Do you feel comfortable walking in your neighbourhood at night?
Yes. Primarily, because when I do, I have two 55-pound dogs at my side. But my neighborhood is mostly quiet and crime free in general. Might I add that at our camp in the woods where coyotes, bears, and bobcats live, I feel safer there than anywhere where people dwell. Even if those animals carried guns, they’d still be less dangerous than people. They don’t value killing unless for food or self-protection. Guns aren’t scary in the right hands. 😉
Norah, Daisy, and Wesson. Norah is mine. Wesson is my son’s who lives with us. Daisy (the Basset Hound) is my daughter and son-in-law’s dog who spends daytimes with Grandma (me). All rescues.
When you shop for day to day things, do you pay by cash or card?
Cash for the most part unless my credit card is offering bonus cash back points for groceries.
When was the last time you dressed up for a special occasion?
Too long ago to remember.
Have you ever lied about your age?
Never.
Gratitude: I am grateful that I don’t give the opinions of others much weight in my own decisions. That must be such a ‘drag’ on those who do.
“It’s not that animals don’t second-guess themselves”, Christen pronounced, “It’s that the things they are surest of, they never question.”
Her lecture was scheduled as a peptalk to teenagers who’d made pretty big mistakes. It would end with a discussion on having ‘values’.
“Crows are among the more intelligent animals and some of them still get ‘hammered’ by cars while pecking at roadkill. But there’s one thing crows never hesitate to do. They will rally to each other’s aid in an instant with aplomb. Community and family valued more than individual safety.”
The challenge is to write a story using the prompt image below in only 6 minutes.
Emmet was not only the happiest bear in the whole world, but he was also a very special one. Ordinarily the special animals born in the wild don’t have much of a chance at happiness, but Emmet was lucky enough to have a supportive family and community. From his appearance, they all realized early on that Emmet had the animal version of *Down’s Syndrome. As he grew, everyone was patient and protective of him. What he gave back were endless smiles and giggles. Emmet loved making other bears happy through laughter and even though he wasn’t always sure what made him so funny, he didn’t really care. Pictured above, Emmet plays hide-and seek. Emmet was indeed a special bear.
It’s the most important one IMHO. But it’s the hardest one to answer. When you consider that as the most frequently asked question by little kids, there’s obviously an innate need for us to ask it. For people who retain the child’s inquisitive nature, it is THAT question that leads them to a belief in God. There’s a point at which the exhaustive layers associated with “Why?” can’t be answered any other way.
What would you list as your Top Five Fun Things?
Number One is to laugh, and number two, is to make others laugh. There’s almost always a humorous thread to be found in most topics. It’s not that a topic isn’t serious or sad, it’s that the human element involved is , itself, almost always comical. I took an English class in High School with a unit on comedy. The most profound idea that I came away with was the knowledge of the thin line between comedy and tragedy. If you are old enough to remember the “Chuckles the Clown” episode of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, you know exactly what I’m talking about. Here’s a clip but I’d recommend looking up the whole episode:
As for my number 3,4, and 5 favorite fun things they are; 3. Hanging out with kids. 4. Being around animals. 5. Doing something creative. (gardening, painting, writing, etc.)
Should we care about the dreams of others or only our own?
Our own dreams are the only ones meant for us to interpret but hearing about other people’s dreams is interesting. As an outside observer, we can sometimes help them to interpret them.
How well do you deal with criticism from others? I do very well. I basically don’t care what others think. I love hearing “why?” others think certain things, though. There’s a lot of knowledge to be gained from that.
Do you say YES or NO more often, and which is it?
I’m notorious for always saying “yes”. Once while I was associated with a childcare center, the group who bought gag gifts for us at Christmas, found a book for me about 1001 ways to say “Yes” because I so rarely refuse anyone who asks for help.
What is nose hair for?
I can’t say for sure other than some kind of a filter for catching impurities BUT this question inspired me to examine my dog’s nose. What the heck? She has no visible nose hair. Ugh! Now I’m bound to explore this question more. Thanks for nothing. This is worse than an earworm. LOL
What is the funniest comment you have ever received?
Well, there are SO many, but my day care kids offered many off them. In order to be brief, here’s a cute one:
I was teasing a 4-year-old about the rivalry between our favorite football teams. I told him one Monday, “Sorry about my Giants kicking your Patriots’ butts on TV yesterday.” and his immediate response was, ” At MY house, on My TV, the Patriots won.”
