Thursday Thoughts: I Think I Have a Secret Admirer

I don't read my Horoscope much anymore. When I took the newspaper everyday the daily horoscope was the third item I read. I read the comics first followed by Dear Abby or Ann Landers depending on which local paper I subscribed to at the time. I know why I read the comics and Ann Landers, but I'm not sure why I read the horoscope because I didn't believe what it said. Perhaps I read it for the entertainment value. 

This afternoon I clicked on one of the online horoscope (I have the URL of this one in my favorites). According to this one I'm having an encounter with an affair of the heart, which I presume refers to a love interest or, at least, a physical relationship of some type. The only thing I can think of this referring to is a secret admirer because I don't have a love interest and I'm not looking for a relationship in that area. 

Maybe it's encouraging me to join a dating site. Every time I see an ad by one of the online dating sites, I contemplate joining it. If I did that I would have to figure out what kind of man I was looking for. I know I don't want the type I usually get involved with because they were losers. Once I figured out that all they wanted from me was someone to make them a living while they verbally abused me, I decided I was better off without a man in my life.  

I've been contented without a man in my life for sometime now. I've live a celibate life for several years and haven't encountered any bad side effects. I don't have dozens of cats or dogs, In fact, I don't own any cats or dogs. I enjoy writing, reading, and meditating. I'm also going to start taking long morning walks around my neighborhood. I will speak to the people, but I don't expect to meet any men I might be interested in. The walk is for exercise and not meeting me. If I wanted to meet men then I would go to the Senior Center and take an exercise class there. 

Thursday Thoughts on March 31, 2016

It's the last Thursday in March of 2016 so my thought today are focused on my next short story. In January I committed to write 44 short stories by December 31, 2016. I finished story #7 on Tuesday, March 29, and today I began story #8. The working title is The Spirit of the House because I'm stretching myself by writing a ghost story. This is the first story of this genre that I've attempted, but since I've lived in a couple of haunted houses I should be able to use those experiences in the story.

All right, I know that some people don't believe houses are haunted. I'm not sure I accept the idea completely because I suspect there are other explanations for the things I experienced in those houses. That doesn't mean I can't write a good ghost story especially if one of the characters has her doubts about the existence of ghosts. In this story my protagonist is a woman, but I haven't decided how old she is.

I prefer female protagonist because they are easier for me to write. Most of my main characters in this group of stories are going to be women. I am going to attempt to write a male protagonist because I need to stretch my writing abilities. Think maybe the protagonist in either story #10 or #11 will be a man.

Thursday Thoughts on Gratitude

Gratitude
is necessary
to live a full
and contented life.

One should give thanks every day, but if you cannot give thanks everyday then once a week is good. I did not realize how much I had to give thanks for until I started looking for things to put on my gratitude list. I started by giving thanks once a week. I now make a gratitude list everyday. Some of the items are always on my gratitude list, but I always find something new to be thankful for each day.

Today I am thankful for
the beauty of a late autumn afternoon.

 

Thursday Thoughts on Other Stuff: What is wrong with you're welcome

What is wrong with you're welcome? Twice today, November 19, I have said Thank You on two occasions and both times the people responded to me with No Problem or No Prob. I was taught to say You're Welcome when someone said Thank You. Is there something wrong with You're Welcome? I didn't think there would be a problem when I made the two request, so did the people who I ask for information think there would be a problem. If I had thought my request would cause a problem I would 't have made the request in the first place.

Thursday Thoughts: Dealing with writing, rewriting and technical difficulties while planning my NaNoWriMo 2015 novel

I am in the process of rewriting one, finishing another, and writing at least one short story. I am also planning my NaNoWriMo 2015 novel. All this work means I do not need any distractions caused by technical difficulties. Yesterday I encountered the Blue Screen of Death, which meant that today I had to re-enter my log in name for Facebook and my g-mail accounts (among others). When I went to my g-mail account, I found out I had forgotten my password and the back up e-mail account I use. I changed my password and found out what my back up e-mail account is.

