Thank God I Don’t Have to Work in an Office Anymore.

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt is, “mon.”

Monday, Monday. Maybe I’ll find the old song that starts like that later. I’m so thankful I don’t have to go to a job on Monday. Monday is my husband’s day off from the mission thrift store. Most thrift stores are closed on Monday because they are open Saturdays. So I try to save Mondays for him and an occasional honey-do prompt. When he retires, the honey-dos will be on a list, clearly posted for his our convenience. I don’t really need a list for this cause it’s always in my head. For some reason, I think women tend to have easy access to that list in our heads. It’s always there.  

It’s baffling how busy I am since I “retired” from my job. “Mon” makes me think of moan. And I do want to stop moaning about that and be grateful. I just have to prioritize the things that give me soul energy, even if they drain me physically. Like Saturday (today for you, but I”m writing this Friday because I have an abundance of things to do on Saturday). Okay, today I want to go help clean up the creek down the road. If I get there early enough, I can get a kayak that the organization brings. But if I don’t get there in time for a kayak, I’ll be happy to walk along the banks to pick up trash.

In this neighborhood creek, I’ve seen beaver, egrets, lots of turtles, and an alligator. Volunteering for the environment feeds my soul.

Then in the afternoon, I’m going to a “Stop the Violence” peace rally representing “Grandmother’s for Peace.”

Our head grandmother sent out a text saying they needed face painters at the rally. I said I could do an hour. I’ve never actually done face painting in any official capacity. Maybe I should practice, but don’t know if I have time. I did look up Black Panther and wish I’d seen the move. Interesting face designs with simple dots.

I know Shuri doesn’t look very peaceful here, but in the movie clips I’ve watched, she is very smart and funny and seems like a nice young lady.  Maybe I can add a peace sign.

I can paint hearts, flowers, and probably some butterflies. I know how to paint stuff. And it’s only for an hour, so it’s okay.  Then I’ll be off to my Saturday support group.

I hope to rest Sunday afternoon for my ritual after church nap. Maybe I’ll go to the beach on Monday with my sweetheart.

I will not get back here much until Saturday night, so thanks for your patience! I hope your Saturday is exactly what you’d like it to be.

Here’s that Monday, Monday song.

The Saturday Stream of Consciousness is hosted by Linda G. Hill at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/04/13/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-14-18/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

Being Assertive

Hey, it’s good to be back home again. That line comes from a John Denver song. Speaking of John Denver, I just spent five days in the mountains. The Appalachians. Sort of got lost, but that’s another story. I need to get to the prompt for today’s Stream of Consciousness, which is “passive/aggressive.”

It’s a loaded prompt. Loaded with possibilities. The safest thing would be to go the clinical route. In my old job, I learned that passive/aggressive behavior is taking a dig or doing harm to someone indirectly, like putting something nasty in their food without them knowing it, or saying something mean and saying, “I was just joking. Can’t you take a joke?”

I am rarely passive/aggressive. But then often we don’t realize we are. Oh, I’ve had thoughts – fantasies about doing such and such… haven’t we all? But I usually catch myself and recognize that would be passive/aggressive.

I tend to be more passive than aggressive. Most people would say I am rarely aggressive. I’ve tried to move toward more assertive communication my whole life. Assertiveness is being honest with respect. Standing up for yourself without trying to hurt the other person, with I statements about your wants and needs. To a shy, mild-mannered person, being assertive can feel aggressive. Even saying, “I need some time alone,” or “I need you to stop yelling at me,” or “I will listen to you when you talk to me with respect,” can be a challenge. But it is possible and gets easier with practice.

Here’s another way to be assertive:

Say what you mean,

mean what you say.

but don’t say it mean.

 

Enough of the clinical. How do I work this prompt into what I really want to tell you?

I was not being passive when I submitted my story to Chicken Soup for the Soul for their book, The Miracle of Love, coming out in June. I was assertive! I believed I had a chance, even though I have submitted stories to them before that were not chosen. I figured, what have I got to lose?

And guess what! My story was selected! It made the final cut! It’s titled, “I Almost Gave Up on Romance.” Happy dance going on in my head.

