Share Your World – 2015 Week #11

List 2 things you have to be happy about?

I am usually a happy person, but this week did not start out very well for me because I was hospitalized over the weekend. But never fear, the good doctors and nurses had me back in shape in no time, thank goodness! I’ve grown used to being in and out of the hospital over the past ten years, so it really was nothing new to me. So the first thing that I’m happy about is that I only had to stay in the hospital over the weekend and no longer than that!

The second thing I’m happy about is that when I returned to my doctor today he gave me a clean bill of health, which means that I can go ahead and have my cataract surgery next week, which I’m really thrilled about! And that means that I will never have to wear glasses again, and I’ve been wearing them ever since I’ve been five and that’s been over fifty years. Can you believe that? I wonder if the indentations on my nose from my glasses will ever go away? What do you think?

Do you prefer ketchup or mustard or mayonnaise?

I detest ketchup. I cannot stand mustard. And I hate mayonnaise. And my husband always says the same thing to me whenever we have hamburgers: “I just don’t understand how you can eat your hamburger without anything on it except for cheese. You are such a plain-Jane when it comes to eating, honey. You need to spice up your food a little, for Pete’s sake.” I guess I’ve always been a fussy eater. I’d tell you why this is, but then we’d have to delve deeper into my life history, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to hear about all those boring details right now. But maybe at another time I’ll tell you if you really want to know . . .   

If you were to paint a picture of your childhood, what colors would you use? 

I grew up as the middle child of seven children, which goes without saying that life could be pretty interesting at times, terribly frustrating at other times, wildly happy a lot of the time, and usually hectic most of the time. And when I look back on it now, I’d have to say that I have very fond memories of my childhood, even though we were a low-income family. But you know what? We kids didn’t even realize it because we had what we needed; maybe not what we wanted, but what we needed, and the most important thing we needed was the love and support of each other. So, looking back on my childhood, I have very fond memories. And I’d have to say that the colors I would use to paint my childhood picture would be all the colors of the rainbow. I’d use the darker colors for the sadder and darker days that we all experienced, and the brighter colors for those happier times filled with warmth, love, laughing, and fun. And with all those colors, I think that my picture might turn out pretty great!

Do you prefer a bath or shower?

I usually prefer a shower because it is quicker. I also like taking a shower because it’s easier to wash your hair in the shower, right? I do enjoy taking a nice, warm bubble bath when I feel the need to relax. I fill up the tub with just that oh-so-perfect water temperature, then I light a few candles, turn down the lights, and play my favorite tunes. Then it’s time to step into the tub, gently sinking into the nice, warm, sudsy water,  while I slowly let all my worries and tensions just float away . . . 

Bonus question:  What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

I live in Minnesota and last week I was grateful that the last of our winter snow melted. Yes! I am a hardy Minnesotan, mind you, and I’ve lived here all my life and I love it. But I am always glad to see the last of the snow melt because that means that spring is just around the corner, and as I write this, Spring officially starts today – YAY! Welcome Spring!

Next week I am looking forward to having my cataract surgery done on Thursday. The first surgery will be done on my left eye and then two weeks later they will do the second surgery on my right eye. After that, I will no longer wear glasses. To tell you the truth, I am a little nervous. I’ve had many surgeries, but I’ve never been quite this nervous about a surgery before. I think it has something to do with the fact that they are going to operate on my eyes. I’m not sure, but I think that’s the reason why. I know that’s probably illogical, but I guess I just can’t help it. I am excited about it, but I will be glad when it’s over.

I’m glad we had this time together and I’d like to thank you for spending it with me. I’m so pleased that I was able to share a bit about about myself and my world with you and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Best,

 

 

 

 

 

This post is presented as part of the Share Your World Challenge. If you’d like to be part of this great activity, please click here:

Cee’s Share Your World Challenge

 

 

 

 

 

A Trip Home from the Theater

One hot, muggy Saturday afternoon in the summer of August, 2009, my husband and I decided we needed to get out of the house and into some air conditioning. Our old house wasn’t equipped with a central air conditioning unit yet, and this particular Minnesota summer had been unusually uncomfortable.

So we thought it would be a great idea to spend a few hours in an air-conditioned movie theater. I don’t remember which movie we viewed, but I do remember the feeling of being there. It was a lovely treat, sitting in the cool theater which smelled of buttery popcorn and chocolate. It was a welcome respite; those couple of hours of residing in the cool, air-conditioned theater, lost in a world of make-believe.

