Sundry Sunday: A Cafe Mocha Morning

It's a cafe mocha morning,
the sun is shining,
the rooster is crowing,
and the Metro officers have made the morning drive
up Sunrise Avenue.

It's a cafe mocha morning,
hot coffee
with rich chocolate Oveltine©
and consumed with Twenkies©
for breakfast.

It's a cafe mocha morning,
time to relax,
to intone prayers of gratitude,
to ask forgiveness,
to forgive,
and to smile
at everyone walking past
my open front door.

Funny Friday: The Reason I Log Into Facebook on Friday

I have a tendency toward depression. Sometimes I wake up in a negative mood and sometimes I wake up in a positive mood. When I am in a negative mood, I press the snooze button on my cellphone alarm  five or six times. When I am in a positive mood I either get up when the alarm goes off or press the button only once. If I press the snooze button more then once it throws off my medication schedule, which throws off my schedule for the rest of the day putting me behind in everything I plan.

For the past month or so I have found Friday a depressing day. I do not know why, but my blue mood, my brown study, has been worse on Friday morning then any other day of the week. The first thing I do on Friday morning is log onto Facebook because I am guaranteed to find several funny items which will cause me to laugh for five or six minutes each. Some of the items I laugh about every time I remember them. I laugh and my negative mood changes to a positive mood. If I started to get depressed then I log onto Facebook again and look for something funny to change my mood.

When I am in a depressed and negative mood I cannot write because I have difficulty focusing on what I am writing. When I am in a negative mood I cannot give quality reviews because I find it difficult to focus on what I am reading. Laughing at the funny posts I find on Facebook changes my negative mood into a positive mood because the laughter release endorphins in my brain. I have more writing to do this morning, so heres to a laughter filled funny Friday.

One Word Wednesday: Depression

This morning I'm fighting a battle with depression. I woke up in a dark mood and begin descending into the pit of depression. I pushed forward. I said my prayers, took my thyroid medication, opened the front door, made coffee, and turned on the computer. I logged into writing.com, made a blog entry called Blue Rain about the depression I'm facing, read a couple of the newsletters, made myself a bowl of cereal, and did some review.

The morning progressed and the sun rose above Sunrise Mountain. I'm feeling less depressed. I'm not terrified of a panic attack, which sometimes occurs when I'm deep in depression. I can feel the clouds of darkness around the edges of my mind. I know that the blue rain of depression is just waiting to slip up without warning and overshadow the joy of today. I can't let that happen because I won't accomplish anything. I have to win today's battle with depression.

Surviving depression is a daily battle. It's pushing forward when all I want to do is sit and stare into space. It's saying prayers and writing. It's doing housework and lugging the trash to the alley. It's reaching out and calling someone instead of waiting for someone to call me.

Today I can push forward, work, pray, go to the grocery store, and smile. Tomorrow I may not be able to do any of those things because the depression will hold me back, but I will deal with that tomorrow. I have to focus on what I can do today and not worry about what I may not be able to do tomorrow. Today I will find something to smile and laugh about. Today I will let tomorrow take care of itself.

Tuesday's Topic: I Don't Want To Know

There are some things in life a person is better off not knowing. Today I am better off not knowing how FedEx© messed up the pick up request for the old modem I am sending back to Cox Communications. If I did know how they did it then I would pissed rather then finding the situation amusing.

It could be my mood today that makes me find this situation amusing. I am in a good mood, which means I am not worried about anything including the stuff I should be worried about. I know that FedEx© will eventually pick up the package. I know that this company does a good job and that little things happen to cause mess ups. Mess up are a part of everyday life. There is no use getting angry or upset about them.

Update on this situation: I just talked to one of the supervisors, he told me how it happened. I suppose I could have guessed what happen. Someone just put the zip code in wrong, which is easy to do with zip codes or any other number. Numbers are like people they get turned around easily, but it is easier to straighten up the numbers out then people.

Motivation Monday: What do I really want to change about my life?

