Wordzle 52

This week Saturday Wordzzle is hosted by the lovely Raven at
Views from Raven's Nest . For more details about this fun writing challenge just click Raven's blog.

Next Week's Ten Word Challenge will be: Netflix, mortgage, skunk, flagrant, the New York Times, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, perpendicular, geometry, crabby, shoveling snow

This week my sister, Candy, is writing the Wordzzle challenge. I think you will enjoy her story.

Alonzo's Crabby Attitude...


While patiently pondering my Netflex order and trying not to deplete my mortgage payment, my pet skunk, Alonzo, flagrantly criticized my passion for diligently working the New York Times crossword puzzle. "Just because you don't have the good sense that God gave a goose, you trivialize all that I value in life." He sneered again and said "I guess you'll be reading The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Universe again tonight instead of cleaning my skunk bed aligned perpendicular to Pluto." I laughed hysterically and told him that his knowledge of geometry was obviously skewed and that if he continued to make light of my literary prowess with his crabby attitude, that he could spend the night outside shoveling snow. He hung his head down and humbly said "me sorry...I luv you."

Mini Challenge: pragmatic, crystal ball, laundry, safflower oil, Gregorian chants

While still bantering with Alonzo, my pragmatic self queered my crystal ball in order to prepare my To Do List for tomorrow. I asked if there were any special precautions that I needed to take. "Do not do the laundry with safflower oil. This will cause great concern to your clothes unless you are singing Gregorian Chants during the rinse cycle." I drifted off to sleep to the sound of Alonzo shoveling snow and my crystal ball chanting "Do not do the laundry with safflower oil. Do not do the laundry...Do not."


What a fun idea and I enjoyed writing.
Candy, Pam's sister

Road Trip Friday

Friday, I am going to Louisiana to pick up my sister, Candy and her cat. She is coming to stay with us about a week for a long over due visit. Her utilities are all off. She has been staying with her son and his wife, but I think she needs a break from them.

I am excited that we can catch up on all that sisterly stuff and she wants to help me with my books. I still have lots of books to unpack and some of them I want to give away. Right now I am reading "The Shack" by William Paul Young. I am about half way through and it is a sad but a very touching story. I would love to hear your thoughts on it. If you have read it please leave a comment about it. Most of my church friends are reading it right now.


I went with Hubs to move our travel trailer, you know the one he has been living in for the last year. So it is now in our back yard. Now I have to clean it up. Candy will sleep in it at night because she is a night owl and smokes a pipe. That way she can visit and when she needs her down time, she can have it. She is a hermit and so use to living by herself. So I understand and hope that she will be comfy. It is so hard to see her with nothing right now. The one thing I know is that she is a survivor and this won't last forever.

Have a good weekend...

An Award from Dawn at Twisted Sister

Proximidade is described as follows. This blog invests and believes in proximity- nearness in space, time and relationships. Nominated bloggers are exceedingly charming, they aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes for self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. This blog award should be sent to another eight bloggers and they, in turn, should forward it to eight of their favorites. You should include the text for Proximidade in your blog announcement. And please note that all awards and tags are optional... Twisted Sister


I would like to pass this on to the following blogs:

Barefoot in the Garden

Butterfly Dreamer

Everything And Nothing

I Was Born2Cree8

RAMBLING WOODS

Throwback at Trapper Creek

Writing from the Inside Out

XANADU

Hot Dog

Do I have to tell you WHY he is wearing this funny looking collar?

He is not a HAPPY dog! Would you be? If you had been through what he had .

Surgery... ahem, uh... a vasectomy.

Even the cats gave him a hard time...

He is a little

despondant.

He is so pitiful, but he is a little trooper.

You have to love this little dog...

Dragon Award

I have been awarded the Dragon Award from the Dragon's Committee via Dr. John and Mrs. Betty. I am greatly surprised and excited to accept this award. If you have not read Dr. John's Fortress I encourage all to stop by his blog as he is an amazing character. His wife's blog is equally as brilliant and please read her too.



Bettygram

Dr. John's Fortress

Award from Cherie at Butterfly dreamer...