Assertiveness can be standing up for yourself with yourself enough to take a chance on something good happening. And sometimes, it does. Just the act of submitting a story, or writing a story, or painting a painting, anything that feels good and right to your authentic self, is worth the effort, even if no one buys it. If it feeds your soul, do it anyway.

 

 

Today’s Stream of Consciousness Prompt is brought to us by Linda Hill at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/04/06/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-april-7-18/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

Stream of Consciousness: Bun, Bungee, Bunch, Bungalow, and Bunk beds

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “bun.” Find a word that contains “bun” or use it as a word all by itself. Have fun!

Bun

Bungee

Bunch

Bungalow

Bunk beds

Those are some words I could use. In no particular order.

Bun – cinnamon buns. Hot cross buns – we’ll have them at church Sunday. I’d prefer them without a lot of frosting. I want to taste the cinnamon. Like dark chocolate which is good for you. Don’t want milk interfering with my chocolate.

Bungee jumping. Never did it. Don’t care if I ever do. But I did enjoy a zip line and wouldn’t mind trying that again. I’m afraid of heights. But zip lining is different, especially if you’re zooming through the trees and you have something to hold on to.

Bunch of stuff to do. Skipped church last night because #1 priority is to get rid of this sinus infection so I will be able to sing in the choir on Sunday and go to the mountains on Monday to see my son and his family. I went and got an antibiotic, something I rarely do, and I’m getting better. Drinking lots of fluids and trying to take it easy and not do any yard work.

Bungalow. That’s my house – my little urban cottage with the urban forest in the back yard. Low carbon footprint. I want to use the money I might some day get from my parents’ house to buy another bungalow in the mountains. With some land. My dream, shall I dare say it, is a healing retreat center in the mountains. Not a big fancy place, a simple, farm like atmosphere where people can come to meditate, quit smoking, relax, and be well. I’d be there more in the warmer months. It’s fun to dream. I’ve been looking at real estate in the Appalachians, though I’m no where ready to buy anything. Too much still to do on my parents’ house. But I like to dream about how I’d furnish a little mountain cabin retreat with

Bunk beds in one of the bedrooms, a futon in the living room,  and the little wooden kitchen table from my parent’s kitchen could go in a mountain retreat kitchen. The chairs don’t even have to match. As long as there are cinnamon buns for breakfast.

Dreaming is fun.

What’s your dream?

As long as I’m dreaming….

 

Compliments of Pixabay

 

For more Streams of Consciousness, visit our host, Linda G. Hill at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/03/30/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-30-18/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

The Fairies Made Me Write This, and I’m Not Sorry.

Today’s Stream of Consciousness post is: “picture.” Write about, or theme your post on the first picture you see when you sit down to start writing. You don’t need to describe the picture necessarily–you can even put yourself in it if you’re not already there. Enjoy!

This is the dominant picture, the one I see first in my bedroom . That’s where I usually write my Saturday SOC posts – the night before Saturday because I’m a night owl, not a morning person.

I painted this picture in high school, copying a photo from National Geographic. Is that legal? Oh, well. But when I painted it way back then in the 70s, it did not have the white flowing over into the foreground. That was not in the photo.

Several years ago, no, many years ago, I think it was an ex boyfriend, who said the painting had too much dark at the bottom. Well, that’s what the photo was like, #*@x …..  Then a few years later, I decided to add the white. Not because I cared what he thought, but because it was fun. What did I add? I don’t know, but they are something like fairies – unidentified floating objects flowing from the mountain mist.

I like adding on to paintings years later when it feels right. It reminds me that we can add to our lives. Add layers, add magic. The painting might seem finished, but life is not finished. Not yet. Maybe when my life, this life, is finished, I’ll go to that place overlooking the misty mountains and dance with the fairies. I’ll stand at the edge and laugh. Then I’ll leap into the air and soar across the opening into the next great adventure!

Until then, there’s plenty of adventure still to be discovered, right here… or out there….

I have a busy day ahead. Wish me luck! 😉

Wait a minute. (I can’t edit, but I can add.) I don’t have to wait until this life is finished to dance with the mountain fairies. Or my backyard fairies. It’s getting late. I must dance soon.