Last night, I clicked the Random Subject Generator on the website Writing exercises. I was looking for a journal prompt and this is what I got.

What do you really want to change about your life? How can you do it ?

I thought about doing the exercise in my pen and paper journal, but then I realized there are so many things I want to change that it would take me several hours writing to discuss them all. I decided to sleep on the questions. It was a good thing I did because this morning I too one of those Real Age quizzes. My chronological age is 67 years and the quiz gave my Real Age as 71.1 years which is a 3.5 age difference. I would like to be able to take that quiz again and receive a younger Real Age.

How can I do that? I can get more exercise, which means increasing my walking around the apartment and my neighborhood. I intend to start that this evening by taking the trash out to alley when it  gets a little cooler. Another way I can do that is watch my diet and follow the diet the doctor give me. I know it will be hard; however, if I am persistent I can do it. One thing about getting more exercise is a better attitude and willingness to write.

Sundry Sunday: Between Writing Spurts

Between writing spurts I cleaned out my refrigerator. It did not take much effort because everything I found hiding in the back of the shelve have been there only a couple of weeks. Apparently I clean out my fridge at the end of July or the beginning of August and did not remember cleaning it out. I thought I cleaned it out in April or May, but everything in the fridge is still editable and looked as if it had not been in the refrigerator for very long.

How does one clean out a refrigerator without remembering? I have no idea, except that my mind must have been on writing instead of cleaning the fridge. Cleaning a refrigerators is a boring job and my mind tends to wander when my hands are occupied with boring jobs. Since writing is not boring I can focus on what I am writing. Since I have more housework to do this afternoon, I am going to close this.

Success Saturday: I wrote everyday during this week

I wrote something every day between August 17 and August 23, 2014 I did not let the depression stop me from writing responses to the blog challenge I am a part of at writing.com. I made several entries in my blogger blogs and I wrote a poem for a contest on writing.com. I also composed some poems for my Facebook status update.

Writing every day
helps keep depression at bay
scatters the darkness.

Before going to Smiths' Food & Drug Store I responded to the blog prompt for the blog challenge on writing.com. After posting that piece of writing, I ate breakfast, took a bath, and went to the grocery store. The trip to the store made me tired, but I did not let that stop me from writing. Before composing this entry, I wrote another entry for another blog contest I on writing.com. I have written over 1,000 words so far today and my word count goal is 2,000. If I have no difficulties making the goal next week then I will raise it to 2,500 words a day in September.

Thursday Afternoon in August: A Poem

Thursday afternoon
temperatures rising before
Las Vegas sunset.

August afternoon
the last days of summer pass
sun cast long shadows.

Monsoonal moisture
cloudy skies and thunder storms:
when will fall arrive?

Summer poetry
celebrates seasonal rain
temperatures rising.

The Light Before Vampires

When clouds block the sun, vampires emerge to rule over the planet. Light is humanity's only hope to defeat the vampire legions. The spectacular and unsurpassed power of LG Chem OLED light panels are the only hope of defeating the vampire armies. Click on the video below and see what happens.

Thursday Thoughts: Idead for a Mirrored Acrostic

I have to write a mirrored for an online poetry course. I have attempted this form before, but have never succeeded in finishing the poem. I believe it was a combination of the difficulty of the form and the idea I was working on. I need an idea for a mirror acrostic that excites me.

Mirrored acrostic
a difficult form to write
not impossible.

Some ideas I have come up with are (1) Poet's Bible, (2) Posy, (3) My Rock, and (4) My Salvation. The poem is not due until Sunday, September 7, so I have some time to work on it. However, considering the difficulty of the form, I cannot wait until the last minute. I will attempt something using each of the topics I have mentioned and see what I write.

IKEA: The Time Travel Experiment - Adam and Sofi

In this video, Justin Tranz hypnotizes a couple into believing they are in the future. After Mr. Tranz hypnotizing  them, the couple begin a journal through time in which possible life-changing events are waiting for them. The location  of this experiment is the IKEA bedrooms and bathroom. Click on the video below and watch the fun.