Blog Award from Cherie

"This symbol is the Native American symbol for vision for world peace.
I wanted to make it a blog award.
My award is a little different than most in the blog universe , as I offer it freely to everyone. There are no rules governing it. Take it freely as a love offering from me.
Pay it forward to anyone you would like that has inspired you in any way. Give it freely.
You do not have to acknowledge me in any way for this award on your blog. It is a love gift from me to you because all of you are inspirational in your own way. Just copy and paste it to your blog as an inspiration award"


http://butterflydreamer-dreamlight.blogspot.com/



Thank you Cherie for this wonderful award. It is a gift of love from your heart and I appreciate your honesty and sincerety in your writing. If you have not visited Butterflydreamer, I encourage you to stop and spend some time. I would like to encourage all of my readers to grab this award and wear it proudly. You all deserve it! I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my wonderful friends. You bring so much to the blogging world and to me.

Saturday's Wordzzle #51

Saturday Wordzzle Challenge is hosted by Raven at http://ravensviews.blogspot.com
Each week she selects words for our challenge. Our aim is to use the words in a coherant paragraph. Please join in for the fun.



Ten Word Challenge: spring fever, coyote, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, birds of a feather, broken camera, artificial flavoring, cane, garage, ask and it is given.


You have heard the old adage, "Ask and it is given. Well, that is not what I ask for and I want a refund on this broken camera," said the man. I am a photographer and I take photos of wild animals, coyotes and bears for a fact! The salesman was happy to make the refund just to get this guy out of the store. "Old geezer! Who does he think he is?" This is the third camera he has broken in a month.

The man left the shop limping with a cane and grumbling to himself. He had been on a long trip to the Colorado mountains looking for bears with spring fever, if you know what I mean? While he was on the look out for these mating bears, he had sprayed the trees with artificial flavoring to entice them to come looking for food, so he could shoot a picture of the bears in their natural surroundings.

Instead, he found a gaggle of gay birds nesting inside the garage. How is that for birds of a feather? They did flock together for a little while.

The old geezer had left his camera hanging on a branch of a tree. He had forgot about the bears while shooing off the birds.

Then just as soon as he turned around, he saw the biggest, blackest, meanest bear he had ever seen coming towards him. The bear had found the camera through the scent and traced the smell to the old man. The old man ran as fast as he could, but there was no where to run. He had come to the cliff and had to jump like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Into the river he went. He survived the fall barely, but had a broken leg from the jump,. The bear had the last laugh and the last view of the old man.

The End

Mini Challenge: glorious, sugar and spice, premature baldness, gargoyles, campaign trail

Sugar and spice and everything nice does not include glorious gargoyles with premature baldness on the campaign trail.

Megga word challenge: use the ten word challenge and the mini challenge words in one story.

Granny Jack had just finished watching the movie, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, when she decided she wanted sugar and spice and made some peppermint candy canes using artificial flavoring.

Her young grandson, Ian, came in and wanted one of the candy canes. Granny Jack said,"Ask and it is given." You know you and I are like birds of a feather. Let's go on a trek and look for a coyote. Ian will you go into the garage and fetch my old broken camera? We need to take it with us to the store to be fixed.

Young man it is a glorious day filled with a young man's fancy of spring fever you may catch yourself fawning after the next young pretty and gay young lass you see. Are you sure you want to go with old Granny on our trek? Absolutely! After our trek, would you like to go and work on the campaign trail with Granny Jack? Although, I want to prepare you, you may see many old men with premature baldness, but not to worry because they are not as frightful as the gargoyles we may see on this outing. Then we will stop and get some ice cream.

My sister needs help

It would seem that I have had too many day trips. I had another road trip today. Actually anytime I leave my home is a road trip because we live so far away from anything! Somehow it messes up my daily schedule enough to throw me off kilter. Thus the lack of posts. I am visiting your blogs as much as I can. I have not forgotten my blogfriends.

Please keep my dear sister, Candy, in your prayers, thoughts, Reiku, just anything to help her.

She is in a deep blue funk and can not get out of it. She is my only sister and I hate to see how she is living right now. We have all helped her over the years, but it is never is the right help. You know the old saying "If money is your only problem, then you don't have any problems."

Not only does she have financial problems, but mental ones as well. My sister is a very well educated woman with two masters. She is so good with helping everyone else except herself. She is a social worker and has devoted her entire life to helping others. She is such a wonderful person. She just can not get a break as of late,

She is not working due to depression, and back problems. Her days and nights are opposite and her electric has been cutoff again. She stayed a few days with her son and his wife, which was not going very well. This afternoon they had a blow up with her, and her son took her home.

Her home is paid off, but she has lost just about everything else. All she has is food stamps to live on. She has been unemployed since last Sept. and the non profit agency she worked for did not file the paperwork in order for her to receive unemployment. She filled for disability two years ago and was denied. She can not keep a job and is sick and stressed all the time.

