Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween

When I emptied one of my mother’s dresser drawers, I found this Halloween postcard. The card had not been addressed, so I don’t know if she bought it to send to someone or just because she thought it was cute. I think the card is cute, so I am going to keep it.

On the back, it says that copyrighted to Current, Inc. in Colorado Springs, CO 890941, holds the copyright. It also says that it card was printed in the U.S.A. It is beautiful Halloween card; I like it because both the carved pumpkin and the black kitten are smiling.

A smiling kitten
sits in a smiling pumpkin
Happy Halloween.

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  • Tuesday, October 29, 2013

    NaNoWriMo Countdown: Two Days To Go

    Are you ready for NaNoWriMo? There are two days left in October and then National Novel Writing Month begins. Do you have everything you need to hide away for thirty days, so you can write 50,000 words? Here is my NaNoWriMo "Shopping/To Do List"...

    1. ...pay  the Internet bill, after all I would not want to lose my connection before November 30;

    2. ...pay the electric bill because the computer will not work without electricity;

    3. ...purchase large container of coffee because writing in the middle of the night is difficult without fuel;

    4. ...purchase large container of hot chocolate mix because I cannot make cafe mocha without it;

    5. ...make sign for front door saying "Please do not disturb! I am NaNoWriMoing! Call back after November 30.";

    6. ...purchase items for sandwiches that are easy to use and do not need to be cooked;

    7. ...pay water bill, when I fall asleep on my keyboard, I will have to stand under a cold shower for a few minutes to wake myself up;

    8. ...remember to sit the clocks back because Sunday is the end of Daylight Savings Time (maybe I should sit the clocks back on Thursday evening so I do not have to worry about it on Sunday, November 3);

    9. ...make sure my pet rocks have enough light, water, and food for the entire month of November (these are the only pets I have and I do not want to lose them);

    10. ...water the plastic plants (I do not want them to die either).

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  • Monday, October 28, 2013

    Making Everyday Life More Exciting and Fun

    LG wanted to make life more exciting and fun, with the assistance of Juan, a video artist, they took some surprises to the street. Juan used the mobility of the LG MiniBeamer to surprise and entertain people. Click on the video below to see how Juan used the Beamer.


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  • The October Issue of the Blogging Bliss Newsletter on writing.com

    When I logged onto writing.com this morning, I found that an entry from this blog was mentioned in the October issues of the Blogging Bliss newsletter. This was an encouraging and a good beginning to the traditional workweek. The entry mentioned was the one on Sunday, October 20, 2013 titled National Day on Writing: October 20, 2013. I clicked on the link, reread my entry, noted where I could improve, and then went back to the newsletter.

    The other internet blog featured was one by Grant Maxwell titled Rock and Roll Philosopher, with the entry written on September 16, 2013 called What Makes a Blog Post Go Viral? This is an educational and thought provoking entry that every blogger should read several times because it helps us understand something about how a blog entry becomes popular.


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  • Sunday, October 27, 2013

    The Mystery of the Missing Cooking Utensils

    I am missing a one cup measure, a slotted spoon, and most of my teaspoons. I have written about the missing teaspoons before, but I cannot remember which blog contains the entry. I am not down to about three or four teaspoons, which is not a problem if I wash dishes every time I use one. The biggest problem is the missing measuring cup and the slotted spoon because I use those when I cook at home.

    I remember using both the measuring cup and the slotted spoon on Thursday or Friday, so they have to be around the house. When I mixed up the dry milk I could not find the measuring cup or the spoon both of which I use to mix the milk. I made do with a half cup measure and a wooden spoon. The problem is that using the wooden spoon to mix the dry milk are the lumps left in the milk. When I use the slotted spoon I do not have lumps left in the milk.

    Not having those items is inconvenient and makes cooking some foods difficult. I can us the half cup measure, but I prefer using the one cup when I have to mix the dry milk. On the bright side, I can use the experience of cooking without the proper equipment in a short story or a poem. I might even be able to use it in my NaNoWriMo novel in November.

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  • Saturday, October 26, 2013

    National Novel Writing Month Preparation Check List

    Before November 1 accomplish the following...

