Mental Roadblock

Written for the 30-day creative writing challenge hosted by Nicky and Mike of We Work For Cheese.  Today's prompt is A Roadblock.

 

There are all kinds of roadblocks.  The ones we see on the street are easily overcome by a detour directing us around the event that caused the blockage.  

Bloggers face roadblocks too.  We stare at blank screens until our eyes glaze over like the remnants of yesterday's donuts.  We mark out endless lines of slumber-inducing stories written after too much indulgence has turned our brains too mush.  Mental roadblocks are the worst because there are no detours, no signs and no one directing our mental traffic around the barricades.

Now let's check in with Bonnie Blogger to see what's on her mind.

Nothing.  That's what's on my mind.  It's blank!  My mind is a total blank.  I am supposed to write a post every day for 30 days and what have I got?  This is only day 2 and I am blanking out. I've got nothing here.  Geez, what was I thinking? 

What I thought was that having a goal would help me get back on track, get back to my blogging roots.  I mean you can only depend on picture posts for so long.  But no!  I have a list of 30 pre-selected topics and I totally freeze.  The cheese has already been devoured, and the next course food-related topic isn't until day 12.

I can probably use my cats for days 7 & 10.  Day 8 is easy, and 18 is probably good too.  Day 30 is a common saying around here. 

There should be a day devoted to wine.  Oh wait, I think that's day 26, and I don't know if I can hang on that long.  Who came up with these crazy prompts anyway?  I know, I know, they asked for suggestions, but did I offer any?  Noooo, I just sat back and waited to see what the powers that be decided we should write about.  

I could be writing about a tropical paradise, about lying in a hammock sipping exotic drinks from a pineapple with fancy little paper umbrellas and being fanned by handsome natives whose only English consists of "yes" and "would you like another"?

I could be writing about...well you get the idea.  But no, I had to wait and see.  Therefore, I am at the mercy of two insane creative folks and their equally insane creative list of topics.  All of which are barring my way to scoring the coveted 500 point post.  Major mental roadblock in progress.

Likely by the time this is over I'll need to get on the waiting list for therapy since I hear those who took part in the last challenge are still there.  

So, there sits Bonnie Blogger, gulping copious amounts of drinking wine and weeping over an crumb-covered plate once filled with cheese, desperately wishing she had two mildly amusing words to put together.

More Cheese, Please

Written for the 30-day creative writing challenge hosted by Nicky and Mike of We Work For Cheese.  Today's prompt is cheese.

Cheese, cheese, beautiful cheese

Provolone, Swiss and Edam

Colby, Jack and Muenster, too

You just can't beat 'em

A plate of Havarti, creamy and fine
So lovely with a glass of wine

For my pizza I gotta say
Mozzarella makes my day

Gouda, oh Gouda, smokey or plain

Drives my Quesadillas insane

Mac and cheese down on the farm
With lots of Cheddar and a little Parm

What more can I say about this food prepared from the pressed curd of milk?  More cheese, please!

Beauty in the Sky

Some sights just demand you run and get your camera, or in this case my phone.  This doesn't do justice to the beauty I saw in the sky that afternoon.

This was taken a few days earlier, after a rain shower.  The sun has to but cast his rays upon the earth to make us smile with wonder. 

The camera doesn't lie, but it doesn't always pick up the subtleties we see with our eyes.  Still, we have the pictures to remind us of what our eyes saw.

Quote of the Week

Minnesota 2011

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.   - Henry Ward Beecher

The best artistic expression comes from within ourselves.  I think the painting on the side of this building shows this very well, and reflects the many faces and places of the city.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend.

A Sticky Situation

Photo credit:  Stephen Craven

Along the winding path and into the dense foliage walked the boy following the yips of a puppy.  He'd always wanted a puppy.

He found him trapped in a briar patch, whimpering as the thorns stabbed his tender nose.

As the boy freed the wriggling mass, the puppy jumped up and down and licked his face.

Written for the Gman of Friday Flash 55 fame, as he recovers from a serious illness. We look forward to his return.

Shades of Green

I love the way the

trees caress the summer sky

shades of green on blue

Written for dVerse poetry.

Quote of the Week

Target practice - my latest adventure.

 Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried something new. - Albert Einstein

Life is full of new adventures; give it a shot!