Three years ago, she tried to commit suicide twice that summer. She has been sick for so very long. She is a recovering alcholic and was addicted to pain pills. She detoxed three years ago, but she does not think like a normal person.

This is how our mother was except she repeatedly tried to kill herself. I don't know what else I can do for her, except keep praying. I love her so much. Please keep her in your prayers.

Portrait of Words #6

Portrait of Words , a monthly writing challenge presented by Jeff B. Each month Jeff post a group pictures and we write a story that aptly tells our story through the pictures. For more information go to Jeff's new blog highlighted. http://portraitofwords.blogspot.com/2009/02/portrait-of-words-6.html

Do you really know your neighbors?

The two young women stood chatting as they watched the men finish the details of this beautiful house. It was the talk of the whole neighborhood.

It was unusual for anything like this to occur in this small town.

Nothing new had been built for over forty years. The women had been jogging and

stopped for a break. " Do you believe what took place before that house was built?" My Granny says it was all true what happened.

"That is such a shame what happened."

Long before the new house was built, there was an unsolved mystery that had always been dismissed because it was so tragic. No one really knew the whole story or even the truth. The story is remembered by most of the town folks. Over sixty years ago, the Stewart family happily lived on a family farm, which had been handed down from generation to generation. They owned a country store with a filling station on the edge of their farm.

There was a huge explosion at the country store one morning in the early spring of 1947 and the Stewart's country store and filling station burned to the ground killing everyone but the youngest girl, Minnie Louise. Nothing was left, but a huge crater in the ground. The town would never be the same after loosing the Stewart's. Ma Stewart, Pa Stewart and their five children would be buried later that week. Minnie Louise was ten years old at the time and she had a total breakdown from loosing her family. She lead a solitary life with no one to guide her. She ran away from the orphanage and never looked backed.


She lived in an abandoned school bus. Living on practically nothing, somehow she managed to survive. She took in all kinds of stray cats and dogs and lived quietly in the old bus in the country. No one knew who she was or that she was still alive except the waitress and a hand full of people. She raised a small garden and she would sell her fresh vegetables to the local farmers market in order to have a little money.

One night, Minnie Louise needed a drink and she walked to the local bar. When she entered the waitress looked strangely at her. " What will you have Minni Lou?" "Give me two beers and crown and coke, "she replied. All of that for you?" "Yea, I have just had the shock of my life!" Minnie reluctantly ask the waitress to sit down.

Minnie Lou slowly said "Today a beedy-eyed lawyer was out at my bus asking all sorts of questions. He told me that I was a very wealthy woman. He said they had been looking for me for years. The man said that my Pa had insurance on the family store and station and that I was rich. In additon, over the years my family's land had increased in value so much that I was shocked!" "I couldn't believe my ears." said Minnie Lou. "All the years I have struggled to barely get by and now I am rich?"

That is how Minnie Louise could afford to build that beautiful brick home. The money and the new house didn't really mean that much to Minnie Louise because she had no family except her dogs and cats. Minnie Louise and all her critters moved into that new house. Looks like sometimes something good can come from something bad. Today, Minnie Louise takes in all kinds of critters and helps find homes for them.

Saturday Wordzzle #50

This is a weekly writing challenge from a Views from Raven's Nest. http://http//ravensviews.blogspot.com/
NineWord Challenge: ubiquitous, do you see what I see, getting a word in edgewise, wild goose chase, grandmother of five, Freemasons, Pacific Paradise, everything and nothing, insanity prevails


The captain of the airplane ask his co-pilot "Do you see what I see?" "Why no, sir. ""You see that grandmother of five over there. " Yes, I do."answered the co-pilot. "Well, she is the late widow of Paul Revelier, one of the greatest Freemasons of the world? "You're kidding?" replied the co-pilot. "Nope it's the truth." But, buu...tttt... how? Jeff, the pilot said, "The free masons were members of this ubiquitous secret society all over the globe. They desired to improve themselves, help others and spread their knowledge worldwide." "Jeff, as your co-pilot, it is hard getting a word in edgewise, replied John. "Hold on, and I will tell you."

Jeff said, "She has traveled to this tiny little Pacific paradise for a memorial service to honor her late husband." "That is interesting,"said the co-pilot. "How did you know that?" ask the co-pilot. "Well, that is a long story." "You seem to know everything and nothing about her. Why is that?" "If my insanity prevails, I will tell you," said Jeff. "It has been a long , wild goose chase to find her,"said the pilot. "I am a Freemason as well and I have been trying to find her to offer her this first class ticket as a gesture of kindness to thank her," he said. Her husband was my mentor and I will never forget his kindness.