    1. ...choose a working title for the novel - Check

    2. ...begin drinking coffee out of lucky coffee cup and do not wash cup again until December 1 - Check

    3. ...plan novel - Check

    4. ...write poem of apology to post on my Facebook page because I will not have time to update my status on a daily basis - Check

    5. ...hide password to online solitary site so that I cannot play solitary again until December 1 - Check

    6. ...hide the television remote control so that I cannot watch TV until December 1 - Check

    7. ...check the amount of coffee in the canister to make sure I have enough to last throughout November - Check

    8. ...anticipate interruptions by listing, on my To Do List, all necessary activities and appointment for November - Check

    9. ...make sure oven timer is working so that I can limit writing sprints to fifteen or twenty minutes at a time - Check

    10. ...purchase chocolate to reward myself each time I meet or exceed my daily word count goal - Check




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  • Friday, October 25, 2013

    Funny Friday: Things that make me happy

    I took carried a bag of trash to the garage this morning, while I was outside I realized thought about some of the things that make me happy. The ten things that make me happy are...

    1. ...carrying out the trash on a brisk autumn morning;

    2. ... hot coffee in autumn and winter... iced coffee in spring and summer;

    3. ...chocolate anytime of the year... especially chocolate with coffee;

    4. ...writing poetry;

    5. ...soulpancaka;

    6. ...writing.com;

    7. ...postsecret;

    8. ... reading poetry;

    9. ...contact with my family and friends;

    10. ...memories of my mother.

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  • Thursday, October 24, 2013

    Do you have a Bomberg watch?

    Do you have a Bomberg watch? Check out Bomberg Boutique Online for the USA and Canada to get your Bomberg watch. Click on the video below to see the watch.


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  • Thankful Thursday a Writer's October Gratitude List

    On Thursday, October 24, 2013 I am thankful...

    1. ...that this blog has a spellchecker because I have only had two cups of coffee this morning and I need to drink at least three cups to spell correctly;

    2. ...for my radio alarm clock because it feels so good to turn the alarm off and go back to sleep;

    3. ...that I live in Las Vegas because the double fall temperatures feel good after the summer's triple digit summer temperatures;

    4. ...that I threw away the stinky beige blanket yesterday because I no longer have to lug the odorous thing to the laundromat and run it through the large washer three or four times to get it clean;

    5. ...that I well be receiving money in my PayPal account within the next ten to thirteen days;

    6. ...for a hot shower on a chilly autumn morning;

    7. ...for a cup of coffee (hot or cold) on a cloudy autumn morning;

    8. ...that I was able to walk outside and see the waning gibbous moon two nights in a row;

    9. ...that I have a cell phone because with it under my pillow I am not sleeping alone (I have to use this in a short story);

    10. ...that I have not heard the echo of small arms fire for several months now (I also have to use this in a short story).

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  • Wednesday, October 23, 2013

    The Most Extreme Chicken Camera

    Ideas are everywhere! Let this Chicken Cam inspire you. Take a look at this LG G2 Camera video.



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  • Midweek Reflections on Moving and NaNoWriMo

    The short-sale on the house will close in either seven days from October 22 or on November 25. I am moving during NaNoWriMo, which is not a pleasant thought. Moving itself is not a pleasant thought because I dislike moving, but perhaps it will inspire me while I am attempting to complete my 50,000 word novel during November.

    November moving,
    change my physical address
    a new apartment.

    I know that live is not easy, but why is it that every time I move to a new location it occurs when I have two or three other important things to accomplish. Perhaps it is because I dislike moving, even when I know it is necessary and I will be happier in my new place, I still dislike moving. The problem with this move is that it requires downsizing. I a moving from a three bedroom house to a studio or one bedroom apartment. That is a lot of downsizing.

    Simplifying life,
    downsizing, economizing:
    A new adventure?


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  • Get your Bomberg Watch Now

    Click on the video below for a limited offer on these exceptional and beautiful watches.



