my migraines progressed to the point where work was impossible.  We decided that it was time for me to stop working and try to get them figured out.  Because of finances, we moved in with Ted's dad.  This has been hard on all involved.  We are 3 hours away from Travis (my kids' dad), Ted's girls, and more than a few friends.  We are also not close to much else.  There is a grocery store about 15 minutes away, but it's small and expensive.  The closest decently priced grocery store is 1 1/2 hours away.

 As you can see, there have been more than a few changes to our lives this year.  Everyone has dealt with all of them fairly well, all things considered.  I can't see that anyone deserves coal this year.

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posted by Unknown @ 5:04 AM   0 Comments

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Favorite Ornament

The subject for today's musings is brought to you by The One-Minute Writer.

Today's Writing Prompt: Ornament

What's your favorite holiday ornament or decoration? What makes it so special to you?

This one is a lot harder than one might think.  I love all of my ornaments.  Since they are all in storage this year, I am missing all of them.  There are a few, however, that come to mind.

The first one is a little mouse on a holly leaf.  He has been with my family since my first Christmas.  When I left home, my mom gave him to me to put on my tree.  So, there are 2 of the reasons he's so special.  The last one is that he is a mouse.  My nickname growing up was Mouse.  As you can imagine from that name, I was a quiet and shy person.  There are times I miss that person.

The next is a pair from my twins' first Christmas.  I wanted to start early on getting them their own ornaments every Christmas, but I was on a tight budget.  Finding ones I liked that weren't out of my price range was not easy.  Finally, I found the perfect ones.  I can't remember now where I found them, but I still love them.  They are of the globe variety, but have a picture of each girl on them.  The picture is, in fact, my favorite baby picture of each of them.  The thing that makes them just a little bit different is that you actually connect them to the lights on the tree.  They then glow from within, highlighting the picture that is etched beautifully on the outside.

The final one that comes to mind is my little snow globe ornament.  This one has my favorite Disney character of all time inside of it, Eeyore.  I think that part of my fascination with Eeyore comes from the fact that I've wanted a horse for Christmas since I could actually ask for one.  Most years, I get one.  I've received calenders, books, toys, stuffed animals, and pictures of all kinds of horses.  I even received a candle carved into the likeness of a horse one year.  As an adult, I still love horses.  I've become a little more reasonable in my request for one.  I usually stick with Eeyore, usually a stuffed one.  My favorite Eeyore that I've been given is probably the one that was dipped in vanilla scented candle wax.  That was just cool!

I seemed to have veered a bit off topic with the last ornament, but it's hard to explain why I like that little snow globe so much without telling you about my love of all things Eeyore.

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posted by Unknown @ 6:34 AM   0 Comments

Monday, December 16, 2013

Today's Writing Prompt: Mentor

Today's writing prompt of mentor comes from The One-Minute Writer.  The authors of this blog want you to take one minute and write down what ever comes to mind.  I'm not sure I can put down all that I want to in just one minute, so I'm going to just type every person I can think of that has been a mentor to me in my life.

 I'll start with the first one I can remember.  When I was in 8th grade, my parents discovered a wonderful organization called the SCA.  Being as interested in history as we all are, it sounded wonderful!  I, however, was having trouble "clicking".  In freshman year, we went to a week-long event called Estrella War.  My parents were enjoying themselves and my siblings weren't having too bad of a time, either.  I was bored.  I couldn't seem to find anything that kept my interest for more than a few minutes.  One evening, one of my dad's friends, Wilhelm Siegfried,  went to a bardic circle.  For those who don't know, this is a group of people hanging around a campfire entertaining each other.  The entertainment can be poems, stories, or (my favorite) music.  Anyone who knows me, knows that I LOVE music.  I was hooked.  When Wilhelm noticed just how much I was enjoying myself, he began to teach me songs.  We even participated in an annual bardic competition one year.  We didn't win, as I was too shy at the time to really put myself out there, but I did win it a few years later.  I was so happy to be able to show him the prize and I know he was proud.

 The next pair of mentors that come to mind I also met in the SCA.  I met Doreen and her husband Bill at my first event after moving to Washington state.  It was an almost instantaneous click.  They helped me get involved with the SCA group there as someone to go to events with outside of the general area we lived in.  When I began having marital troubles at home, they gave me a place to stay and ears to listen to what I needed to say.  Looking back now, I feel that I didn't appreciate either of them enough.  I wouldn't be where I am today without them. 

 Another person that comes to mind is still one of my best friends.  I met Alex while we were both working for CPI in Kansas.  That was another almost instantaneous clicking.  Alex is the kind of person that can find the joy in just about anything.  Her smile is contagious.  She is also someone who decided to not wait for her dream to come to her, but went out and got it.  She has recorded and produced one album and is about to release her second.  You can find out all about that here.  Now that I'm back in Washington and she's still in Kansas, we don't get to talk anywhere near what I wish we could.  I'm looking forward to the day when she is famous enough to be able to really live her dream.

 My family has always been there for me when I need them.  I love them all dearly and I wish we could all live closer.  Hopefully, they will all move to Washington soon. (wink, wink)

Last, but certainly not least, is Ted.  Ted and I met online in April of 2011.  We chatted constantly.  I couldn't go even a day without talking to him.  We finally decided to meet in person.  Breakfast at The Spudnut Shop sounded like a good place to give it a try.  When we were done there, neither of us was really ready to give it up, so we walked around the strip mall for quite awhile.  Though I enjoyed talking to him, I wasn't completely sure I wanted to date him.  A friend at work convinced me to give it a 2nd try.  I'm so very glad that I did.  It's now been over 2 1/2 years.  I can't imagine my life without him.  He is my rock, especially now that my health isn't the best.  He's always willing to give me a shoulder when I need it as well as a swift kick in the behind when I can't seem to do it to myself.  I love you, Ted.

 There have been other mentors along the way.  Ones who have given a word of advice here and there.  A big thank you to all of you who have shaped my life to this day.

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posted by Unknown @ 6:26 AM   0 Comments