Thoughtful Thursday: Writing on the last day of July 2014

Always eat breakfast
before going to the store
or any place else.

I went to the grocery store this morning because I was about out of coffee. I went early so that I could be the heat, so I did not take time to eat breakfast. I am paying for it now with weariness. I am tired, but I am not sleepy so taking a nap is out of the question.

Always eat breakfast
because it helps your focus
it helps your writing.

I had difficulty focusing when I got back because I was hunger. It took energy to push the shopping cart through the store. It took energy to transfer the groceries from the shopping cart to the car. It took energy to lug the groceries from the car to the house. It took energy to put the groceries away. I had no energy left to write; I wrote anyway.

Always eat breakfast
before you begin writing
energize your muse.

Weird Wednesday: Butt Dialing

Every Wednesday for the past four or five weeks my brother has been butt dialing my cellphone. It is always on the same day, but not always at the same time. I know it is a butt dial because he never answers or leaves a voice mail. I called him today to see if anything was going on and found out everything is normal there. I knows that it is common for men to butt dial because, unlike most women, they keep their cellphones in their back pocket.

I presume that most women do not keep their cellphones in their back packet. I keep mine in my front pocket, my purse, or hanging around my neck when I leave the house. If I stay home then it is beside the computer or near the love seat. Maybe I ought to get a pair of jeans with back pockets so I can put my phone there. I need a new pair of jeans anyway and purchasing a pair so that I can butt dial someone is just as good a reason as any.

I can use this butt dialing experience in a story or poem. I am not sure how to begin a story like that as yet. Given me a little time and two or three more butt dials I will figure out a good first sentence or paragraph plus a plot.

Tuesday Thoughts: Phobias

I learned about three new phobias today. First, stepnophobia is the fear of ladders. Second, disposophobia is the fear of throwing stuff away. Third, athazagoraphobia is the fear of forgetting and is a phobia I can understand because of my mother suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

I have three new phobias to include in my stories, poems, articles, or blog entries. I do not think I suffer from stepnophobia because I get up on a step ladder all the time without any problems. I do not get on a regular ladder unless someone else is in the apartment, but I do not think that means I have stepnophobia. I think I may suffer from one or both of the other two phobias. This is something I will have to explore in my blogs or short stories.

Phobia writing
describing the terror
of unreasonable fears.

Muse Monday: A Blank Page Frightens my Muse

A blank page frightens my muse,
scares the proper spelling
out of my mind.

This is the first thing that came to me when I began this entry. It makes a nice little poem, but it is not a good excuse for either misspelled words or lack of ideas. When I logged into writing.com this morning I could think of a lot to write about. I responded to two blog prompts and finished a poem I began last night. However, this afternoon I feel different and I cannot seem to think of anything else to write.

Writing poetry
a good way t o wake my muse
from afternoon nap.

I either need a nap or a change of pace. It is too late to take a nap because when I go to sleep this late in the day I cannot sleep at night. A change of pace like washing dishes or scrubbing out the bathtub. I have a phone call to make, so that I can listen to a recorded message about a money making opportunity. The problem with money making opportunities is that you need money to take advantage of them, but I will listen to the message anyway.

Poetry ideas
sometimes come out of the blue
or recorded messages.

Sundry Sunday: Weird Sights in Las Vegas

I have lived in Las Vegas for over fifty years, so you would think that by now I would be used the the weird sights one encounters in this city. I am not! Today when I was driving to Smith's Food and Drug Store, on the corner of Maryland Parkway and Sahara Avenue, to pick up my glaucoma eye drop prescription I saw an unusual shaped something-or-other flying in circles over the Las Vegas Strip.

The Unidentified Flying Object was shaped like a large area rug or carpet. Yes, it looked like a Flying Carpet. I know there must be a logical or illogical explanation for the the UFO or perhaps I should call it UFC for Unidentified Flying Carpet. At first I thought it was a large piece of trash carried by the wind in the upper atmosphere. The problem with that explanation it the circle the thing make over the Strip, I do not know of any wind short of a tornado that would cause it to fly in circles. We do not have tornadoes here!