When the movie finished, I dreaded having to leave because I knew it meant returning home to face the stifling, muggy heat of our house. However, I knew the time had to come sooner or later, so I resigned myself to the fact that I might as well make the best of it.

We strolled out of the theater together, hand in hand, moving slowly behind the rest of the crowd, in no hurry to go back out into the heat. The closer and closer we came to the exit door, the more slowly we strolled. Eventually we stepped outside into the sultry warmth, and it was not pleasant. It was the kind of temperature change that practically hit you in the face the second you walked out through the door.

As we walked towards our car, we discussed going out to dinner, ambling leisurely down the aisle in the parking lot, in no hurry to locate our car. The brief relief from the heat had put both of us into a good mood.

In no time at all, we arrived at the spot where our mini-van was parked. I had been driving the family van ever since we had bought it brand-new six years before, and she was still running like a champ. When we were together, my husband preferred to drive — some sort of male ego thing, I suppose — so I always let him. He used the automatic key unlock mechanism hanging from his key chain when we were about four feet away from the car.

I still was in no hurry to step into our van, because I knew how warm it would be on the inside. Even as I opened the van door, I could feel the even warmer air of the van quickly escape. I slowly sat down in the passenger’s seat just as my husband was getting into the driver’s seat. I sat there for a moment and then, at the same time, my husband and I looked at each other and we said in unison, “This isn’t our van!”

You have never seen two adults exit a vehicle faster than we did at this particular moment in time! We quickly closed the doors and walked speedily away, hoping the owner was nowhere nearby. We thought for sure we would be arrested for grand theft auto! Fortunately for us, the owner must have still been inside the theater watching a different film.

Once we located our mini-van and were safely seated inside, my husband turned on the engine, and we laughed so hard that we didn’t even notice the steamy temperature inside our van.

But it’s a good thing we weren’t arrested. I don’t know if I could have done hard time in prison. But I do wonder … are prisons air-conditioned?

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “Those who cannot remember the past will spend a lot of time looking for their cars in mall parking lots.”  ~ Jay Trachman

 

Beyond the Earth

 

Stars twinkling in the moonlit sky,

Shining brilliantly, a breathtaking sight to behold,

Each one waiting with a secret to be discovered.

How long before we mere mortals can reach them?

 

Planets — more than we can even acknowledge,

Exist in other galaxies, in far too many than we can even count.

The possibilities are endless if we ever journey to these planets.

What secrets could we unlock there? What life may exist there?

 

Galaxies, infinite beyond number; are lying out there in the great beyond,

Awaiting to be discovered; galaxies to be observed that we have never laid eyes on before,

Beyond the Milky Way, beyond any galaxies that we could even know,

Who will be the first to behold these magnificent sights, these most awesome of wonders?

I Love Chocolate

Oooh . . .  Which flavor do I love? There is no question whatsoever! Chocolate has been and always will be my favorite flavor. You can ask any woman and I think that she will tell you that chocolate is the go-to flavor. I could be wrong about this, of course, but every woman who I know absolutely adores chocolate.

After all, what is Valentine’s Day all about? Uh-huh! Chocolate. We do anticipate receiving those heart-shaped ribbon-wrapped boxes filled with those sweet chocolate confections of all varieties – coconut, maple, vanilla, pecan, caramel, orange, butternut . . . ooh . . . it just makes my mouth water to think of it! 

And you must admit that a box of chocolates is always a great way for any man to show his love and adoration for his woman. It’s a nice gift for any birthday or anniversary. Of course, it shouldn’t be the ONLY gift that you should give to the woman who you love, but it makes for a nice additional gift. It’s also a nice little gift for any day, for those days when there’s nothing going on, just to show that you love her.

I love chocolate in any form, whether it’s from the box, in a cake, or in ice cream form. I even love chocolate milk or hot chocolate. Chocolate soothes me. I think chocolate is luxurious. It makes me feel so good. It just relaxes me. There’s just something about chocolate that I absolutely love. And it tastes so good. I love its sweetness and smoothness.

Yes, oh yes. Chocolate is my flavor. I love chocolate.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt! ”  ~ Lucy Van Pelt in Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz

 

 

Minnesota is the Place for Me

I am a true-blue Minnesotan, born and raised here, and I have lived here all my life. I absolutely love the changing of the seasons.