Mini Challenge: shortening the distance, it’s all about bloggers, the Fortress at Pigeon Falls, finding Pam, a raven’s nest

The Fortress at Pigeon Falls has a raven's nest there. The raven is shortening the distance in communications for the good folks at Pigeon Falls. How is that? The raven flies all over and is looking for Pam. Finding pam has never been easy, but we need to find her to tell her the good news. Then she goes on and tells other bloggers the news, too. Remember, it's all about the bloggers and the speed in which the news travels. See how the raven has improved the speed of communications? Well, you know anything is possible in Pigeon Falls as long as Dr. John approves.


Mega Challenge:
Ubiquitous love. Do you see what I see? I have been on a wild goose chase, hoping insaniety prevails and looking for an incredible giant red heart. While looking for the heart, I met the grandmother of five, I tried getting a word in edgewise, but she said I was to go to the fortress at Pigeon Falls for my answer. Everything and nothing would be revealed as soon as the Freemasons returned from their pacific paradise. When they returned, they said shortening the distance was the most important job for today because it would help the florist's delivery route. Why? Well, it's all about the bloggers looking for a raven's nest and finding Pam because if they don't get their flowers on time someone is in trouble today. Finally, I found the big red heart and it had a message on it! It said "Happy Valentine's Day to all of the bloggers that participated in Raven's Saturday Wordzzle!"

This is the view from the kitchen breakfast area looking into the living room. It's getting there. We are still looking for someone to build us a deck for the back side of our home.



Today, I am working on the guest bedroom because my sister and her son & wife and their two young children are coming to visit us on Sat. If I don't get it all done, Hubs will go get our travel trailer and they can stay in it. Oh, wait...it needs to be cleaned?



Remember when you could get all your house work done in three hours or less and had the rest of the day to spend with you kids? I hate that I can't work as fast as I once did. Nor do I enjoy it as much either. Well, I don't have the same incentive.



Anyway, this is what today is all about for me.

Our little paradise

This is our back yard, our little piece of paradise. The dogs, Suzy my lab and Hot Dog and I went on a trek to the back of the yard to a dry creek bed. Our property is mostly cleared except we have two uncleared acres to the left and it goes to the back to where the young pine trees grow. It is probably another two acres that has grown up. Suzy loves to jump and run through the woods. She is so swift that Hot Dog can not keep up with her.

I think we are going to really enjoy it here. It is so nice to have Hubs home every night for supper. I will have to take pictures of the rooms that I have organized, but I still have a lot of work left. I don't feel as much pressure on me as I did. I am so impatient that I create my own stress. One thing I forgot...I got old since our last move and I don't work as fast as I use to nor does my body recover as fast.

Road Trip Tomorrow

Today I spent outside with the dogs on the trails in the back woods. We rambled to a dry creek bed. The dogs love all this space. Just took some photos and soaked up the sunshine on the walk.
I managed to set up the Christmas closet in the office. I have boxes and boxes of books to unpack. Where did they all come from? I managed to get one box empty and use it as a trash box. Another box bites the dust.

Tomorrow I drive to Longview for acupuncture, then to Kilgore to check the mail at the post office, turn the keys in and give them our forwarding address, get my truck washed, go to the old house and check on it (visit it). I am kind of weird that way. Then to a real grocery store to buy food. And see my friends!

Hubs and I are sharing the cooking since I have most of the unpacking to do. I cook three nights, he cooks three nights, but I clean up his mess on his nights! Then on the seventh day we go out to eat. I am liking this arrangement. This weekend he will move his little home on wheels (travel trailer) to our land. Hubs has a lot of out side work to do. Our youngest son is suppose to come home from Louisiana, providing he is not called out on a fire.

That's about it for me. I am sorry but I won't be participating in Raven's Wordzzle. The words just did not speak to me. If anything comes to mind I will let you know. Y'all have a great weekend.

Blessings to all.

Blue Skies...shining above

Today is a beautiful day with the sun shining.

It's funny how weather affects my mood. We have had cold, windy and

grey skies and that takes it's tole on me. The forecast will be almost a

heat wave for those of you that live in east Texas. While it is nice, I am

going to enjoy the outdoors.

Live the questions...