Next I decided to post some video ads to this blog. When I attempted to post the ads I encountered an error message. I don't know if the problem results from the yesterday's rebooting the computer after encountering the blue screen or something else. I e-mailed tech support of the company I get the ads from and included my cellphone number if they need to contact me. In the mean time I am going to continue writing and not worry about the ads. If it is God's will that I post the ads then tech support will get back to me before the ads are taken down.

In the mean time, I have a NaNoWriMo novel to plan, several writing projects to complete, and an apartment to clean. Since I have no plans to go anywhere until Sunday I am remaining home. I hope to complete at least three of the writing projects before Saturday just in case I have to leave the house for something important.

Thursday Thoughts: A Writer's Gratitude List for Thursday, July 30, 2015

What are the ten things I am grateful for today?

Today I am thankful...

01. ...for hot coffee because it wakes me up and energizes my muse.

02. ...that the writing.com spiritual newsletter for Wednesday, July 29, discussed Life's Experiences because I was able to use the theme in yesterday's Poet999 - A Butterfly Emerges From Her Cocoon blog post.

03. ...for the Journal Jar I have sitting on the lower shelf of my television stand because I can use the prompts it contains for blog entries when I encounter blog block.

04. ...that I found my Grandfather's gold pocket watch because I can use it in a poem or short story.

05. ,,,for the card some young people left at my front door last night about a House of Peace located somewhere near me. I am grateful for this card because it give me the idea for a poem about prayer and peace.

06. ...that I have two containers of concentrated cranberry juice in my refrigerator. I like to mix the concentrated juice with apple juice to make my own cran-apple juice because it tastes better then the kind I purchase in the store.

07. ...for the excitement we had in my neighborhood yesterday morning. I heard some unusual noises so opened the door to see what was up. When I looked out I saw yellow police tape stretched from one side of the street to the other. I also saw television cameras and a herd of police cars parked in the street. I can use this in a short story.

08. ...that I now have a chest of drawers and a dresser in my bedroom because now I can put my t-shirts and slacks in those instead of hanging them up in the closet or putting them in laundry baskets.

09. ...for Thankful Thursday because I can find ten things to be grateful for eavery week.

10. ...that my checking account is not overdrawn today.

Thursday Thoughts: Get Out of the House

This is the fourth Thursday in July 2015, which means there are eight days left in the month. I live, make that survive, on a fixed income (I think it should be called a broken income). The closer to the end of the month the better chance of running out of money for food. Fortunately, I do not have to worry about eating because there are food banks in Las Vegas. A couple of friends and myself spent the last three mornings waiting in line at three different food banks.

This means two things. First, I am in a better mood because I left the house and stood in the sunshine for a little while. This increased the vitamin D which always affects my mood and sense of humor. As a results my muse is more cooperative and discovers all sorts of subjects to write about. Second, I will be eating green salads for the next three or four days. Since I take medication that causes constipation, which causes me stomach pain. The green salads will prevent stomach pain and this means I can comfortably sit at the computer.

I do not know if I will be getting out of the house anymore this week. The only outing I have planned is to carry the trash to the dumpster in the alley. The short outing will have a slight impact on my mood, but I am not sure whether the impact will be good or bad because a trip to the alley does not always help my mood. This is because sometimes it is difficult for me to walk because of the osteoarthritis. Waiting in line at the food banks usually is not a problem because there are places I can sit down.

As a results of my outings, I have written one poem, started an essay and a short story. The short story I have to finish by July 31 while the deadline for the essay is August 14. I plan to finish both of them before the deadline so that I can edit if necessary. I have also increased the word count of my blog entries.

Thursday Thoughts on My Journal Jar

I have a journal jar. It is a mason jar with a decorated lid and a decorated lid and multicolored slips of paper inside. I purchase the journal jar several years ago at a yard sale. I am not sure what year I purchased the jar, but I do know it was before 2007. That jar has been with me through two moves. I had forgotten about it until I noticed it sitting on the bottom shelf of the television stand.

According to the instructions on the jar, and I am paraphrasing the poem giving the instructions, the jar contains stories waiting to be written. I don't know how many slips of paper are in the jar; however, many it contains I am going to write a story to go along with them. I will either write a group of short stories or a novel, I have not decided which. I know the name will be Stories from the Journal Jar or Stories from my Journal Jar. I will write the stories using the first person voice because that seems the most appropriate.