The Flying Carpet could have been a sign being towed by a helicopter, bu I did not hear or see a helicopter. That does not mean one did not exist because it is cloudy today. The carpet showed up against the clouds, but I do not think a helicopter would stand out against the type of clouds we have today. Whatever the UFO was, I am sure I can use this experience in a story or poem.

Brainstorming Saturday: What shall I write?

I have two items to write. The first, a short story of 1,000 words or less, is the climax of a group of twelve other short stories or the beginning of a novel. I have the prompt words: star, sun, moon, planet, air, earth, water, fire, zenith, phase, cardinal, fixed, mutable, degree, nadir, symbol, rule, retrograde, cusp, and zodiac. I need to finish this sometime today or tomorrow because the deadline is July 28, which is Monday.

The second. is a poem of 40 lines or less. The deadline is August 16 and the prompt words are heart, spiteful, deceive, pierce, twisted, revenge, plunge, and evil. The working title I have planned is The Spiteful Heart, which I think is going to be a bitter love poem. I could be wrong about that because the poem may change by the time I finish it.

I just got an idea for the working title of the short story. I will call it Judgment in Capricorn because it  will solve a problem raised in one of the earlier stories. I still have a couple more problems top take care of in that series of short stories, but the issue that arose in the town of Capricorn is the most important. Of course, when I get into the story the characters may have different ideas. I will begin the story later tonight after I have swept the bathroom floor.

Unexpected Guests: Moussy

What is the most popular non-alcoholic brew in the Middle East? Moussy.  Click on the video below and enjoy.

Thoughtful Thursday: Housework and Insomnia

My grandmother did housework at midnight,
when she couldn't sleep
and the nights grew long
waiting for the coming dawn.

Last night, I found myself doing dishes between 11:30 pm and 12:00 am. As I put my hands into the hot soapy water, I remember Grandma Mary. Grandma didn't wash dishes at midnight, but she did sweep, mop, or vacuum the floors. I found myself unable to sleep, so I got up and wash the few dishes that I had overlooked.

After finishing the dishes, I looked around my studio apartment to decide what else I could do. I picked some stuff up off the floor and then got the trash ready to take out this morning. I wasn't going to carry the trash to the alley that time of night. It wasn't that I was afraid, but it was dark and there are no lights in the court yard.

My grandmother did housework at midnight,
when my grandfather slept
snoring away
grandma would vacuum the floors
without waking him up.

I don't know if the housework wore her out to the point that she could sleep. I know washing the dishes didn't make me tired. I think the next time I can't sleep, I will try sweeping or mopping the bathroom because it is small and it isn't difficult to sweep or mop in an hours time. I start with the small room and then work my way up to the rest of the apartment.

Normally, when I can't sleep I get on-line to write or surf the net. I've been wanting a change of pace, so doing housework that time of night would fit the bill. Perhaps sweeping and mopping would cause me to sleep; at least it would give me some exercise. I'll see how it works out, if nothing else it will make a good flash fiction story.

Midweek Reflections: Surveys, Writing, Housework, and Living on a fixed income

I take surveys. I have several survey links saved to my Web Favorites so that I can access them any time of the day or night. I have the same problem with doing surveys and writing as I do with doing housework and writing. I have problem scheduling my time and my apartment shows it, so I have to start limiting the time I spend either taking surveys or writing.

I need to take the surveys and write in order to ear extra cash so that I can pay my bills. I live on a fixed income, which means paying bills is sometimes difficult. I don't have to worry about food, but there are other things I need beside food. Before the end of July I need to purchase some dish washing liquid, bar bath soap, and some personal items. I also have to get some new shoes because the pair I am wearing is almost worn out. I do have an old pair of shoes in the closet to try on. If I can wear those then I do not need to get shoes for a couple of months.

The surveys give me a little extra money, but not enough to pay all the bills and purchase the stuff that I need. In addition I think I will have to take my car into the shop to have a problem checked on it. I need a new car or at least a later model used car. I will call my mechanic up and arrange a time as soon as I can find the money to pay him. I am placing everything in God's hands because that is the only way to handle the situation.

Time-Out Tuesday: A Shopping Trip Today

I took time-out from writing to go to the grocery store. I had to pick up a prescription so while I was out I went to the bank and the gas station. Tomorrow I will take time-out to go to the doctor's office for a blood test. I think I need to do something a little more challenging then grocery shopping and blood tests. Maybe next week I will go to the laundromat for a change of pace.