I copied these questions from http://butterfly%20dreamer/

It gives one a few things to ponder.
"Be open with whatever comes next." by John Cage
Could you do this? Be open with whatever comes next... I think in life we have to be open to all sorts of changes or else we would get stagnant, grow old and die.

What do you think is sexy? Is it physical or a state of mind?

Is is more important to be sexy or feel sexy?

Is it really that easy to define or explain?

It is a state of mind! In my younger days I did not know that I was even pretty,

but as I have grown up, I find confidence sexy.

Of course a pretty smile helps too !

And laughter is very sexy to me!

TOO MANY OF US

ARE NOT LIVING OUR DREAMS BECAUSE

WE ARE LIVING OUR FEARS

If not, WHY?
Fear of failure stops me dead in my tracks.

I AM MY OWN WORST ENEMY

not anymore!

Do you judge others by how they look?

NO, I try to see past the wrapping and see the heart of the person.

Do you assume you know what she is like?

You know what they say about assume? When you assume, you make an ASS out of U and ME.

Could you be friends with her?
ABSOLUTELY! I like all kinds of people. Celebrate the differences!

Can you allow yourself to be different?
What can I say?I am different...

Take a chance and color outside the lines.

You might like it?

It is ok to be yourself!

Really OK

what were your dreams as a child? Are you living them? If not, WHY?

I wanted to be a mailman or a milk man.

JUST anything but a secretary. I wanted to be outdoors.
I became a florist and owned my own flower shop. Check one dream come true.

Do you believe that all life is sacred and beautiful?

All life is a gift and we are to manage it well.

Don't all people deserve clean water, food, medicine, and shelter?
Why do you think the world has not achieved this? Yes, people deserve all of the above and more. Greed overcomes good too often. Selfishness. Ignorance. Maybe if we put others needs ahead of our own, more might be attained.

DO you think there is good and bad in each of us? Is anything really black or white or just shades of gray?

Is it important for you to acknowledge that part of ourselves?

I think it is the human condition to have good and bad in us. We struggle with it daily. No one is perfect except the ONE that made us. Yes, there are some gray areas, but I feel that is each person dilemma. We are fooling ourselves if we do not acknowledge this part of ourselves. Can't live in denial, so just accept the TRUTH.

Own it now.

WHO do you believe in? Yourself, God, reincarnation, or other people? For me, I believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, maker of heaven and earth. I respect other's believes as well.

WHAT inspires you? What inspires you to create?

The beauty of NATURE inspires me, the cry of a newborn baby inspires me, the sun reflecting off the water inspires me, little children inspire me, dreams and hopes inspire me, white puffy clouds inspire me, as well as butterflies. Life inspires me!

The desire to create is innate. I was born with this gift. It comes from God. My challenge is to use that creative gift to bring honor to Him.

HEROES...Who are my heroes? My mentors? Why?

Anyone that serves our country is my hero. Soldiers, firefighters, policemen, missionaries,

I hope I have not left anyone out.

NOT POLITICIANS

My Grandparents were my heroes. They took care of me and loved me unconditionally.

WHAT makes you think? REALLY THINK?

What are your unanswered questions?

Injustice

Bigotry

Ignorance

Intolerance

Judgement

Life

Poverty

I don't think I have any unanswered questions at this point in my life.

If I don't know I will have to get back to you on that!

Is love the most important thing there is? If so, only romantic love or any love?

YES...

"Love is all we have"

Love can change the face of the world.

I know that I am a dreamer.

Do you think other generations had more fun or

had it better than this one and if so, why?

I liked the war years. It seemed like all abandon was thrown to the wind.

I have an eighty-eight year old friend and I love to hear her talk about that era.

What gives you bliss?

It does not take much to make me really happy.

In my youth, it might have been a romantic kiss with my husband.

Something that just makes me go awh...Do I have to explain it to you?

Definition from wikipedia ...

"Bliss can be a state of profound spiritual satisfaction, happiness or joy, often associated with religious ideas of the afterlife.

Just one more damn box...

BOXES... I am still seeing boxes...

will they ever be all empty?

I dream about boxes...unpacking all these boxes ...

UGH! ALL I want to do is burn these boxes...

Does anyone have any matches?

Fire on a stick? A flint?

pyromaniac? I may have a bit of a problem, a little bitty problem,

tee hee...

tee hee...

BURN BABY BURN!!!

YOU BOXES....

be gone now...

SNORT...he he he...

OUCH!!!!!