Monday Matters: A Trip to The Bank

I received two checks through the mail on Saturday, but I waited until today to go to the bank and deposit them at the ATM. I had two reasons to wait until today to deposited the checks. First, my bank has an ATM is its air conditioned lobby so I do not have to stand outside in triple digit temperatures to make a deposit or receive cash. Second, the bank keeps a basket of lolly pops for customers and whenever I go into do business I get a grape lolly.

A grape lolly pop
brings back childhood memories
joyful nostalgia.

I deposited the checks and then I drove home in my car with the nonworking air conditioner. I took a bottle of water with me, but it was not frozen or even cold. On Tuesday or Thursday I will go to the store to get another six pack or two of bottled water. The only time I use bottled water is when I am out driving; at home I have a filter pitcher to keep water in the refrigerator.

Keep hydrated in
triple digit temperatures
carry ice water.

Success Saturday: My Writing accomplishments for June 22 to June 28, 2014

What did I accomplish this week? I finished two flash fiction stories for the collection Zodiac Signs (Wording Title). The first is titled The Pisces and the second The Black Onyx Inn. I finished one poem called Lost in Wonder Land, which was based on a picture about Alice in Wonderland.

How did I do on my word count goal? I wrote over 1,000 words each day, but I did not reach the 2,000 words per day goal. This means I have to reevaluate something before I set my goals for next week. Perhaps I should consider it an accomplishment writing anything considering how distracted I have been for the last seven days.

How did I do on my review goal? I did good on everything except the long reviews. Most of the reviews I did were between 250 to 700 characters long. That could be the size limit of my review if I want to do more then four reviews a day. Maybe next week I will not worry about doing any long reviews and simply stick to the length I am comfortable with and focus on completing other writing projects.

Was it a successful week? Yes! I finished a couple of stories and a poem. I wrote over 7,000 words for the week and I completed numerous reviews on writing.com. All in all, I would say it was a successful week, all though I could have done better. I will attempt to do better this coming week.

Friday Afternoon Thoughts about Writing Inspiration

I'm working on a poem tentatively titled Dearly Beloved using specific words. Those words are dearly, tear, fragile, firmly, tender, words, etched, and soul. I think it's a love poem, but I could be wrong. Since the inspiration was a group of words, I'm not sure what genre of poem it will turn out to be when I'm finished. This is normal when I use prompts for stories or poem.

I'm also working on a group of flash fiction stories based on prompts inspired by the signs of the zodiac. Each story is five hundred words or less and I have to use at least five of a group of ten words. I have already written four of the stories, with the deadline for the next story being June 27 at 11:59 pm EDT (8:59 pm PDT). This group concerns a honeymoon trip to twelve different cities in twelve months. I have no idea what will happen in the next story, but I'm sure it will be exciting.

Midweek Reflections on Prayer, Writing and Coffee

I intone a morning prayer before I put the coffee on to brew or sit down to write. As I listen to the coffee brew, I turn my computer on and wait for it to wake up. Once my computer is awake, I pour myself a cup of coffee, take a sip, and then sit down to write.

Morning is inspiring.
Prayer is inspiring.
Coffee is inspiring.

I do not always write about prayer, meditation, coffee, or computers. Sometimes I write a funny story or a sad poem, but my creative efforts always follow prayer and coffee (in that order). Is this a ritual? Is this a way to wake up my muse? Is this a habit? The answer to all three questions are yes because I cannot write without beginning my day with gratitude or a prayer asking forgiveness.

I have a favorite coffee that is the color of black silk and strong enough to carry my memories back to my grandfather who brewed "Cowboy Coffee". Sometimes I have a favorite prayer, which covers some difficulty I am facing. Sometimes I open my prayer book to a random  page and read the first prayer I lay eyes on. Life is to short to go without prayer, coffee, or writing.