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  • Tuesday, October 22, 2013

    Determining my Average word count

    Ten more days until NaNoWriMo, I have to determine how many words I can write in 15 minutes. Since I cannot sit at the computer for more then 15 or 20 minutes at a time, I have to know how many words I can write in that time. My daily word count goal is 1,667 and I know I cannot write that many words in 15 minutes.

    In order to find out how many words I write, I am using the website Write or Die to determine my 15 minute word count. Once I find an average word count I can schedule my writing sessions. I have already completed three word sprints, which is the name for the time I use this piece of software on this website. This is my fourth writing sprint and I have one more to complete on or before October 29. Right now my average words per 15 minutes of writing is 441 and I figure by the end of the five writing sprints my average word count will be about 500 words.

    If my average word count is 500 words for 15 minutes of writing, then I have to schedule four fifteen minute writing sessions to complete the 1,667 daily word count. This means that I need to schedule two 15 minute sessions each morning and two each evening. This will allow me to complete the 50,000 words in November, as well as getting ready to move. I am supposed to move out of this house around November 25, I am not looking forward to the move; however, I am looking forward to National Novel Writing Month.

    The novel I am working on this year is Midnight In Suburbia, which is a bit different from the novels I normally write. This will get me out of my box and focused on a subject I am interested in. The book is about a protagonist dealing with her mother's dementia. That is all I am going say about the novel at this time. I may write something more about it later, but right now I am interested in figuring out how many words I can write in 15 minutes so that I can determine how long it will take me to write 1,667 words each day in November. If my November writing goes like these sprints then the daily word count will vary. I am looking forward to finding out what the final average work count is at the end of these sprints and at the end of November.

    word count = 421

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  • Sunday, October 20, 2013

    National Day on Writing: October 20, 2013

    Communication is the key
    to understanding humanity.

    National Day on Writing - October 20, 2013

    In 2009, the National Council of Teacher of English (NCTE) established this day to celebrate writing. Today we are ask to contemplate the role writing plays in our daily lives. After meditating on this subject, I have come to the conclusion that writing is, not only a way to express ourselves but, it assists us in understanding the rest of the human race. We learn about others by reading their letters, e-mails, and text.

    Communication is the key
    to expressing our reality.

    We help other people understand us through the e-mails, text, and letters we send to them. Writing is a important and an indispensable form of communications for many of us. Just the other day, I found a letter written to me from an old friend in Blackwell, Oklahoma. As I reread the letter, I remembered the good times we had spent together while I was living with my Grandparents.

    What role does writing play in your life? How are you going to celebrate the Nation Day on Writing?

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  • Friday, October 18, 2013

    Counting Down to NaNoWriMo

    There are thirteen days left in October. On November 1, NaNoWriMo fun begins. This is year the working title for my NaNoWriMo novel is "Midnight in Suburbia". I always like to give my novels a working title because I do not like using untitled as the name of a story.

    I am planning the novel this month, while I am getting ready to move. At present, it looks like I will be moving around November 25, which is five days before National Novel Writing Month ends. I guess that could be a good reason just to throw in the towel and not participate in NaNoWriMo this year, but that would be the easy way out. One thing I never do is take the easy way out of anything.


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  • Thursday, October 17, 2013

    An Imperfect Fall Day

    In Las Vegas, it is an imperfect fall day. The leaves on the oak trees are still green and on the trees. The weeds in my front yard look healthy and appear to have tiny white blooms. The morning air is chilly, but not cold. A sweat suit top or sweater is enough to keep me warm when I go outside. I have a ski jacket in the car, but I have used it only once this month and that was the day I had to stand outside in a line.

    It is an imperfect fall morning without leaves dropping from trees.  There is a slight wind, but it barely moves the limbs on the olive tree across the street. When I look out my kitchen window one or two of the oleander bushes, or perhaps I should call them trees, are in bloom. It is cool enough for a neighbor's dog to be outside all day without getting too hot or too cold.

    It is an imperfect autumn day in Las Vegas. The morning sun cast shadows through the leaves on the trees. The neighbors' cats can prowl the neighborhood without the stress of rain or the fear of getting their fur wet. I mess the perfect fall days of an Oklahoma autumn when the leaves on the trees change color in October. I miss trying on warm heavy coats in anticipation of snow on a cold winter's day.