The questions I need to answer before I start this project are:

1. Do I want to include poems in the stories?
2. Who will be the protagonist or protagonists?
3. Who will be the antagonist or antagonists?
4. How will the stories be connected?
5. What genre will I use?

Thursday Thoughts on Predawn Thunderstorms

I woke up at 2:00 am and could not get back to sleep. I thought the reason was the humidity, but no I am not sure. Thunder could be the culprit. It rained this morning, a nice cooling rain before dawn. I stood in the door and watch the street lights glisten on the wet asphalt. I listed to the thunder rolls. I watched the raindrops fall. It was a beautiful and pleasant experience.

Predawn thunderstorm
the asphalt glistens under
Las Vegas street light.

The only problem with this morning's rain was the humidity, which made the temperature feel warmer then it was. This morning 81 degrees felt like 84 degrees. I have to turn the air conditioner on to remain comfortable. Fortunately, the unit is set on ECO MODE so it turns itself off when a specific temperature is reached. I have the temperature sit at 78 degrees and it will remain there because it is difficult for me to change the temperature.

Thursday Thoughts: A Beautiful Triple Digit Day in Las Vegas

Summer in Las Vegas is hot. Today the predicted high is 111 degrees. Since we hit this temperature last week there are no extreme heat warnings this week. That is all right with me because I plan to remain inside. I have too much work to do around here to get out and spend half the day running around Las Vegas.

A beautiful day
triple digit temperatures
reason to stay home.

I do not have cool air in my car so remaining home is nice. The only time will leave the house today is to check the mail this afternoon. I have not decided if I am taking the trash to the alley today. It is a little after 9:00 am now and I usually take the trash out between 6:30 and 7:30 because the temperatures are pleasant. This morning I had lower back and knee pain because I had to unpack and install a new printer. As a result I took a pain bill and then a nap. The pain is gone, but I am still groggy from the pain pill. If I am still groggy when the postman comes about 11:00 then I will just check the mailbox and wait until Friday morning to take the trash out.

A beautiful day
to remain inside and write
poetry or short stories.

Thursday Thoughts: Severe Weather Alert!

Las Vegas is under a severe weather alert because the temperature is predicted to reach 110 degrees today. This is not a day to be outside for a long time. Even going outside for a short time one needs to carry a bottle of water and put on sunscreen. I cannot find my sunscreen, which means its either packed in a box or nonexistent. I will get a bottle or a tub when I go the the store again, but for now I will remain inside as much as possible. I will purchase the store brand because I think all sunscreens work equally well to protect me from the UV rays.

Severe heat warning
Las Vegas temperatures rise
Another hot day.

 

Thursday Thoughts on the Passing of Spring

Morning advances
the birds have stopped their singing
and the day heats up.

It's Thursday morning about 8:00 am. I'm sitting at my computer staring out the open door into a bright and cloudless May day. There is not wind to cool off the rising desert heat. The wind doesn't help much on hot summer days, but during the spring and fall it helps cool Las Vegas.

Summer is coming
triple digit temperatures:
I need more coffee.

I just checked the temperature on one of the local news websites. According to the meteorologist the temperature at 7:56 am was 79 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature is supposed to get up to about 96 degrees today, which means I will have to turn the cool air on sometime this afternoon.

Birds fly to their nest
returning home from hunting
another warm day.

Sunday, June 21, is the Summer Solstice. My sister and I are supposed to be moving into a two-bedroom apartment sometime in June. I'm not looking forward to moving in triple digit temperatures which are supposed to arrive this week end or early next week. However, it really doesn't matter whether I'm looking forward to moving or not (I've never liked moving any time of year) I will move because it's the best thing to do.

Thursday Thoughts: Thankful Thursday Writing Interruptions

I should call this interruption Thursday instead of Thankful Thursday because I keep encountering interruptions to my writing. I am the one interrupting myself. This morning I was reviewing on writing.com, I interrupted the review to take out two bags of trash. My reasoning was logical, I needed to take the trash to the alley before it became too hot. Considering the wind and the nice spring temperature this morning that may not be true. If it remains cool the rest of the day I will consider taking another bag out this evening.