Sunday Review: My Favorite Writing Website

Writing.com is my favorite writing website. I joined this wonderful community on Thursday, October 31, 2002 when I put writing websites into my browser search box. I click on the URL under Stories.com (the name of the website then) and logged in as a guest. After reading the information on the webpage, I joined because it I thought it would be fun and a good place to post some of my poems and stories.

 The website has gone through many changes in the twelve years since I joined. One of those changes concerned the name. Writing.com is a better name because it gives more accurate information about what you encounter when you log in. When you log into writing.com you fine poetry, flash fiction, short stories, novels, art work, and essays.As a member, you have a place to store your creative efforts and you receive helpful reviews.

There are five levels of membership. The first level is a free membership with a personal portfolio that holds ten items. The other four levels are paid memberships, with larger portfolios. There are other advantages to paid memberships, such as items size limits and the number of books you can create. For a comparison of the membership levels click on Free & Paid Membership Information. You may also Visit My Portfolio @ Writing.Com, where I am Prosperous Snow.

Writing about Friday

It is Friday, June 20, 2014, I am sitting in my studio apartment listing to the music my next door neighbor is playing. I have not met the new neighbors, but whoever it is has good taste in music. I am enjoying the experience of listening to music chosen by someone else.

It is about 5:04 pm and the temperature is approximately 102 degrees. It is a hot day in Las Vegas, with the expatiation of hotter days to come. I went to the grocery store this morning, so that I could purchase food while I interacted with offline people. My interaction with others is usually online, so it was a nice change.

I purchased eggs, chicken thighs, three six packs of ginger ale, some tea bags, peanut butter, and a flavor enhancer. I did not buy any fresh vegetables because I have a package of green or red peppers along with radishes in the refrigerate.  I have not decided what I am making this week end, but I believe I will use some of the canned vegetables I have.

I just took a phone call, which derailed my train of thought. I normally do not take calls when I am writing because of the distraction caused by taking to people when I am working on a story, poem, or blog entry. However, this time I made an exception because it was a local number. The only phone calls I answer, when I am writing, are local numbers or family and friends who live across the country.

Wednesday Word: Communion

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, on of the definitions for communion is "a close relationship". This relationship can be with other people, a pet, or with God. As a poet, I have known for a long time that I can have communion with God through my own poetry; however, this morning I discovered that I can have communion with God through reading other people's spiritual or religious poetry.

I discovered this when I was reading this week's edition of the writing.com spiritual newsletter. I had finished reading the newsletter itself and begin reading the editor's picks for this week. One of the poems was about a butterfly. As I contemplated the poem, I felt the spiritual essence and realized that I was in communication with God. The words of the poet put me in touch with the Divine Creator and I could feel the spirit of God flowing across my soul, which is the intimate connection between the Beloved (God) and the lover.

I treasure this lesson because I now have more then one way to have communion with God. I can commune with God through prayer, reading the sacred scriptures, writing spiritual poetry, enjoying nature, or reading spiritual poetry. I know that from now on I will attempt to read the spiritual newsletter the first thing every Wednesday.

Monday Matters: Wake Up and Write

It is Monday morning in Las Vegas. I am attempting to wake up and write, which is difficult since I did not get to my love seat (I do not sleep on a bed) until 1:30 or 2:00 am. I woke up about 6:00 am and managed to say my morning prayer and take my first medication without difficulty. I turned on the computer, checked the local temperature on-line, and then opened the door to look outside.

I opened the door
inhaled the cool morning air,
I can't say the fresh air
because I live in a city and,
as everyone knows
city air is not fit
for human consumption

All right, now that I have written my depressing poem for the day and finished my first cup of cafe mocha made with "rich chocolate" Ovaltine©, I am ready to begin writing and reviewing. I will make myself another cup of cafe mocha, warm up the chicken I cooked yesterday, and fix myself a celery salad for breakfast or brunch whichever I decided is a better term for my first Monday meal.

