Second Thoughts Friday: Thoughts on Writing and Blog Themes

It is Friday, April 25, 2014, I am having second thoughts about composing an entry on today's blog theme. I have attempted for several years (I think I began in 2006 or 2007) to establish daily themes for both my blogs without much success. I used to think the problem stemmed from being a caregiver because between 2007 and 2012 I took care of my mother who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

I do not think the stress of being a caregiver was the problem. My mother died on November 29, 2012 and we buried her in December of 2012. I spent thirteen months, between November of 2012 and December of 2013 in a fog, struggling to pay the electric and cable bill. I came out of the fog on January 1, 2014 and then in February of this year the house finally sold. I moved into a studio apartment in February. I'm still struggling to pay the cable and electric bill, but I can pay the rent.

This morning, I began to write on the theme of the day which was either Fragment Friday or Poetry Form Friday, and realized that I had nothing to say on either subject. I decided to make this Second Thoughts Friday because I could not think of anything else to write about. I am ready to give up the daily theme idea entirely, at least in its present form. What I think I will do is make a list of blog themes that I can use on a daily basis and pick a random theme for each day. I will give this a try for the rest of 2014 and see how that works for me.

Considering the end of 2012

There are two days left in the year, 2012 the year the world was supposed to end is ending. There are two days left to accomplish any unkept resolutions made on January 1, 2012. It is time to make new resolutions for 2013.

The old year is ending and a New Year is beginning. That is the way it is with years and life. When one phase of life ends, then another phase begins and life goes on. We human beings have a tendency to focus on endings and not beginnings. We seem to ignore the lesson of the egg and the omelet.

To make an omelet you have to break an egg. When the egg breaks, it is the end of the egg, but the beginning of the omelet. You pick up a whole egg and crack the shell. When you crack the shell, you put the yolk and white of the egg into a bowl. The next thing you do is take a fork and mix the egg and its yolk together, which is the beginning of an omelet. After that you put the scrambled egg into a skillet or an omelet pan with other good things. The next thing you know you have an omelet. After the omelet is cooked, you eat it. The egg is gone, but the omelet nourishes your body.

The old year is ending and a New Year beginning. What will 2013 hold for humanity? What will 2013 hold for each individual human being? It holds a new beginning; as 2012 ends, then 2013 begins.

Nine days left in 2012

There are nine days remaining before the New Year. Nine cold days left in 2012. As sit in front of the computer, I wonder what I can do in those nine days. Five or six of those days are weekends or holidays, so that leaves three or four days to accomplish any business. That does not leave much time to accomplish very much.

On December 24 and 31, businesses may be open half a day. About the only things I can do on those days is to go the bank or fax something. I may opt to go to the bank on the morning of December 24 and see if I can get something rolling there. However, the way I am feeling today, I am not looking forward to doing anything until after December 25.

Perhaps I will feel better on Monday morning December 24, after all that is my birthday. Lately the problem has been getting up and moving before noon. I am not sure whether it is the cold weather, the fact that I am turning 66 on December 24, or my mother’s death. Whatever it is, I just cannot seem to get moving before noon. I have to figure out what is causing the problem before Monday.

Farming Frontier 2012 in Japan

Farming Frontier 2012 offers Japanese agriculture products and food to everyone who attends the event. Click on the video below to find out more about Farming Frontier 2012 in Japan.

Happy NaNoWriMo 2012

It is November 1 and National Novel Writing Month has begun. It is time to write a 50,000 word novel in thirty days. Yes, it is possible to do this astounding feat. I am working on my first day's word count and have to make this a quick entry. I paused because I came to a stumbling block and thought that writing something different would help. I hope it works because I have a long way to go.

I know I can write the novel. The problem is getting started, but I think that happens when anyone begins a new project. I simply have to sit down and begin writing. Once I start writing then I get into a mind set and nothing can stop me. I am going to close this now by wishing everyone who is participating in NaNoWriMo 2012 good luck.

A good beginning to August 2012

Raindrops on concrete

The lights go out in the house

I sit in the dark

Despite the fact that the lights went out for a bit this morning, August started out nice. It rained and left puddles in my driveway, but the sun is out. The sun is peeping through scattered clouds and drying up the water.

I sit in the dark

Without cell phone or flashlight

The lights come back on

After the electricity came back on this morning, I found both of my flashlights and they work. I panicked when I realized I did not know where the flashlights were and my cell phone was on the charger. The flashlights were easy to find once the lights came on and I calmed down. One flashlight was in the breakfast room and the other in the living room.

The cold morning rain

And scattered afternoon clouds

August has begun

Groundhog Day: Thursday, February 02, 2012

Punxsutawney Phil
Saw his shadow today so
Six more winter weeks

I have to admit, I am not looking forward to six more weeks of winter. Not that winter has been that cold in Las Vegas. We have had a very mild winter, so far. During the first two weeks of December we experienced freezing temperature, but other then that the weather has been nice.