Taking the trash to the alley is not enjoyable, so maybe that is why I find ways to put it off. Writing is normally one of the ways I put off taking the trash out. That did not work this morning. In fact, putting off taking the trash out because I am writing may be come a thing of the past. I need to lose weight, so walking from my apartment to the alley is good exercise. I will use this as exercise for the rest of the week and then increase my walking.

Right now, I am encountering another potential writing interruption. I am sleepy. I am about to fall asleep at the keyboard, which is not a good idea. Because of the type of chair I use when I type there a good chance I will fall off if I go to sleep while typing. Therefore, I think I will post this, finish my breakfast dishes, and take a nap.

Thursday Thoughts: I Like Yogurt on My Cereal and Other Poem Ideas

I like yogurt on my cereal,
because milk
is so uninteresting.

That is a good idea, but I do not know where to go from there. I discovered a new poetry form today, so I may use that idea or the first line when I write the new form. I like working with new forms of poetry because it keeps my mind busy and it prevents me from over-thinking.

New poetry forms
stretch the mind and scatter
clouds of depression.

I have two good starts to poems. Now all I have to do is find a form that will fit the idea. Normally it is not difficult to find a form to fit an idea. This afternoon is a bit different because I am sleepy and yawning. I think the problem is allergies because the wind has blown here for the past few days which spread the dust and the pollen. That could be the reason I am not feeling good and cannot focus. Writing allergies would make a good poem or a good rant.

Thursday Thoughts: Thursday Morning Frustration

If today was Friday, I would title this entry Frustration Friday. However, it is Thankful Thursday or Thoughtful Thursday so I cannot use Frustration Friday as the title. I can answer the question "Why are you frustrated?" I am frustrated because I am having difficulty logging onto a website. I have attempted to the website several times this morning and, it will neither accept my password nor will it access the area to send me a link to change my password. I suspect the problem is the website is either very busy or down. However, it does not give a message for either possibility.

I know the best thing for me to do is just let the situation go. I need to put the problem in God's hands and get on with my research, writing and housework. I have a newsletter to Edit at the end of April and I need to do some research on the subject. I am also working on a romance story that seems to be going nowhere. I will not even list how much housework I have. I could even change clothes and go out to the mail box to see if I received any bills or letters.

What am I going to do? I am going to see what type of vegetables I have in the freezer so that I can fix me a semi-balanced meal. I know I have both fish and turkey burger in the freezer, but I need some type of vegetables to go with them. I could make me an omelet with some of the sweet peppers and green onions I have in the refrigerator. This always happens when I am frustrated. The frustration makes me hunger, but I cannot make up my mind what I want to eat.

I think I will post this and then brew another carafe of coffee. Yes, I know I drink too much coffee, but I am a writer. That is no excuse for drinking too much coffee or for writing a ranting rambling blog entry. Today the frustration is the reason for the rambling and the ranting. I wish everyone a joyful, thankful, and thoughtful Thursday.

Thursday Thoughts: Writing on Thursday Morning in Late Winter 2015

It is still winter. Spring does not officially arrive until Friday, March 20, at 22:45 UTC (3:45 PM PDT). The temperature feels like spring and people in my neighborhood are wearing light sweaters or long sleeved shirts because of the slight spring chill in the air. It looks as if today will be a beautiful and pleasant day.

A charcoal gray cat
Wanders through the neighborhood
Going home to sleep

I have to door open on this cool early spring morning. Beautiful whitish clouds decorate the pale blue sky. The sun cast weak shadows through the clouds. It is not too cold and it is not too hot. It is a nice day in Las Vegas.

Birds nest in pine trees
Songs of gratitude greet dawn
Children walk to school

It is easy to write on this third Thursday morning in March 2015 because the neighborhood is quiet and serene. The sun ascends into the mostly cloudy sky casting weak shadows across Sunrise Avenue. Children walk past my apartment on their way to school. Adults walk past on their way to the bus stop on Eastern Avenue. A school bus drives past transporting its load of enthusiastic children to their morning classes.