Happy Father's Day Grandpa Frank

Dear Grandpa Frank,

You are my father figure. You are the one who believed in me and taught me how coffee should be made. I watched you make your "Cowboy Coffee". I watched you drink it and I watched you wash out your coffee cup.

You are my father figure. I watched you sit at the breakfast table and roll your cigarettes. I watched you place them one-by-one into the cigarette case, place it in your shirt pocket, and the go outside to smoke. I remember you sitting in the car or under the cottonwood tree smoking. I remember you going into your "smoking room" when you smoked in the house.

Grandpa Frank, I remember you taking us to the Lake where we went water skiing or lit fireworks on the fourth of July. I remember you taking use to church on Easter and Christmas. You took us to church the rest of the year, but it was the holiday pageants that stand out in my memories.

Grandpa, I miss you. Grandpa, I love you. I hope that you have a good Father's Day in heaven.

Your oldest granddaughter

Success Saturday: A Successful Writing Week

This was a good week. On Tuesday, I worked the Primary Election  from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. During the slow time, I begin three  poems and got an idea for a blog entry on Wednesday. I have since completed one of the poems I started on Tuesday and I posted the blog entry to Poet 999 - A Butterfly Emerges from Her Cocoon. I also wrote a poem about Capricorn called Capricorn Winter and posted it in my writing.com portfolio.

On Wednesday, I had difficulty walking without pain. I think sitting so long on hard chars caused my osteoarthritis to act up. I had to take two pain pills on Wednesday, which helped a little bit. On Thursday, I was still walking like a zombie, but without any excruciating pain. I did not take any pain pills on Thursday or Friday and I have not taken any yet today.

Walking was painful
an osteoarthritis flare-up
remained home all day.

I still have two poem to finish, but I want to write something about the osteoarthritis. However, at this moment I cannot find the right words to describe the pain. Perhaps I should write a story about it instead of a poem. I also have to think of a Father's day entry for one of my blogs.

Thoughtful Thursday: An Afternoon Nap or a Real Bed

I'm tired and I cannot seem to focus long enough to write a story or a poem. I can managed blog entries, but anything else seems to elude me. I ether have to begin taking afternoon naps or get a real bed to sleep in. Right now, I am sleeping on a love-seat, which is not conducive to a good night's sleep or even a short rest.

I stopped sleeping in a bed when I became my mother's caregiver in 2007. I started sleeping on the couch and then I moved to the love-seat. I tried sleeping in a bed in December of 2012, after my mother's death, but I could not sleep because of the waking up in pain. Since sleeping on a couch caused less pain then the bed, I moved to the couch.

When I moved to this studio apartment, I moved the love-seat instead of the couch because the of the size. I have not been sleeping well lately and it is effecting my focus and my writing. I do not have writer's block because I can still make blog entries; however, that is all I have made this week. I wrote a poem last week, but this week I am having problems focusing.

I suppose the problem could be something else, like writer's constipation. If that is the case, then sleep is not going to make much difference. I think I will try something new tonight perhaps reading or saying some different prayers. I usually say the same prayers every evening without considering finding prayers that I have not said in a long time. My prayer book has numerous prayers that I have not look at in a while. I will try that tonight and see if my focus improves.

Monday Matters: Thinking about Time-Out Tuesday

It is Monday, June 9, and I am thinking about Tuesday, June 10. I will not be online tomorrow because I am scheduled to work the primary election. I am a bit nervous because this is the first time in several years I have been able to work the polls on elect ion day. I know I should not be nervous because I have placed everything in God's hands.

I will take time-out

on  time-out Tuesday

to work the primary election

I get nervous when I let my mind wander and imagine all sorts of things that could go wrong. I just need to take a deep breath and say a prayer for protection against vain imaginings. As long as my mind is occupied I can focus on what I have to do to get ready to leave the house in the morning. The only thing I have to do this afternoon is pack the stuff I am taking with me, fix my salad, and my peanut butter sandwiches. I have the clothes laid out that I plan to wear tomorrow.