    It is an imperfect autumn morning in Las Vegas without leaves falling from the trees and a wind chill factor freezing the water coming from a neighbor's sprinklers. At 66, I should not complain about the nice weather or the lack of fall foliage, but I miss the changing leaves of a perfect autumn day in Oklahoma.





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  • Wednesday, October 16, 2013

    I am Reading One Day My Soul Just Opened Up by Iyanla Vanzant

    I was going through some trunks on Sunday, October 13, and I found my copy of One Day My Soul Just Opened Up by Iyanla Vanzant. The copyright in the book is 1998, so I must have purchased it in either 1998 or 1999. I remember I began reading the book, but for some reason I stopped reading it and put it in a trunk with several of my pen and paper journals.

    After leafing through the book, I decided to begin reading it and doing the exercises. I started reading it on Monday and I began Exercise 1 Honor the Divine with ... TRUTH this morning. If I can manage one exercise a day I will complete the book on November 24. In order to do this I have to schedule 30 minutes each day, which is 20 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening.

    Each exercise contains a two or three pages to write responses to questions. Since I did not write answers to those questions in the book, I must have written them in one of my journals. I believe that was a mistake, therefore, this time I am responding to the questions by writing my answers in the book. Another mistake I made was not highlighting or underlining the key passages or phrases that I wanted to remember.

    This time I am underlining or bracketing the phases I want to remember.Once a week, I will compose an entry in this blog about my progress. I will post my progress report either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, which allows for any interruption in completing an exercise or my writing time during the next 40 days. Because my life has been so chaotic over the past 10 months,  I need to plan for interruption in anything I do.



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  • Monday, October 14, 2013

    I'm moving during NaNoWriMo

    I talked to my real estate agent today and found out that the short sail of the house will most likely occur on November 25. That is five days before the end of National Novel Writing Month, so I figured out how many words I need to write in order to complete the goal of 50,000 words during November. I have to write 2,087 words to complete NaNoWriMo by November 24.

    This year I am planning for the difficulties I know I will encounter during November. I can still encounter something unexpected, which is what happened last year when I did not complete that novel. I will finish my 2012 novel, but this year I am going to work on a new novel. A new idea, something I have not did before. That should attract unexpected tests and difficulties.  I will do my best to complete this novel and then plan to complete the 2012 novel during 2014.

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  • Saturday, October 12, 2013

    Creative Saturday: Chuck Flat Steak Stew

    Welcome to creative cooking with Poet999. Today I am posting my recipe for Chuck Flat Steak Stew, I thought up this recipe yesterday after I returned home from picking up some food at one of the food pantries in Las Vegas. I pick up food at this place once a month, to help supplement my food budget. I am a senior citizen and living on a tight fixed income. The food I am given here helps me eat nutritiously, while remaining within my budget.

    Chuck Flat Steak Stew

    2 flat chuck steaks cooked in an electric skillet
    5 dashes of hot sauce on each side of each steak while they are cooking
    1 medium sized red onion, diced
    8 carrots washed, peeled, and sliced into small sections
    84 too small to peel potatoes
    6 cups of water

    Once the stakes were done, I removed them from the skillet but left the drippings. I put the steaks aside so that I could slice them into smaller pieces before I add them to the vegetables when they are done to my satisfaction. I do not know how long it takes to finish this recipe because this is the first time I have made it. I also do not know how many people it will serve, but since the steaks were in a family sized package and most families are four people or more I suspect it will make two to four meals.

    I turned the electric skillet back on, then I sliced and diced the onion before putting it into the skillet. Next I washed, peeled and sliced the carrots. After add the carrots I put two cups of water into the skillet. I washed the potatoes and placed them into the skillet with the carrots and onion, next I added two more cups of water and put the lid on the skillet. After that, I turned the skillet up to medium so that the veggies could cook.

    When the vegetables were done, I placed the sliced meat in the skillet and then added two more cups of water. Every item I used in this recipe, except for the hot sauce, I received from one of the food pantry I went to yesterday.