Laundromat, shopping,
doctor's office, gas station:
life is exciting.

I am in a rut.
My social life is on-line:
I need some sunshine.

A little time-out
A movie, walk in the park,
get an ice cream cone.

Experience the Joy of Running Strapless

Click on  the video below to watch Alexandria Morgan experience the joy of running strapless wearing TomTom Runner Cardio with a built-in heart rate monitor, which has no chest strap.

Muse Monday: Starting a Poem

"I have never started a  poem yet whose end I know.

Writing a poem is discovering."

Robert Frost

Robert Frost is right! Writing, or as I like to say composing, poetry is a voyage of discovery. I start the poem with one idea, but by the time I finish I have written a different poem. I enjoy the exploration of the  poem's theme. I enjoy discovering the poem end. I enjoy writing the poem.

Today I finished Frankenstein's Nightmare, which started out to be Insomniac's Nightmare. When I started I thought it would end differently; however in the first paragraph I made a reference to a computer monitor and cyberspace. When I got to the second stanza, I realized I had to change the planned ending because the one I had would not work in that poem.I will write Insomniac's Nightmare as soon as I can find a beginning. 

writing poetry

a voyage of discovery

tramping through jungles

I am mixing my metaphors in that poem. I should stick to just one, but it seems I have two so perhaps I have the beginnings of two poem. I wonder if I could use those three line in Insomniac's Nightmare. It really does not matter how I begin the poem because I will not know the ending until after I finish and the ending may determine the poem's title.

Sundry Sunday: On a Beautiful Sunday Morning in Las Vegas

On a beautiful Sunday morning in Las Vegas,
I am thinking about other things
besides writing.

I am thinking about making a bowl of Jell-O© with mixed fruit. I have one package of cherry or strawberry flavored Jell-O© gelatin mix on the shelf and one can of mixed fruit. After I mix the gelatin I will put it into hot tea glasses because it is easier to control the portions. If let it set in a large dish then I will eat it in a couple of days, but if I put it in smaller dishes then it will last five or six days.

On this beautiful Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas,
I am thinking about writing
a poem about food
and the taste of cold gelatin desert
on a hot summer afternoon.

I am thinking that even when I think about other things then writing I always get an idea for a story or poem. I cannot think about anything without finding an idea to write or blog about. Now I understand what Anais Nin meant when she said "If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it." 
 

Success Saturday: Writing Lyrics and Poetry

Today I succeeded in finishing a country song and an animal poem. I also finished organizing the cabinets and putting all the dishes away. I still have two top cabinets I can use, but I am not sure what to put in them because to reach anything in the top cabinets I have to stand on a step stool.  Whatever I decide to put up there, it will have to be something I don't use often.

writing lyrics hard,
fun, and always rewarding
I enjoy lyrics

The animal poem was about Grandma Mary's cat Jay. I wrote it from the point of view of the cat, which was a bit difficult since I am a human and not a cat. It was also rewarding and fun. I think I will write another from the point of view of DC or one of the other cats that have blessed my life. Maybe I write about Mittens the first cat that I remember having in my life.

Thoughtful Thursday: The Pain of Writing

I intended to write something about poetry today, but my body decided otherwise. If the joint point gets excreting today then I will have to take a tramadol-acemtaminophn tablet, but only if the point forces me to stop writing. I do not like to take the medication and my doctor has advised me to take it sparingly and when absolutely necessary. This is because of the effect that the medication has on some of my organs.

The pain of writing
sometimes is just physical
arthritis keyboard.

My joints are not the only part of my body that hurts, so the problem may not be any form of arthritis. I just have to learn to endure and figure out what is causing the problem. Since my stomach hurts it could be something I ate, which means I have to start keeping a food diary. I tried keeping this type of diary once without much success. I could be more successful now because I live alone and am not eating out as much as I used to.

The pain goes away
when I focus on blogging
or other writing.

I feel better now that I am focusing on this entry. Maybe the passage of time or getting my mind away from the pain. I think I will take a break in a few minutes to say some prayers and fix me something more to eat then a peanut butter sandwich.