For more adventures in the Stream of Consciousness, visit:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/03/23/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-24-18/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

A Green Stream of Consciousness

Green is the color of my true love’s hair.

Well, really it’s silvery-grey. That’s the color of my human true love’s hair. But my other true love, the earth, has green hair. Flowing tendrils, spiky  cactus, bushy oak leaves…. all are Gaia’s crowning glory of green, except there are lovely patches of gold, red, yellow, and orange in the fall.

But now is the greening.

Green was my favorite color in my senior year of high school during the height of the Ecology Movement. You might have seen my Ecology T shirt in this post. But I’m not sure if you’ve seen my green Sagittarius bag from the 70s.

I still have this bag!

In 1973-74 green was my color. It’s practically the only color I would wear, except for blue jeans. But blue is the color of the ocean and sky, so that’s fitting.

Here’s a little lighthearted song from Sesame Street about being green. It all starts out nice and mellow, until…..

 

Here are some more green photos that make me think of the earth’s hair:

 

(All of today’s photos were taken by yours truly.)

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

 

The Saturday Stream of Consciousness has been brought to you by the prompt, “green”

provided promptly by Linda G. Hill. You can find more green streams at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/03/16/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-17-18/

Here are the SOCS rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

 

Is This Normal?

So far, all my bloodwork is normal. My doctor says that’s rare for his patients. Does that mean he sees a lot of old people? There are a lot of old people in the waiting room. Older than me. Mostly. So I should feel good, right? that my bloodwork is normal. So why do I have some days when I feel like sh* – ? Well, it’s really a few hours, like twice a week or so, in the afternoon usually, I feel like I’m coming down with the flu. Body aches, inflammation. Then the next day, I’m fine. Or even later that night, I’m okay.

I have lots of days when I feel good. So I am thankful for that. I wrote a gratitude list this morning and there was plenty on that list to be very grateful for. I’m not so much whining as wondering. (No, I’m whining, but I don’t whine much.) I would just like to know why over the past few weeks, I’ve felt achy.  Could it be osteoporosis? I have been diagnosed with that, but that was a few years ago, and this achyness is sort of new. Except that I felt the same thing during my second pregnancy 25 years ago.

Okay, I’m almost ready to get off this pity potty. But the other weird thing is that moderate exercise seems to help ease the achy feeling. I got my doctor to do some additional testing and most of that is back. Negative for RA and negative for one of the inflammation factors. I need to call back to check on the others. I bet it will be normal, and this will still be a mystery. But since exercise seems to help, and I’ve already cut WAY back on sugar since lent started, maybe I will stop talking about going to the Y to get back into swimming and do it.

Or maybe I’ll start jogging again. This lady will inspire me:

Anything is possible!

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt was, “so far.”

Visit Linda Hill’s blog for details. It’s not so far away, just click below:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/03/09/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-10-18/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!

 

Queen of My Backyard

I never really cared much for fine dining.

Well, maybe when I was  young and easily impressed.

Now, I like chips and guacamole.

Where I can be casually dressed.

I don’t care about fine wine before it’s time.

Though I seem to remember liking Gallo Rhine

Once upon a time. God knows why.

Fine china does not excite me,

But I like the blue and yellow flowered plate

I found at the mission thrift store.

The fine lines around my eyes

Have turned into creases

I’d like to be fine with that.

And the jelly in my thighs

Might go away if I exercise hard enough

But do I have that kind of time?

I’d rather make art that’s fun

And flows in blues and browns and greens

And dance with trees in my  backyard

Where I can be the queen.

…

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt was the word, “fine.”

To read many more Stream of Consciousness Saturday posts, visit Linda’s blog at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/03/02/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-march-3-18/

Here are the rules:

1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.

2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.

3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” “Begin with the word ‘The’,” or simply a single word to get your started.

4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top. NOTE: Pingbacks only work from WordPress sites. If you’re self-hosted or are participating from another host, such as Blogger, please leave a link to your post in the comments below.

5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.

6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!

7. As a suggestion, tag your post “SoCS” and/or “#SoCS” for more exposure and more views.

8. Have fun!