Miss Molly

If you ask me about any of my feline friends, I would say he or she is or was just the sweetest thing.  These are the words of a true cat lover.  Yet they are all different.  Each cat is a unique entity with his or her own special personality.  Each has their own way of bonding with the people they share their homes with.  That's right, nobody truly owns a cat.  They let us live with them.

This was Molly.  She was a very special lady, long and slender with a tail to make any cat proud.  Molly came to live with us when she was 3 1/2 years old.  Her story is told in more detail here.

 

1998 - 2007

As you see, she liked to help me at the computer.  I would be sitting there working on something, oblivious to the world, and feel this tap on my leg..."Hi Mama".   Other times she would just launch straight to the back of my chair.  I would be startled, but she never missed.  This was her way of bonding with me.  It was our special thing.

Like most cats, she liked the high places, and would frequently be found sitting on top of the bookcase.

I'm on top of the world.

Am I not just the sweetest thing ever?

We miss you, Molly!

Mystery Man

I found him in the Ladies Room last night.  What do you think his story is?

Hey Lady!
Can you see me?

 Where am I?

How did I get here?

Quote of the Week

The mighty Oak was once a little nut that 

stood its ground. - Unknown

Photo Credit:  Reellady

Dig in, stand fast and reach tall.  Anything is possible if you have good roots.

 

Mother's Day Special

Me, Mommy, and Grammy

Today is Mother's Day, a day set aside to honor our mothers, grandmothers, mother-in-laws, and/or any other special women in our lives.  

Mothers are more than just the givers of life, they are teachers and playmates.  They are entertainers and magicians.  They are chauffeurs and coaches.  They are adversaries during our trying teen years, and ultimately, our friends for life. They are the nurturers of our mind, body and soul.

They bandage our cuts and scrapes, and tend to our broken hearts.  They listen as we share our disappointments and joyously applaud our successes.  They surprise us with treats just to see us smile, and replace balloons that go pop when they hit the ground.  

And even when we are grown and on our own, they still bring us soup when we're sick, and hold our hands when life isn't fair and tell us it will be all right.

This is what mothers do.  Not because they have to...there are no rule books and no penalties.  They do this because they love us.  A mother's love is a powerful potion.

Let us honor our Mothers, not just on Mother's Day, but everyday.

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.  I miss you!

Truth or Fiction? Take It With a Grain of Salt

Do you wonder where some of the expressions we use everyday come from?  I do.  So when I used the expression "take it with a grain of salt" in a post, I knew I had to explore it further.  In my ongoing quest to find the answers to life's everyday questions, I turned to Google.  Doesn't everyone?  As with most expressions, there are variations on the origin.

First we find that having "salt in your pumpkin" is a good thing.  Now when I think of pumpkins, I naturally think of pie, don't you.  Anyway, in Italy pumpkin is another way of saying head, and "a grain of salt" often refers to intelligence.  All of which is a roundabout way of saying that if you have salt in your pumpkin you are someone with intelligence and good reasoning skills.

Wieliczka Salt Mine by Anna Strummillo

In it's Latin form, "cum grano salis" is often used when the situation at hand requires care and good personal judgment.

The Modern English version of "take it with a grain of salt", is really saying "don't take this seriously".  In other words, don't believe everything you hear.  When I was a kid, Mom would sometimes say that when I would tell her something I'd heard from some of the neighbors who were apt to embellish a bit on the facts.

Going all the way back to 77 A.D. it was written that a grain of salt was an ingredient in an antidote for poisoning, indicating that the effects of the poison may be moderated by taking a grain of salt.  Along these same lines, salt was once believed to have healing properties, and thus eating or drinking anything with a grain of salt was a form of preventative medicine.  Now we are told to limit our salt intake for health reasons, but it is also said that history repeats itself. 

What are some of your favorite expressions?

Standing Tall

Stretched by the waning sun

I am likened to a tree

From my shadow

I cannot flee

Written for dVerse Poetry.

Quote of the Week

A true friend is one who thinks you are a good egg even if you are half-cracked.  - Author Unknown

Are you talking about me?

Good friends are the true treasures in the basket of life.

My Buddy

I have boxes full of pictures taken before we had a digital camera, so why not take advantage of the wealth.  Looking back to early 2001, we see Dood in an over-sized kennel.

I'm here for you!

When Dood (short for Doodle) was just a baby, he lost his mama and was adopted by Red, an old Tom.  Dood, like most kittens, loved to explore and apparently found his way under the hood of a car.  Regrettably his tail was injured when the car was started.  