    I still do not know how long it took to make this dish because I did not check the clock before and after it finished cooking. It did not seem like it took very long to me, but perhaps that was because I was doing other things while the stew was cooking. I cooked the entire dish is a large, family sized electric skillet. I will freeze part of the stew so that I can have it later this week.

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  • Friday, October 11, 2013

    LG G2: The Most Extreme Camera Ever "Chicken"

    Look around! There are great ideas everywhere you look. Click on the video below to see what inspired LG G2's OIS Camera "Chicken Cam".


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  • Waiting in Line for Food: A Poem

    For an hour,
    we stood in line
    waiting for the doors to open

    For another hour,
    we sat waiting...
    we sat listening
    for our names.

    Waiting in line for food,
    for frozen meat,
    for fresh vegetables,
    and dairy products
    to supplement our diets
    of canned foods
    and pasta.

    Waiting in line for food,
    we thank the Creator
    that it cost us our time
    rather then
    our meager supply of cash.


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  • Thursday, October 10, 2013

    Volvo Trucks: The Chase

    Click on the video below and watch the Chase.


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  • Wednesday, October 09, 2013

    An Autumn Morning in Las Vegas

    the pink of dawn fades
    as clouds change to white and gray
    trashcans at the curb

    It is Wednesday, October 9, 2013, and, as usual for this day of the week, I rose from the couch before dawn. I made coffee, took out the trash, switched the computers on, and logged into writing.com. I poured myself a cup of hot black coffee and looked out my living room window. I watched as dawn turned the clouds pink and then, after a few seconds, the clouds faded from pink to various colors of gray.

    Las Vegas autumn
    a chilly windy morning
    oak leaves change colors

    When I took the trash to the curb, I checked the neighbor's oak tree to see if the color of the leaves have changed. This morning, most of them are still green, but that will not last long. Soon the leaves will turn orange and begin to fall. The wind will blow the leaves across the yard and into the street or into other neighbors yards.

    Las Vegas autumn
    my favorite time of year
    the weather is nice

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  • Monday, October 07, 2013

    Lacoste LIVE presents Unconventional Iceland

    In the Fall and Winter of 2013 and 2014, Lacoste LIVE takes you to Iceland. Check out the video below and then watch the the full video and shop the looks.


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  • Sunday, October 06, 2013

    No time for dawdling

    It is a new week and time to make a new "To Do List". I do not have any time to dawdle or be lackadaisical. I have writing and housework to complete. I have to pick up two prescriptions and two food pantries to go to this week. At one of the food pantries I get frozen meet and sometimes cans of soda, while at the other I get canned food and pasta.

    I plan on doing my "To Do List a little differently this week. Since I usually write and print the list on Sunday, I will begin the list on Monday and end on Sunday instead of beginning it on Sunday and ending on Saturday. I think that will help immensely when it comes to accomplishing the activities on that list.

    I have to admit I did a bit of dawdling this past week. I let myself get behind on a writing project and had to rush to complete it this morning. I finished the story and submitted it to the contest on writing.com; however, I do not think I did a good job because I dawdled. Since this is the start of a new week, it means a new opportunity to work on some bad habits and replace one or two with new actions.

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  • Thursday, October 03, 2013

    Thankful Thursday: October 3, 2013

    Today I am thankful ...

    1.  that my Social Security Check hit my bank account this morning;
    2.  for hot coffee on a chilly autumn morning;
    3.  that, after my car stalled in traffic, I arrived home safely from my grief counseling meeting yesterday;
    4.  for the wispy white cloud that looks like an angel flying across the sky;
    5.  that I have a can of beef with juice to fix with my spaghetti today;
    6.  for the beautiful crescent moon I saw a few nights ago;
    7.  that I have made my daily work count for the past four day;
    8.  for the new word (Thanatology) that I learned at my grief counseling meeting yesterday;
    9.  that this is Thursday and I can make my gratitude list;
    10.  for random acts of kindness.

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  • Tuesday, October 01, 2013

    Siemens: Oceans of Opportunity

    For over 30 years, Siemens Wind Power has been committed to an ambitious mission. That mission is to use the power of nature to power the planet. Click on the video below and witness the awesome power of nature and learn more about Siemens Wind Power.


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