Reassessing one of my 2012 writing goals

It’s Monday, January 02, 2012 and I am reassessing some of my writing goals. The goal I am reassessing is daily blog postings. I set daily word count goal for this blog at 200 words; I think I will lower that to 100 words or posting every other day.

It has been a long day. I am tired, so I think that has to do with the reassessment. I started out the day writing and doing laundry. The morning writing worked out well. Maybe I should start the day by posting to this blog first before I get tired. Once I get tired, I have difficulty focusing on a single subject.

I can do a free-write when I am tired without thinking, but when it comes to writing on a specific subject or theme I encounter problems. Before I give up the idea of writing a 200-word daily post to this blog, I will change attempt composing a post before doing anything else. I will try that for a week or so before changing my mind about this specific goal.

Sometimes morning writing is easier then afternoon or evening writing. At other times, it is easier for me to compose a post in the afternoon or evening. I will attempt morning post for a while, in addition, I need to figure out why my muse is more active at certain times of day then others.

Time to consider New Year’s Resolutions or Goals

2011 is almost over and it is time for me to make New Year’s Resolutions or Goals. The first step to making new goals for the New Year is to review the goals set for this year. This means I have to look at the goals I set in January 2011 and at my accomplishments during the year.

One thing I need to do in 2012 is to review my goals every three or four months. I think I prefer reviewing them every three months. Once I have reviewed them, then I need to decide if any changes are necessary. In 2012, I will review my goals at the end of March, June, September, and December. Now that I have decided when I will review my 2012 goals, I need to decide on the goals and write them down.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will decide on the goals and write them down. Making goals for the New Year is a serious decision, therefore I will pray about the goals before I make and write them down. I will put them in my prayers because I believe serious decisions require prayer. I will write my goals down. The deadline for finalizing my 2012 goals is December 30, 2011.

I renewed my driver's license online

I renewed my driver's license online yesterday. I printed out the confirmation and then looked at the expiration date. My license expires on December 24, 2012, which is about three days after winter solstice.

I had to laugh. I laughed because December 21, 2012 is when the Mayan calendar ends and when a few people think the world will end. Personally, I think the ending date refers to the end of a cycle rather then the end of the world. All right, I am having fun with this date. I am using it when it comes to writing both stories and poems.

If you are not going to have fun with the calendar what good is it. Each day passes so quickly that it seems like only yesterday I got the teeth pulled in my upper jaw and dentures put in. Actually, it was last week this event occurred. Friday, December 19, I have another appointment with the dentist to see how my gums are healing.

Next week, December 24, I will be 62 years old. I am not going out on the 24th to celebrate my birthday. I will wait until after Christmas and then either have prime rib or go to a Mexican restaurant. I will decide next week which one, but time is passing quickly and 2012 will be here in the blink of an eye. Then we will find out definitely what will occur on December 21, 2012.

Junk mail can be comforting

Normally I mass delete all the e-mails in my junk mail box, but this morning I decided to take a look at the subject lines. While I was looking at the subject lines I look at the dates as well. That is when I realized that junk mail can be comforting. The dates on the first fifty or so messages in my junk mail box show 2038 or 2037 dates.

What is so comforting about those dates? Well according to some sources, the world will end on December 12, 2012. However, according to the dates in my junk mail box the world will continue to exist in 2037 and 2038 or at least e-mails will be sent into the past. OK, so I have a rather odd sense of humor.

Life gets tedious without a sense of humor. If person can't have fun with the messages in his or her junk mail box then that person needs a vacation. I will admit that I need a vacation: unfortunately, I can't afford a vacation. Therefore, I'm going to do the next best thing, I'm going to have fun with the messages in my junk mail box.

I need an idea to write about

I'm one of the editors of the fantasy newsletter on writing.com. I just completed the November edition I'm responsible for and now I need an idea for the December edition. Normally I have all sorts of ideas, but this time I seem to be fresh out.

The edition I just finished concerned the end of the world. I used the suggestion that December 21, 2012 will be the end of the world. December 21, 2012 is the final date in the 13-year Mayan Long Count Calendar. This date refers to the end of a cycle and not the end of the world, unless of course we panic when winter solstice 2012 arrives. Maybe the entire human race should call in well to work that day and just stay home.

The only thing I can come up with at this moment is Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. The questions a writer asked when creating the plot to a short story or novel. My problem is that they don't excite me. I guess they just don't stick the same chords as the end of the world. I need to have the newsletter completed by December 8. However, I need to come up with an idea so that I can look for stories on writing.com to feature in the newsletter.