He was friendly, but skittish about being picked up, so we worked with him to gain his trust. The smaller carrier on the left is how we rounded him up for a trip to the vet.  I left it open and he wandered in and I closed the door behind him.  Uh, what now?  Take him to vet, of course.  What?  Here was this never before contained kitten, that I had to single-handedly take to the vet.  This isn't what we'd planned...it just happened.  So, looking somewhat like a wild thing myself, I grabbed my keys and away we went.  

I was trying to keep him and me calm - singing, praying, and all the while figuring he would never trust me again.  I had called hubby and he called the vet to tell them we were coming, and that I'd probably need a sedative (no, unfortunately they can't give people sedatives).   

Sadly, he had to have part of his tail amputated, and while he was there we had him neutered, too.  We borrowed the large dog kennel from the Humane Society, and turned it into a mini suite, complete with a loft perch for him to enjoy while he convalesced.  His 10-day confinement allowed us to give his medication on schedule.  Like any good friend, Red was never far away, so we provided him a comfortable place to visit.  

Here they are several years later in their "summer house".  They were the best of friends for years. 

Me and my buddy

Changes

Life unfolds before me

Like scenes within a play

Who rewrote the story

Rewind to yesterday

When the sun was shining
And my spirits they did soar
Where is the silver lining
In clouds along the shore

Posted for dVerse Poetry

Quote of the Week

Guy playing guitar on the beach

When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.

When you put aside your fears you grow stronger.

When you put aside your doubts you grow more confident.

When you put aside your prejudices you become more open minded.

When you put aside your negative thoughts you become a more positive person.

Embrace your new identity.

Traveling Cat?

Ahhh...zzzzzz

No, Sophie doesn't travel.  What she does do is eagerly await her Daddy's return no matter whether he's been away for a week, at work for the day or out for an hour.

This was the scene one day as I was unpacking his overnight bag.  There are two favorites in her life.  One is her Daddy, and the other is finding great snuggly places.

This is the best of both worlds - she can nestle in with stuff that smells like her favorite human.  It just doesn't get any better!

Designer Blues

“Well this just sucks,” Amy complained bitterly to her friend, Sharon, as they tried on designer jeans.  She had been a six forever, and now she was squeezing into a size ten.  On her wedding day everyone raved about how she looked in that figure-hugging gown of satin and lace.  Ever since her divorce, however, things went downhill while her weight crept upward.

“Cheer up” replied Sharon, “you still look great.  I saw that TDH checking you out at the club last week.”  TDH in their code stood for tall, dark and handsome, or in today’s lingo, a "hot guy".

“Yeah, I camouflage it very well," she said wryly.  "Some days I convince myself it’s not so bad, and other days I rationalize that I’m not the only one whose waistline has expanded or have parts that jiggle that were never meant to.”

“C’mon, let’s get a smoothie” Sharon suggested, hoping to take her friend’s mind off her woes.  “We’ll get one of those healthified ones made with fat-free frozen yogurt and skim milk.”

“All right,” Amy agreed.  “I haven’t had lunch yet anyway.  Hey, maybe I’ll renew my membership at the gym.  I sure won’t change my life sitting on the couch watching Law and Order reruns.”

“Atta girl!  I may just join you.  What have I got to lose?”

Ann sighed.  “In my case, about twenty pounds!”

Two weeks later Amy and Sharon met at the gym after work.  They each had set up a workout schedule, and Sharon was excited to see her body changing.  “I’ve already lost an inch around my waist” she exclaimed.  “That’s awesome!”

“I’m glad one of us is seeing some results,” Amy said glumly.  “I’ve lost about five pounds, but apparently in all the wrong places, if you know what I mean.  I might have to look into one of those low-cost tummy tucks.  If I lose weight, but still have lumpy, bumpy fat bulging out, what’s the point.  Covering up only works so long, you know?  Soon it will be time for swim suits.  Arrrrgggghhhh!

“Well, there’s that,” responded Sharon with a groan as she put down her weights.  “I know. How about liposuction.  I’ve got a cousin who had liposuction to lose some excess weight.  It worked for her, and she looks fantastic.”

"I guess it's something to think about," said Amy, already imagining herself at the beach in a brand new hot pink bikini.

Quote of the Week

Love makes everything grow. - unknown

 

There may be a time, a place and a reason for all things, but love makes them grow. Without love we would wither like a forgotten flower.