Novels or Netflix?
I don’t very often (maybe 5 times) watch Netflix. So, I say “novels.” even though I enjoy a good movie now and then on TV or on an old VHS tape.
Do good things come to those who wait?
Yes, most definitely. I could go on and on about the lack of any ability to “delay gratification” in today’s society! It is actually the main ingredient in most of our current troubles, some of which are: debt, drug use, unwanted pregnancies, and jumping from one job to another. Waiting and working for things gives all people a sense of purpose and satisfaction like no other. And… if you’re a gardener, you already know that because gardening requires a belief in ‘tomorrow’.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “prize.” Use it as a noun or a verb; use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
To me, the ultimate ‘prize‘ is ‘peace’. Some might say it should be ‘love’ and not ‘peace’. Since I believe the ability to ‘love’ comes from God, I ‘see’ that as a precious ‘gift’ not a ‘prize’. But peace is not guaranteed in our world. The feeling of peace can happen when we least expect it. Some who are overwhelmed with troubles would likely even notice moments of peace more readily than those of us who have come to expect it in our everyday lives. I believe animals not only offer us moments of warmth, but they actually are more in-touch with peace. Peace is the absence (however brief) of their struggles for survival. It can present itself in moments of safety or, in the case of domesticated animals, as an impression of a life in safe surroundings. IMHO…Peace is often overlooked and under appreciated by human beings until we lose it. (Not unlike freedom.) I prize peace more than all other things.
Happy Saturday everyone! May peace be with you today.
Welcome to my refreshed Monday Peeve! Unburden yourself of an annoyance and you’ll feel better afterward. Or not. Complain in my comments or crab in your own post. Doesn’t have to be on a Monday. You do you.
Lately, I’ve been peeved with myself.
I’ve become terribly extra sensitive to topics concerning animals. I keep telling myself, “Get a grip!” but my heart aches and stomach tightens constantly. I have always loved and talked to animals, but my mind won’t take a break!
My husband watches an assortment of ‘Reality’ survival shows. On many, the ‘contestants’ have to harvest their own food. When it comes to catching and killing animals, I have to leave the room. If those people hadn’t been placed in those settings for our ‘entertainment’, those animals would have continued their natural lives! I am not against hunting or harvesting animals when it’s humanely done and necessary BUT “for our morbid entertainment” isn’t good enough for me. My sensitivity to roadkill has been elevated too. it haunts me far longer than ever.
Now, my teenage granddaughter is about to adopt a lovely kitten. Am I happy? Absolutely! Any teen having her own loved one to come home to is a smart venture. Teens do reckless things but feeling counted on and loved can offer their brain a more noble option to a momentary “thrill”. Yet, I’m going a bit off the deep end anticipating that kitten getting injured or lost! I know that I’m being irrational. What has happened to me?
I suspect that the constant level of angst that TV news is presenting is a large part of my heightened state of worry. I also know that they are doing that on purpose! My rational mind has temporarily lost its authority. I’m hoping that the holidays will serve as a well-timed distraction. Perhaps, I should indulge in an alcoholic beverage now and then. [I haven’t in quite a while.]
Whatever is going on, I promise that I’ll conquer it. But, for now I need to “GET A GRIP”!
The challenge is to write a whole story, using the picture prompt, in just six minutes.
Herman had observed humans all of his life. He even had come to understand their language. His silence was imposed by Nature. Speech wasn’t afforded to orangutans but full understanding of the hubris of human beings was his. He found them endlessly entertaining, especially when they explained, to each other, what he was thinking. Herman usually rolled back his lips and slapped the ground as he laughed at them. But today, he overheard the zoo staff planning to downsize their population of ‘inmates’ and he listened intently. What he overheard wasn’t the least bit funny.
Their plan was to release captive born animals into the wild! All Herman could do was hold his head in disbelief. The wrong ‘animals’ were obviously ‘in charge’.
Since so many other online writers have blogs dedicated to their writings, I’ve decided to jump onto the bandwagon. All posts published here will be either fiction or poetry, some new, and some previously published on various places on the Internet. Some of my works are conventional, and some are quirky. All fiction posted here, except for fan fiction, will include the letters "rose" somewhere, as a tribute to my Baba.
Sillyfrog's Blog 