Wednesday Word: Mullygrub

Mullygrub was a word Grandpa Frank used when we (his grandchildren) were gripping, negative, or depressed. At these times, Grandpa said "Stop your mullygrubbing around!" It took me a while to figure out the spelling so that I could research the word on-line. I discovered a 2012 entry in The Anarchist's Guide to Grammar about this word.

According to the Monday, September 24, 2012 entry For All You Mullygrubbers! Mullygrubber describes someone who is negative, depressed (moody), and belly-aches (bitches), but it has an international reputation, at least in Australia, where it is the name of a cricket play. Mullygrubber comes from the word mully (muley), which has to do with the actions of a hornless cow.

Mullygrub is a good description of my mood for the last few days. I did not notice how negative I was until I decided to stop belly-aching (gripping) for seven days. I started the no gripping project on Monday and on Tuesday I had to start over. Today begins my second attempt at overcoming my mullygrubbing attitude for at least seven days.

I encourage everyone to click on the links above to check out this marvelous and descriptive word. This is a word that should be in everyone's vocabulary. It is a word that needs to be used because it describes a specific mood in one word.

Monday Matters: There's a Supermoon rising

What current event or topic inspired or influenced my writing? The supermoon (perigee moon) of Saturday, July 12. I did not witness the rising of July's Super Full Buck Moon, but its appearance influenced my writing. After reading the July 12, 2014, story by Charles Poladian, I made an entry in my writing.com blog concerning the moon. I wrote a poem called There's a Supermoon Rising, but I on changing the title of that to Supermoon. Perigee Moon, or Perigee-Syzygy when I rewrite it. I also used the supermoon as the topic for my upcoming edition of the writing.com fantasy newsletter.

There are two more supermoons coming up in 2014. The next occurs on August 10 when The Full Sturgeon Moon rises. I want to make a point of seeing that one, even if I have to stay up later then normal. The third supermoon is on September 9 when The Full Corn Moon makes its appearance. Witnessing the rising of both of those supermoons should inspire more poems or a story.

Multitasking: Writing and Cleaning Cabinets

I wish I could focus only on writing. I cannot because I have to wash and put away the dishes I had to take out of the cabinets when the exterminator came. I have the cabinets above the sink washed out and I started to put clean dishes away.

Waxing poetic
about cleaning cabinets
something Grandma did.

I am not an enthusiastic  about housework as Grandma Mary. If Grandma could not sleep, she would get up in the middle of the night to clean a speck of dust off a what-not-shelf. If I cannot sleep, I get up in the middle of the night, turn on the computers, and write.

Stood up ten minutes
finished washing out cupboards
before pain begin.

I know exercise is good for osteoarthritis. I know I should push myself, walk around or climb up on the step stool for longer then ten or fifteen minutes. However, I have the rest of Saturday and all of Sunday to finish washing and putting the dishes away. I am organizing the cabinets while I am putting stuff away.

Take a writing break
between housework episodes
makes it easier.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are booked

It is Friday morning, the day after the exterminator came and I have to put everything back in the cabinets and cupboards after washing each item. I also have to wash the shelves before putting everything back, which means I am booked for at least the next three days. Fortunately, I have a whole bottle of pain pills because I will need at leas one a day after climbing up and down on a step stool to get to the top shelves.

Cleaning out cupboards
climbing up and down again
on a small step stool.

I know it is good exercise, but it also irritates my osteoarthritis and causes a great deal of pain. I do not take the pills until the pain gets so bad that I cannot deal with it in any other way. I dislike taking pain pills or any type of medication, but sometimes it is necessary.

Cleaning out cupboards
is not for the faint of heart
superwoman's job.

While I am washing the dishes and the cupboards, I will move the canned goods from the cabinet below the sink to one above the sink. If I keep the canned goods under the sink I will not  get down there to get them out so I can open and eat them. I will continue to write while I am putting things away because I need to take breaks because of the arthritis.

Thankful Thursday: A Writer's Gratitude List Thursday July 10, 2014

It has taken me all day to figure out the things I am thankful for having or experiencing this week.

Today I am thankful...