Motivation Monday: Does a writer need more motivation on Monday then the rest of the week?

 Does a writer need more motivation on Monday then the rest of the week? Today, Monday, August 18, 2014, the answer is yes. I wake up unmotivated this morning, so a pushed the snooze button on my cellphone alarm several times. I finally managed to drag myself out of bed about 5:00 am and took levorthroxine tablet, which I usually take at 4:00 am.

After taking the thyroid med, I attempted to sit down at the computer and write or do some surveys. I did not get too far with either, so I made coffee and took a bath. After my bath I again attempted to write, but still found myself unmotivated. I washed the sharp knives and put them back into the knife drawer. I carried two small bags of trash to the alley and then checked my mail box because I did not check it Saturday or Sunday. In fact I did not get out of the house at all on Saturday or Sunday.

I finally found some writing motivation, so I posted a journal entry to my writing.com journal and another entry to Poet 999 - A Butterfly Emerges from Her Cocoon. I also posted a Facebook status update by informing everyone that today is Bad Poetry Day. I have not managed to write a bad poem yet, but I will do that later today and post it on my Facebook page.

I was so desperate to find writing motivation this morning that I checked my horoscope. My horoscope told me to put my "ambition into action". I am supposed to be "feeling energetic and positive", my outlook is better now then it was when I got up. I feel positive, but not energetic. Maybe the energetic part will come as the day progresses and I force myself to do what I planned to do today. I am still not as motivated as I would like, however, I am pushing through the lack of motivation and writing. I can always rewrite tomorrow or the next day.

Sundry Sunday: A Beautiful Sunday Morning in Las Vegas

It is the third of five Sunday's in August. It is a beautiful and cool Sunday morning here in Las Vegas with the temperature creeping from 79 or 80 degrees toward a predicted 106 degrees for the afternoon. I still have the door open so that the cool morning air can air out my studio apartment. I know I will have to close the door soon and turn on the air conditioner, but for the time being I will enjoy looking out at the beautiful clear blue sky and the deep shadows cast over the concrete from the bright morning sun.

beautiful morning
the pine tree across the street
casts long dark shadow

On this beautiful Sunday morning, I made cafe mocha using rich chocolate flavor Ovaltine©. T his is my favorite way to make cafe mocha at  home, which is  the only place I drink it  anymore. Why should I go out to have my favorite coffee flavor when I can make it at home with my favorite coffee and Ovaltine©? When  I go out to a coffee shop or a restaurant I order raspberry ice tea or some type of flavored hot tea that I do not keep at home.

beautiful morning
a rooster crowed at first light
announcing Sunday

On the third Sunday in August writing a haibun haiku is a good exercise to start off Sunday writing. I think I am composing this poem-prose properly, but I should research it a little more before I explain exactly what it is in another entry. I know that this type of exercise relaxes me and helps me focus on everything I have to do today.

Flash Fiction Friday: A Cock Crows at First Light

Opening the front door of her apartment, Nan stood staring into the semi-darkness of early morning. A cock-a-doodle-do of a rooster echoed across the neighborhood. "What's that," Fan ask coming up behind her.

"It's a rooster, Sis," said Nan as she switched off the porch light.

"A rooster in Las Vegas!? I thought farm animals weren't allowed in the city."

"Apparently chickens aren't considered farm animals out here."

"Nan, how long has that creature been disrupting this neighborhood."

"Disrupting? Fan, I wouldn't call it disrupting or even annoying." She smile as the cock's crow reverberated through the morning. "I find it  rather pleasant."

"Pleasant!! Big Sister, you're crazy. Roosters are dangerous." She took her cellphone out of the pocket of her robe. "I'm calling the police."

"No!" Nan took the phone out  of her sister's hands. "Metro has more to worry then your alektorophobia. Your only going to be here a couple more days, so chill out."

"I... do not... have an unreasonable fear of chickens!"