Yes, I agree that sometimes the winters can be hard, with temperatures sometimes reaching the sub-zero mark and the wind chills dipping to 30 and 40 degrees below zero. What do we do on those days? We have learned that piling on layers of clothing works best. It’s definitely a life style that we have learned to live with. And drinking hot liquids such as hot chocolate and snuggling underneath quilts do help, that’s for sure. But then again, watching the big fluffy snowflakes fall gently from the skies above is quite a sight to see, and it’s a sight that I would truly miss if I lived somewhere that didn’t receive snow. I think I would definitely miss that lovely sight.

And then there’s the spring time, when all the snow finally melts away, and the green buds peek their heads above ground and begin to bloom – the daffodils, tulips, and iris. That’s when you know that spring has finally arrived. It’s truly such a joyful time. The birds finally come home and begin to sing their happy bird song high in their nests in the trees. The squirrels are scampering in the branches above us, fighting over their nuts once again. And at our house, we know that spring has finally arrived when the apple tree which hangs over our deck blossoms, just in time for Mother’s Day. Who doesn’t love the spring time?

The spring gives way to summer, with her warmer days and nights. We celebrate those days with family picnics, days on the beach, fishing and camping trips, hikes, family get-togethers at my sister’s lake home at Mille Lacs Lake, lazy days on our deck, and just being together outside. Granted, we do have our share of summer storms and some tornado warnings, but we place those in the “excitement” category, and we’re used to it.  It just means another trip to the basement, as far as we’re concerned. Besides, I don’t mind a good summer storm every now and then, as long as my family is safe while the lightning flashes and the thunder booms.

And then comes my favorite season of all – autumn. I absolutely love autumn. I love the way that Mother Nature paints the leaves on the trees with splashes of red, orange, gold, yellow, brown, and tan. It’s such a beautiful sight. And I love the way that the autumn air smells – crisp and bold to the nostrils. And I love the sound of autumn. I love the way the autumn leaves sound as you walk through them with their crunch and crinkle beneath your feet. And to me, autumn is the perfect temperature. All you need to wear is just a light jacket. Yes, I love the feel of the light autumn breeze on my face. Sometimes I wish that autumn would go on forever because it’s so beautiful. I’m always a bit sad when the first snowfall comes and I have to say good-bye to autumn.

So you see, there’s really no other place that I’d rather be than Minnesota. There’s no beach, no mountain, no forest, no island, no place else that can compare. Just Minnesota for me. Give me Minnesota and I will be happy. Only Minnesota for me. Minnesota. That’s my home.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  ”

I grew up in Minnesota and everyone is so nice there. It’s like Fargo. Everyone’s so chipper and you make friends just grocery shopping. We kill each other with kindness.”  ~ Seann William Scott

 

 

My Best Event

I’m Going to Miss “U”

I positively love every single word that we speak, and as a writer, I know it’s going to be a very demanding task to write this blog post and eliminate a letter of the alphabet at the same time, especially a vowel; however, I’m going to give it a whirl. Let’s see how I do!

It seems to me that every letter of the alphabet is as important as the next one; otherwise they’d not have been allocated there by the creators in the first place, right? Well, at least that is my modest opinion.

Here’s a little history. Please let me inform everyone that the alphabet goes all the way back to the second millennial B.C. It can be traced to ancient Egypt; however, the first real alphabet comes from the Greek alphabet, which was adapted from the Phoenicians. The alphabet which is practiced mostly today is the Latin alphabet. As one can tell from reading the sentences which have gone before this, I adore history, so I can’t help myself by mentioning a few facts!

As for myself, in writing this blog entry so far, I have been laboring over my laptop trying so hard not to type the vowel that I will not type; however, it has been very hard, to say the least. I have been looking at words in the book that gives synonyms (I’m positive that one knows which book I’m speaking of) so that I will be able to not type that certain vowel. Is that cheating? I hope not!

I am finding that I am very limited in my writing by not being able to type that certain vowel that I’ve been trying to avoid; it has been very trying, indeed! I don’t think that I like being limited in this fashion, and I certainly hope that this vowel is not eliminated from the alphabet, for I think that if it is, it will be a sad day, indeed.

And think of how sad it might be for the children when they sing the “Alphabet Song.” Why, the entire song will have to be revised! They’d have to skip over that letter, and I don’t think the song will ever be the same again.

 

 

Besides that, I rather like that there are 26 letters of the alphabet. I was born on the 26th day of the eighth month of the year. So as anyone can see, I can’t name the month – it has the vowel that I can’t name, right? And I like that it is even, not odd.

Okay, I think I’m finished. Finally. Thank goodness. Now give me back my vowel. I rather like my letter . . .

“U”

Ah, yes . . . I’ve missed you so much!