01. ...for an uncluttered floor under my desk. I had to move everything under the desk so the exterminator could spray under there for roaches and spiders.

02. ...that I was able to purchase the July 2014 edition of Scientific American when I went to the Smith's Food & Drug Store on Wednesday, July 9.  There are two articles that caught my attention in this edition (1) "Gods of Blood & Stone" by Erik Vance and (2) "Giant Bubbles of t he Milky Way" by Douglas Finkbeiner, Meng Su, and Dmitry Maqlyshev. I have begun reading the first article and it is fascinating.

03. ...that I received my free modem upgrade and battery from Cox Communications today. I called the local tech line yesterday to find out about those items. I did not expect to receive them until Saturday; however, they came today which means I can assemble the items on Friday morning when I am fully awake.

04. ...that I found a bright shiny penny on the floor this morning when I was sweeping under my desk. The date on the penny is 2012, the year my mother passed away; it is a Penny From Heaven, a gift from my mother whose soul is in paradise.

05. ...that I had to take all the dishes out of the cupboards so that the exterminator could spray for bugs. Now when I wash them, I can give the ones away I have no use for which will leave me more room for paper towels, toilet paper, and other bulk items.

06. ...for the rain we have received in Las Vegas and Southern Nevada over the last few days. Because it has made the afternoons pleasant and not as hot as normal.

07. ...for the sugar cookie I received on Wednesday when I picked up my Senior Food Commodities for July. I ate the cookie for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee.

08. ...that I still have some grapes left to eat because they make a good snack in the evening when I do not want to eat anything heavy.

09. ...that I can a can of chicken in water, carrots, and turkey gravy that I could open for lunch and dinner because I did not have to cook the chicken or white fish I have in the freezer.

10. ...that I have ten items on this list because not I have subjects and themes for poems and short stories,.

Midweek Reflections on Writing and Washing Dishes

I wash dishes by hand and tt is difficult to write while I am doing dishes. I get some of my best idea when I am up to my elbow in hot soapy water. I have to write the idea down, but it is also difficult to write with wet hands. If I use pen and paper then I get those items wet and it smears the ink. I cannot use a keyboard when my hands are wet because I will ruin the keyboard not to mention the possibility of electrocution.

I get an idea washing dishes, I dry my hands, pick up the pen, and then go to write it down. The idea slips my mind between the time I dry my hands and go to write it down., I need a voice activated tap recorder or a similar machine to record the idea without taking my hands out of the dishwater.

The idea is there
moving between braincells
until I want to write it.

Lost my train of thought
and that derailed my muse:
Where did the idea go.

Reading about Chocolate Before Breakfast

I found the beginning of another essay that I began in 2002 or 2003 titled Yearning. I know a little more about the inspiration for this essay because I have two lists of words that I needed to use in the finished essay.

Word Lists

Chocolate: chocolate; brown; coffee; tan; russet; brunette, auburn.
Yearning: desire, longing, yen, hunger, thirst, ache, craving, nostalgia.

Yearning:

The Essay

"The yearning for you still wakes me up in the middle of the night starving for your aroma. I cannot live without the sweetness of your flavor. So I go through the day sleeping beauty waiting for your kiss to awaken me; a zombie waiting for your scent to command me. There is nothing or no one else like you in this world. Where are you my beloved? Answer me chocolate!"

After I finished that paragraph, I started a poem on the same subject. I think I will combine the two into into a prose poem. I also have to make sure the rewrite contains the words; maybe I will write a short story instead of an essay or prose poem.

Yearning:

The Poem

The thought of you
wakes me in the middle of the night
starving for your aroma.

I can't live live
without the sweetness of your savor,
without the taste of you on my tongue.

I go through the day
sleeping beauty
waiting for your kiss to rouse me.

All this reading and writing about chocolate before breakfast has made me hunger. Therefore, I think I will post it and then fix an egg or something else to eat.

Monday Matters: Thinking about the Obvious

I am going through boxes of writing  projects I moved into the apartment. In so doing, I discovered an essay I began in 2003 titled The Obvious. After rereading the paragraph (several  times), I began wondering what I was thinking when I wrote it. Since I cannot find any notes about the paragraph, I do not know what event in my life caused me to write it.

