The Miracle Flower

It sure is good to be back in the Stream of Consciousness! We still have a lot of clean up to do at the house in Wilmington, but mostly big branches and the back fence. The house is mostly okay. Mostly. The house we’re staying in an hour north belonged to my parents and now belongs to me. I’m typing that because sometimes it’s hard to remember that the house and all this stuff I have to, get to, go through now belong to me. I can do whatever I want with it. I’ve been going through hundreds and hundreds of old photos. Being here at the house my parents lived in for so long brings me to the miracle flower pictured above. It is one thing I will not throw away.

The story that I included in Trust the Timing as well as a chicken soup story I just submitted goes something like this:

My mother was getting foggier and more confused in her late 70s. I had always wanted my mother to be clearer in her thinking. I’d been reading a lot about mental health and zeroed in on this quote my Scott Peck about mental health being a dedication to reality at all costs.  This was about 15 to 20 years ago, and I no longer believe that now. Not the “at all costs” part.

But when my mom showed me this artificial red flower in a clay pot and went on and on about what a miracle it was because she hadn’t watered it in weeks and it was still alive and so beautiful, I said something like, “Mom, I think that flower might be plastic.”

“No it’s not! It’s a miracle!” Mom said and then she changed the subject.

I still beat myself up for not going along with her miracle flower and joining her journey as my husband says. Now I know better that miracles are in the believing. And reality is subjective. Maybe this flower which is actually made of silk, has taken on a life in some ways. I’m writing about it, so maybe I’m giving it immortality.

Do you think “inanimate” objects have something like life. An energy maybe? Do we give our cars or computers energy when we talk to them?  Well, that’s getting a bit deep, so I guess I better back off and come back to earth. At least long enough to move the laundry along. We just got electricity back yesterday after a week of candlelit nights, so I’m washing towels. Thank God! We were almost out of towels. But really, I am very thankful. It could have been much worse and was for some people.

Thank you for all the prayers and good energy during the hurricane!

PS. I just thought about my childhood stuffed animals, supposedly inanimate objects who I thought of as real, and remembered this part of The Veleveteen Rabbit.

…

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt was: flower/flour

For more information on Saturday Stream of Consciousness, visit Linda at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/09/21/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-22-18/

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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 Turnaround that went Oops in the Night

My Bike and Doodle, aka, Doodle Bug

It had been several months since I took my bike out for a spin. But Thursday night, I was determined to go catch up with my husband who was out walking Doodle our coon hound. First I had to walk Marigold who is 16 and very slow. She wants to go for walks with Doodle, but she can’t keep up anymore.

Marigold, aka, Mary Moo, aka Moodle

I wanted to ride with Doodle and David so I could ward off wayward dogs on the loose because Doodle does not like other dogs. She wants her people all to herself but will tolerate Marigold. I figured I could at least alert David to loose dogs on his route. But I got out  of the gate late.

Hunting for David and Doodle, I turned around a few times in the wide space of quiet intersections. Quiet because it was night time. Riding my bike felt good – the wind in my hair and remembering all those years I rode my ten speed everywhere back in the day. But this bike is not my sleek old ten speed. I took the big turnarounds okay in the intersections, but when I finally spotted my pack members and tried to make a turnaround on the street, my clunky yard sale Schwinn didn’t turn like my old ten speed. I couldn’t break with my hand and turn at the same time because it’s one of those you have to pedal backwards to slow down. Anyway, I toppled over at the end of the turn.

It’s funny that I was more embarrassed at the time than worried about injury. But I scraped up my knee real good and have a bruise on my other leg. (I’d show you a picture, but it would be gross.) I did however pick myself and my bike up and continued to ride home.

I decided I should not go swimming in the ocean yesterday with my friend. The wound was still too fresh and I didn’t want to risk attracting sharks. But I will be swimming on Sunday when my son and his family come to visit.

And I will be on my bike again once I’m well-healed. I just have to be more careful on the turnarounds. Better to go straight or get off the bike and walk it around.