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “The alphabet begins with ABC, numbers begin with 123, music begins with do-re-mi, and friendship begins with you and me.”  ~ Author Unknown

Happy 60th Birthday Mike

Today marks the passage

Of yet another year

In the life of my husband,

The man whom I hold dear.

 

Today he’s turning sixty,

So we must celebrate

The fact that I’m so happy

He was born upon this date.

 

He’s nice to everyone he meets;

He treats them all like friends.

He always thinks of others first,

And kindness he extends.

 

As a husband, he is wonderful.

I couldn’t ask for more.

He’s always there when I need him,

And he causes my heart to soar.

 

As a father, he’s the very best,

You couldn’t find a better dad.

If you ask our children, they will say

That a better dad could not be had.

 

And so, for lack of better words,

I would only like to say

To this wonderful man whom I love so much:

Happy 60th Birthday!

 

I LOVE YOU, MIKE ! ! !

Now Fly, Fly!

 

 

We all heard the Wicked Witch of the West say:

“I want those ruby red slippers and Dorothy Gale right away.”

 So we winged flying monkeys flew on the fastest flight path

Because we all wanted to avoid the Wicked Witch’s wrath.

 

 

 

 

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Written From My Heart

As we all know, it is probably the wish of every writer to write a book which will be read by millions of people, right? And since I am one of those writers, I am no different.

I have always wanted to write the “great American novel.” As a matter of fact, did you know that there’s even a definition for the “great American novel?”

Oh, yes. I looked it up, and according to Wikipedia, the “Great American Novel” is defined as:  The concept of a novel that is distinguished in both craft and theme as being the most accurate representation of the spirit of the age in the United States at the time of its writing or in the time it is set. It is presumed to be written by an American author who is knowledgeable about the state, culture, and perspective of the common American citizen. The author uses the literary work to identify and exhibit the language used by the American people of the time and to capture the unique American experience, especially as it is perceived for the time. In historical terms, it is sometimes equated as being the American response to the national epic. 

Therefore, if you go by that description, it’s easy to see why a writer would want to write such a book.

Just think about what writing such a book would do for a person; namely: Fame and Fortune.

First, there’s the fame that goes along with such an achievement. As the author of this book, people would recognize you wherever you go. Crowds of adoring fans would gather, with everyone clamoring for your autograph on the book that you’ve written and that they have purchased. You’d probably be asked to appear on television programs like The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, or any of a number of other television programs, just to be interviewed about your bestselling book. As a matter of fact, these shows would probably be involved in a bidding war over who would be lucky enough to have you appear on their show.

And then there’s the fortune that comes with it. It only stands to reason that if you write a bestselling novel being purchased by millions of people that you are going to make a good deal of money from those sales, right? And all those television appearances – I wonder how much a person is compensated for making those appearances? I’m sure that it’s no small amount. And if those shows are in a bidding war, as I described above, then you would be compensated even more handsomely, right? And just think of how a person’s lifestyle would change after making all that money. A person could buy a bigger house, a more expensive car, etc. The possibilities are endless.

But I wonder . . . would a person truly be happy?

Perhaps someone else would be, but I don’t think I would. These two things – fame and fortune – have never mattered to me – ever. You can ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that this is true. I don’t care about having a big house or a brand new expensive car or any other luxury items and I never have. I happen to know that it’s not having “things” in life that make a person happy. And fame? I only care that the people whom I love and care for know me – my family and my friends. They’re the ones who matter to me, not the entire world.

Therefore, I’d much rather write a book that is meaningful, a worthwhile book that is studied and admired by a few, a book that I can be proud of. And if that book is studied and admired by people for decades, then that would be the best part of all. This means that I would be remembered for my work long after I am gone, and that is indeed something worth striving for.

So, you can have the fame and fortune. They are but fleeting commodities. I may never write “the great American novel,” but I will be happy doing what I do best, and that is writing from my heart.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:  “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” ~ William Wordsworth

 

 

 

 

 

I Am . . .

Typing words with my fingers on the keyboard of my laptop, I become Writer.

Making music with my fingers on the keyboard of my piano, I become Musician.

Darning my husband’s socks and preparing his supper, I become Wife.

Listening to my children and giving them advice, I become Mother.

Feeding my dog and taking her for a walk, I become Mistress.

Saying hello to the people next door and watching for strangers, I become Neighbor.

Being concerned for the poor and oppressed, I become Citizen of the World.

Doing all these things, I am simply just . . .  ME.