What am I going to do with this paragraph? Do I just tear up the essay and forget about it? Do I rewrite the paragraph and use it in a flash fiction or short story? Do I turn it into a poem? I am letting those questions slide for the moment and copying the paragraph into this blog entry.

The Obvious

"What is obvious is that the obvious sometimes needs to be stated; needs to be proclaimed from the highest rooftops; needs to be shouted through a megaphone; because the obvious is not always obvious to everyone. Or the obvious is ignored. Walked around, tiptoed over, and tunneled under. True you cannot ignore the obvious for long, especially if someone states it. So never be afraid to state the obvious. After all not everyone is looking in the same direction. Not everyone want to see the obvious."

Looking over this paragraph again, I think the first thing I have to do is look at the grammar before rewriting it. The second thing is to decide whether to continue it as an essay with examples from my life or use it in a short story or poem.

At the beginning of a new week

At the beginning of a new week,
I say a prayer for teaching
and wonder who is out there searching
for the Eternal Beloved.

O Lord,
please bring into my life
someone who wants to know your new name,
someone who want to read the Versus of Glory,
someone who is longing to know of your Return.

At the beginning of a new week,
I listen for the voice of the nightengale
singing in the limbs of the tree of eternity.

Writing on the Edge of Dawn

I write
on the edge of dawn
waiting for the light of day.

I write
on the edge of silence
listening to the nightingales song.

I write
on the edge of mourning
waiting for tears to fall.

I write
on the edge of dawn
as the light of a new day
reveals the beauty of love.

Another day, another poem, or the beginning of another poem. Sometimes the words just pop into my head and I have to write them down. Sometimes I spend several minutes or hours just staring at the screen or a dishpan full of water waiting for the lightning of inspiration. Sometimes I begin a poem one way and it ends in another. Sometimes I change themes or subjects in the middle of the poem.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Fourth of July,
look up into the night sky
watch the sparkling fireworks display
the red, white, and blue
lighting up the night
and  paling the distant stars.

Happy Fourth of July,
listen to a patriotic tune
such as John Philip Sousa's
The Stars and Strips Forever
while enjoying a picnic lunch with
hotlink sausage,
jalapeno hotdog,
grilled hamburger with horseradish,
grilled chicken with hot and spicy barbecue sauce,
and a cold watermelon.

Midweek Reflections: Frighted by the ringing of my phone

Frightened by the ringing of my phone, I know it sounds like a good title for a horror story. However, for the past week or so I jump every time either my cellphone or my land-line phone rings. It is getting a bit irritating and scary, I do not know why the ringing of the phone startle me. I would like to find out because it could indicate a problem with my hearing or some other physical issue.

My cellphone rings several times a day and it is usually wrong numbers or someone trying to sell me something I do not need and could not afford even it I needed it. I find myself getting bitchy when the same people call me wanting to talk to some man I have never heard off. I have ask them to take the phone number off their files and it does not good.

I will attempt to have my cellphone number removed again, but I doubt that I will have any better results. In the meantime, I have to figure out why the ringing of my phones startle me. This started at the end of May or the beginning of June; therefore, I think whatever caused the change occurred in middle or late May. I cannot remember anything unusual occurring at that time. I think I will attempt writing a horror story about being afraid of the ringing of a telephone. I wonder if there is a phobia covering that, if there is not then there should be.

Time-Out Tuesday: Recharging my Batteries

I am working an a new flash fiction story called Self-Indulgent Echoes (Working Title). I have the first two paragraphs written, but I cannot think of anything else to write. The deadline is Wednesday, July 2, so I have to finish it tonight so that I can edit it before the 8:59 deadline. The problem is that I have no idea where this story is going, which is not unusual when I write flash fiction.

Normally, I start the first paragraph and then continue writing without interruption. However, normal is not working this afternoon. I am stuck. The characters are not helping in anyway. Being stuck on this story does not help my word count. It does not help me think. My mind is not cooperating. My muse has left me temporarily.

I am going to post this entry. I am going to turn off the computer. I think I need to take a short break, say some prayer and clean out the coffee maker. I will see if I can get back to this story after that. My mind does not want to cooperate with me on composing this entry. I definitely need a break.