One more thing. The summer is not over yet. Fall doesn’t start until September 22. So don’t rush my summer away. There’s still time to swim and bike and play around.

Today’s prompt for Saturday Stream of consciousness was, “round.” We could use it as a word by itself or use a word that contains it.

For more information and to join in the fun, visit Linda Hill at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/31/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-sept-1-18/

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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!

Time Flies and Dragonflies

You’ve probably noticed we have a new badge. I love the colors and will enjoy using it. Congratulations to Pamela on a great job!

Have you noticed that time flies faster and faster lately. Is is just because I’m older and the toilet paper rolls faster as you get closer to the end of the roll?

Maybe that’s why I love to take pictures – to capture moments in time – proof that it happened. If not for the photos, I’d wonder, did I miss July? How did it get to be the end of August already?

SLOW DOWN.

I have stuff to do, but I don’t like to rush. I want to make my time count to be meaningful. What does that mean? I don’t want to waste time worrying, but I do sometimes. I want to give my time to things that feed my soul. I want to notice smiles and sunsets. More than notice, I want to soak them in, breathe the air and notice the difference between morning air and ocean air in the evening. I want to notice birds singing and dragonflies zipping around my backyard and watch them land and be still.

This one is checking out my clothespin. Probably doesn’t see many clothespins these days.

When I used to work with drug addicts they’d tell me when they got clean and sober, they started to notice things like birds singing and flowers – things they didn’t notice before. What if there are things we don’t notice because we are addicted to being busy? Sometimes the busyness is out of necessity. But is it really?

Take a moment. What do you notice? Where do you want to focus your attention?

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt is the word, “notice.”

To learn more, visit our host, Linda G. Hill at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/24/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-25-18/

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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!

Psychic Rustic Fairy Wears Elastic Waistbands While Avoiding Toxic People and Recycling Plastic (It must be SoCS)

Here’s Linda’s prompt for today:

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “-ic or -ical.” Find a word that uses the suffix “-ic” or “-ical.” Bonus points if you use both. Have fun!”

A list is developing in my head, and since we’re not supposed to plan much in the world of Stream of Consciousness, I better get to writing this post early.

The first word that came to me was psychic. I think I have some psychic ability. Maybe we all do, but business gets in the way. Or maybe it helps, like when I can’t find where I put something and tell my body to take me to it. I find the thing I misplaced when I’m not thinking in a linear or logical (bonus points!) way. I don’t know if that’s psychic. There’s probably a psychological (bonus points!) reason for psychic ability. But lets not ignore the spiritual realm, in fact lets, honor it. I’ve gotten vibes from beyond a few times.

Toxic. I’m trying to limit my contact with toxic people or situations. They might even be people I love. But I have to be careful not to become a recluse. Nah, that’s not going to happen. I do volunteer work and my husband will get me out of the house. But I do love to be home in my house or in my backyard when it’s not so hot and the mosquitoes  aren’t attacking me. I try to blow them off, but lately they’re getting on my nerves. I have to admit, I’ve smacked some of them when they get in my house. Facebook has been toxic to me recently, so I’m limiting my time there. I even set my phone timer one day for ten minutes and went to 15.

Elastic. I have come to appreciate elastic waist bands. More than I ever thought I would. Elastic waist bands are the bomb.

Rustic is my decorating style, with a touch of fairy dust. Rustic fairy, yep, that’s my style. It comes from my childhood tomboy  (though I don’t really like that word anymore so much) and my enjoyment of enchanted sparkle, butterflies, and the forest. Hope I’m not making you sick. Oh, well, too bad. This is my blog and that’s what I like.

 

Plastic. Now lets get serious for a moment. Plastic is a problem. Can you imagine life without plastic? I’m going to try. Some countries and cities are going to ban plastic. That’s okay with me. It will be a process. I wouldn’t mind friendly nudges. I almost never use plastic straws, unless I forget to say, “no straw,” and the person puts a straw in my smoothie with the paper wrapper on the top of the straw. I didn’t get mad last time that happened because I had gotten a gelato sample a few seconds earlier. I sometimes remember to bring my own reusable plastic cup or container from the Chinese food place. PLEASE stop with the styrofoam!  At least plastic is recyclable. So please recycle plastic!