Writing this blog entry has helped. Of course, writing and prayer always relieves my mind and prevents me from worrying. These things always keep my mind occupied and help relieve the case of nerves I get every time I work the polls. I have to keep my mind occupied to stay positive.

Sunday Review: Two 19 cent postcards and a Bunch of 3 cent stamps.

Two nineteen cent postcards and a bunch of three cent stamps sounds like the title of a book of poetry, but it's not. Those are some of the things I found when I went through the box where I keep my envelops and stamps. I didn't find the size of envelop I wanted, which was business sized. I will have to look in my filing cabinet or purchase a box next time I go to the store.

The three cent stamps will come in handy when I mail the postcards. It cost about thirty-four cents to mail a postcard, so if I add five three cent stamps to one of the postcards I can mail it. I may as well send the postcards before the post office raised the rate again. I can just fit five of the three cent stamps on the postcards now. I think I'll send one postcard to my sister to wish her a happy birthday.

This is just to say

Happy Birthday!

Success Saturday: Little Successes

As I look back over the week of June 1 to June 7, 2014, I contemplate the small steps I made toward my goals. Little success, like letters in a word, carry me toward the larger goals of poem, flash fiction, short story, novel chapter, and novel.

A contest entered
that could lead
to a published poem.

It is the little successes accomplished each day that eventually completes the goal. Sometimes I may miss a blog post because of momentarily giving up or giving in to weariness or depression. That does not mean failure, rather it means I have to try harder tomorrow.

A prayer intoned at dawn
asking for assistance with tests
begins the struggle anew.

Evening comes and it is time to review the day to figure out what I did right or where I could do better. Then the short summer night passes and a new day begins. A new day with a new chance of accomplishing my goals. As the sun moves from east to west the struggle goes on until I see the end and know that I have achieved another small success.

One Word Wednesday: Choice

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, choice is the action of deciding among several possibilities. Sometimes a person chooses between two things and sometimes between multiple possibilities. Sometimes the choice is bad and sometimes good. When the choice is bad then the person needs to correct that by making a different choice when the bad one is revealed. However, the bad choice will not be corrected by making another bad choice.

How does one determine if a choice is good or bad? First, you gather all the information you can about the present decision, while looking at past similar decisions and their results. Second, you pray or meditation on the decision you have to make. Third, you listen to your intuition, what some people call gut feeling, and, even if that feeling goes against the known facts, you follow your intuition. This is where many people, including myself, go wrong; they ignore their intuition, only to find out later that intuition was right.

I am now faced with the consequences of a wrong decisions because my intuition told me not to trust an offer of assistance. This is only one poor decision I have made in the past few months because I did not listen to my gut (intuition). I plan to correct that decision today! I know that there will be fallout from this, but I will have to deal with that. However, this time, my decision is based on prayer, meditation, and my intuition.

Monday Matters: Poetry Form - Vahid

I am thinking about a specific poetry form today called a Vahid. This is how I described the form when I wrote a poem yesterday using this description. "Vahid - means unity; it is composed of 1 or more stanzas with each stanza containing a total of 19 syllables, but without a specific stanza line count. There is no rhyme scheme required; however, the poem must focus on a specific theme or subject which usually makes up part of the title. It isn't required that the subject or theme be mentioned in the poem itself."

I was describing the form from memory because I could not find any description not even a rudimentary one. Since I cannot find a proper description and I cannot claim the form as my own, I will just have to work with what I remember about it. I am changing the description slightly because I do not think that is a good description of the form. I wish I could remember where I ran across it; however, since I can only remember the form I will rewrite the description.

Vahid, meaning unity, is composed of one or more stanzas with nineteen syllable each. The number of lines in each stanza is left up to the discretion of the poet . There is no required rhyme scheme, which allows the poet to use any rhyme at his or her sees fit. The poem must focus on a specific theme or subject, which usually makes up part of the title, but it does not require that the subject or theme be mentioned in the poem itself.