"Fan, you've been terrified of chickens ever since Granny's Bantam rooster chased us out of the hen house when we were five years old." She put  the phone in her robe pocket. "I will return your  phone when you leave."

"Then you can give it back today," she turned her back on the door. "I'm leave as soon as I can get my things packed."

"Do you need my help?"

"You're not going to stop me?"

"No," Nan shook her head. "If you stay, I promise not open the front door until after first light, when the cock stop crowing."

Author's Note: This story was inspired by a rooster somewhere in my neighborhood that crows every morning at first light. The characters and situation are fictional. This is the first in a series of Flash Fiction Friday entries.

IKAE: The Trailer for The Time Travel Experiment

Question: Can you hypnotize people to believe they are in the future? Justin Tranz, world-renowned hypnotist, led this experiment which premiers, August 20, on YouTube. Click on the trailer below to get a glimpse of what you will see on August 20 when The Time Travel Experiment premiers on YouTube. Remember to what the premier on August 20.

One Word Wednesday: Prayer

Prayer is communion with God. It is supplication to the Divine Creator. Some people consider it s daily ritual, but I do not like to use the term ritual in relation to prayer. Ritual sounds like something that is practiced the same way each time, but prayer can be practiced in many different ways. Ritual sounds like something that is tiring and must be performed everyday at the same time, which is another reason I do not like using the term ritual in conjunction with prayer.

kneeling in prayer
a seeker beseeches God
for love's assistance

A person can kneel in prayer or can say a prayer standing up. An individual may whisper a prayer, say it aloud, or silently. Prayer is a daily practice, but it does not necessarily have to be performed at the same time each day. A dawn prayer can be said, read from a prayer book, or recited from memory between first light and one or two hours after sunrise. A morning prayer can be said anytime between dawn and noon. A noon prayer can be intoned aloud or said silently between noon close to sunset. An evening  prayer from sunset ot one or two hours after the sun goes down.

facing the east
the lover intones God's names
praise and gratitude

The type of prayer used is between the individual and God. The way a person prays is between the lover and the beloved. God is the beloved and the soul of the individual is the lover. Please note that this is my personal opinion on prayer; an opinion I have come to after both prayer and meditation.

Motivation Monday: Two of My Favorite Robin Williams Quotes

No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.

Robin Williams

Today, August 11, 2014, these are my two favorite motivational quotes by Robin Williams. That may change as I figure out how to cope with his death. The first quote, the one above, is my favorite because it refers to an author's tools. Words and ideas are the tools of a writer and can be used for either good or evil, peace or war, laughter or tears. 

The world is weeping

death has silenced his laughter

and the voice we knew.

I remember laughing as I watch televisions shows and movies featuring Robin Williams. The shock is still with me and I cannot decide which movie I liked best. My favorite television show was Mork and Mindy, up to that point I had never laughed so much in my life as I did when I watched that show. I will miss Robin Williams. I will miss the joy he brought into the world. I will miss the wisdom he brought into the world.

You're only given a little spark of madness. You mustn't lose it.

Robin Williams

A writer has to have a spark of madness to write. Sometimes the difficulties one faces causes use to doubt that spark that keeps us going as we move forward in the face of the ice packed snowballs life throws at us. Sometimes we become depressed and want to give up entirely, at these moments we might lose the spark of madness that keeps us going, centered, and writing. We cannot afford to lose it because once we do then we give up entirely. If we lose that spark then we stop hearing the life's joyful songs, we stop hearing the joyous laughter that surrounds us, and we become depressed.

Sundry Sunday: Lazy Day

Today, Sunday, August 10, is Lazy Day. Today this old say is a lie: "There's no lazy days...just lazy people." Today we can be lazy without any guilt because we are celebrating Lazy Day. No one know when this holiday was first celebrated or who created it; however, that does not matter because for one day a year we can be lazy without feeling guilty.

Lazy clouds float past
wander haphazardly across the sky
no breeze blowing.

Is that a rooster I hear crowing
ignoring the spirit of the day,
his duty done
he is free to bask
in the morning sun.