The Saturday Stream of Consciousness is brought to you by Linda G. Hill. For more streams, visit:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/17/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-aug-18-18/

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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!

#SoCS Badge Contest Entry for 2018

Here’s my #SoCS badge entry for 2018. I used a photo I took at the beach. It reminds me of the tidal pools my kids used to play in when they were little, but this one was more of a stream than a pool.

The  Saturday Stream of Consciousness is buckets of fun! For more information on the contest and to see other entries, visit Linda G. Hill at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/16/its-time-for-the-5th-annual-socs-badge-contest/

Thank You, Body

Today’s Stream of Consciousness prompt is: bodily functions

Bodily functions do not work as well as we get older. Some days they work fine, but you never know. Or maybe you do know if you over did the yard work again and the body is slower and stiffer the next day. We learn to pace ourselves, to be gentle. Except when we don’t and think we’re 20 or 30. The body reminds us we are older.

I wonder if this is nature’s way of preparing us to move on from the body. We become more spiritual perhaps.

My body is getting better all the time at giving me feedback – to stretch more, to take a nap, to not eat dairy like I used to. For years now, my body tells me I’m too stressed by giving me acid reflux or gas or a headache from too much time on the computer. Thanks, body, my old friend. What will I ever do without you? Fly to see the northern lights? How will my eyes see if they are gone? Maybe I will see more clearly. I hope so.

But for now, I’ll stay a while and try to take good care of my body – my feet which I take so for granted- need lotion. I need to take some deep breaths to move the oxygen in and open up. Thank you, body.

PS: Sometimes I think it would be more authentic to make my profile picture reflect my  current age. The one I have been using is at least ten years old. Maybe today’s the day. Or maybe not.

 

This is how I really look now. Well, not now as I type this, but most of the time out in public.

…

Stream of Consciousness Saturday is brought to you by Linda G. Hill. Find more streams and join the fun at:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-11-18/

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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!

Calling a Soulmate (Or Any Heart’s Desire)

“Use the word, call or any word that contains those letters in that order.” That’s our prompt for today’s Stream of Consciousness.

“Calling Your Soulmate Home” was the title of my work in progress, but since it’s a How to book, I’m probably going with, How to Find Your Soulmate While Loving Yourself. It’s the short (recipe) version of Trust the Timing, the recipe I didn’t plan, but the one that worked to bring my soulmate home to me.

Calling your soulmate home sounds like he left and you want him to come back, like he just went out for a while and you’re calling him home for dinner. So, Finding Your Soulmate might be easier to understand as a title.

Here’s a quick preview of the table of contents:

Clarify Your Heart’s Desires

Request Help from the Divine

Learn to Love Yourself

Focus on Friendship

Imagine the Best

It’ll be a short book, like I said, a recipe that worked for me. But it could also work for other things besides finding (or calling home) a soulmate. It could work for finding the best job, a new home, peace of mind, whatever your heart desires most.

It took  a while for my soulmate to hear my call, for him to find me, but that’s because we were both still getting ready – learning the lessons we needed to learn – to work on our stuff together. Sometimes it takes a while for the call to reach the one and for the one to be ready.

Today’s prompt also conjured up this musical. I remember my parent’s watching it when I was a young child and thought it was the corniest thing. Maybe I wasn’t that young if I thought it was corny. Anyway, they must have watched it more than once because it sure stuck in my head. I think the following version is from a re-make of the original black and white movie, Rose Marie. I like the setting. And today, I can appreciate their voices, even though I don’t usually like opera. It’s more of a musical than an opera.

For more Streams of Consciousness, or to add your own stream, visit our host, Linda Hill by clicking the link below:

https://lindaghill.com/2018/08/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-august-4-18/

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. I will post the prompt here on my blog every 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 will simply be a single word to get you 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 all of them! 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 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!