Spring celebrations
The vernal equinox
Followed by Naw-Ruz
Followed by Easter

Thursday Thoughts: On Thankful Thursday - A Poem

On Thankful Thursday
Birds intone their gratitude
To the winds of March.

On Thankful Thursday
I am grateful for sunshine,
Shadows, and blue sky.

On Thankful Thursday
The wind whispers gratitude
To the olive tree.

On Thankful Thursday
I am grateful for fresh brewed
The wind chill factor.

On Thankful Thursday
The sun beams its gratitude
To humanity.

On Thankful Thursday
I am grateful for white cars
That reflect the morning sun.

On Thankful Thursday
The pigeons show gratitude
As they pick up crumbs

On Thankful Thursday
I am grateful for postal
Workers who deliver mail.


On Thankful Thursday
The pine trees show gratitude
By sharing their shade.

On Thankful Thursday
I am grateful for laughter
Reverberating
Through the neighborhood.

Thursday Thoughts: Gratitude

A bird is singing
Intoning his gratitude
To the warm afternoon sun

Shadows grow longer
Sunset and evening approach
The bird says thank you

Listening to the birds
At the joy they sing to us
Whisper a prayer

The day grows cooler
The birds continue to sing
Songs of gratitude

I am thankful for
The hot butternut squash soup
That tastes good with bread

Thursday Thoughts: A Nice Las Vegas Afternoon

The temperature at 12:56 pm Pacific Standard Time was 67 degrees with scattered clouds. It is a nice day in Las Vegas with the sun casting dark shadows across Sunrise Avenue and the neighbor's music echoing through the neighborhood. This morning I heard birds singing in the pine tree across the street, but the laud offensive music has caused them to stop. I don't mind the music this afternoon in fact I normally don't mind the music because I have other things to think about and do. Getting upset at a neighbor's music is not worth the stress it would cause so I just let the music flow in one ear and out the other (sorry about the cliché).

He turned his music off to talk on the phone so now the birds are singing again or maybe the music just drowns them out when it is playing. The birds sound so sweet, so pleasant. When the birds are singing it sounds like they are giving thanks for the beautiful springlike weather. When I walked through the courtyard yesterday I noticed that the oak tree had buds on its limbs and birds singing in its topmost branches. The way the birds are acting they will soon have clutches of eggs waiting to hatch. It is almost spring in Las Vegas.

I have not turned the cool air on all week. It is so nice today that I may switch from the hot air to the cold air in preparation for late spring and summer. I expect the temperatures to get into the high seventies or low eighties sometime in late March or early April. I should say I am praying for the temperatures to remain in the high sixties and mid seventies until the end of March or the beginning of April. I can have the door open when the temperatures range from the mid sixties to the mid seventies. I enjoy having the door open so I can see what is going on and hear the birds singing.

Song birds are singing
while pigeons are cooing all
praising the weather.

Thursday Thoughts: In the mail today (February 19, 2015)

I received the February/March 2015 edition of The AARP Magazine today. I was relieved to find that I did not receive any past dew notices because I know that I have a couple of past dew bills I will have to deal with before February 28. I breathed a sigh of relief, removed my mail from the box, and went back into my apartment.

On the front of The Magazine is a picture of Bob Dylan, with several articles that I want to read. Those articles, in the order they appear on the front of the magazine, are (1) Jobs & Money, (2) Dylan Behind the Shades, (3) 8 Easy Ways to Live Longer, (4) The Power of Prayer, and (5) Heart Health Makeover. The Heart Health Makeover is of special interest to me since one of my sister-in-laws recently had a heart attack. The only thing I have to do now is schedule time to read the articles.

I think the best time for me to start reading is right before I go to sleep. I need to relax from housework (I started spring cleaning today) and my muse needs to relax from writing. I believe that reading these articles will help me relax so that I can sleep better. I also suspect that reading them before I go to sleep will help me remember what I read. When I was young and in school I seemed to deal better with the class information if I read the book before I went to sleep.