How does a writer celebrate lazy day? I cannot stop writing because I cannot stop thinking. I have to write down my thoughts, therefore, I like the rooster will ignore the spirit of  the day and write my laziness away. For those who wish to celebrate the day, I suggest sitting beside the Hydrangea Bushes while watching the clouds roll by. If you want to do something a little more energetic then I suggest finding a restaurant that serves Tex-Mex Tomato Zucchini Salad or try to get someone to make it for you Tex-Mex Tomato Zucchini Salad Recipe.

Thoughtful Thursday: What did I learn today?

What did I learn today that I could use in writing a story? I learned that there are five methods of purifying water and that there are two parts to building a campfire. I learned this because I was researching a blog post of a prompt contest I am participating in on writing.com. The contest concerns three weeks in a survival camp or at least writing about it.

After reading the methods for water purification, I decided to go with the Solar Still for purifying water. It sounded good, but I suspect if I were going to use it in real life my offline life it would be a little more complicated then the instructions said. I always expect everything to be more complicated then the instructions imply. Writing about the Solar Still was not difficult, but if I use it in a story I will have to add some difficulty to make it seem a bit more real.

The instructions for building a campfire were a bit complicated because there was so much to do. I admit being a novice in the wilderness, so I am not sure about using things like this in my stories. I have to attempt it though even if I use it only in a writing exercise.

Midweek Reflections: Writing and Reviewing

I had an appointment at 9:30 am, so I did not get much writing accomplished this morning. I did get six reviews completed on writing.com. Therefore, I got some writing done, but I did not respond to any blog prompts until I returned.

Driving across town
From East side to the West side
In heavy traffic

After I finished with my 9:30 appointment, I went to puck up the my senior commodity allotment for August. I did not come home between the appointment and picking up the food because I knew if I did then I would not pick up the commodities. Fortunately, I did not have to get off Sahara Avenue once I got on it because the place I pick up commodities is on East Sahara and my appointment was on West Sahara.

Every other Day
Driving across Las Vegas
Lets me get work done at home

I will remain home on Thursday because I have work here I need to finish and driving across town cuts into writing. Driving across town also cuts into housework, so I have to plan my trips in order to accomplish something at home.

Muse Monday: Today my Muse is a Pigeon

Every morning or rainy afternoon, a pigeon, with variegated gray feathers, strolls past my open front door. He or perhaps she walks down the sidewalk rather then flying. Today I began to wonder it the bird can fly or if it just walks everywhere it goes. I presume it can fly, but I never see it take off or land.

Most pigeons can fly
they flap their wings and take off
into the blue sky.

Why does this bird walk past my front door? Does it walk past when my door is shut? These are questions that have no answer. Questions that are not intended to have answers. Some questions are simply for meditation, such as "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it does it make a noise?"

Unanswerable
crowd my mind today
maybe its the rain.

Today my muse is a pigeon raising unanswerable questions. Now that the questions are ask, do I stop typing and meditate on them? Perhaps I should get up from the keyboard and pour myself another cup of coffee while I am deciding what to do and how to answer those questions.

Do most questions fly?
Do they just rest in one's mind
waiting for answers?

Pigeons are questions! That is an interesting metaphor, I wonder if it is a poem waiting for me to write it. Perhaps I should use it in a short story or a flash fiction. What kind of character would say "Pigeons are questions waiting for answers!"

Sundry Sunday: Other Tings Besides Writing

There are other things besides writing,
besides composing a poem;
it's in the other things
that inspiration
is found.

There are other things besides blogging,
besides sitting down at the keyboard
and creating an entry;
it's in the other thing
that the idea
is found.

There are other things besides writing,
there is a walk in the park,
the neighbor's rooster crowing,
the wind in the pine trees,
a hot cup of coffee,
a cold glass of sweet tea,
a moment of meditation,
a whisper prayer,
etc.

There are other things beside writing,
but after we do these other things
then we pull a chair up to the keyboard
and begin the process
of writing about
those other things.