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Cee’s Photography Blog has a cool challenge that I’ve decided to participate in for a bit. The title is self-explanatory. Cee asks four questions each week:

1. What do I value most in a friend?

That’s an easy answer. Trust. Complete trust. Not just the kind of trust where the other person keeps your confidence, but the kind of trust where the other person can be counted on to be there for you and to genuinely care about your welfare. Some say that you won’t more than one handful of this type of friend in your lifetime. I believe this is true. I would love to get comments in the section below about what YOU value most in a friend. I’ve been lucky. I have friends like this.

 

2. Do you prefer eating the frosting of the cake or the cupcake first? Do you prefer a specific flavor?

I can’t really answer this question because I don’t eat sweets! I know, I’m weird.

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3. Have you ever been in a submarine? If you haven’t, would you want to?

No, I have never been in a submarine. I love the water….the ocean. I love to swim in it, wade in it, get slammed by the waves in it, snorkel in it, cruise on a ship in it, but a submarine. It gives me claustrophobia just to think of it!

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4. If 100 people your age were chosen at random, how many do you think you’d find leading a more satisfying life than yours?

If you look at it from simply a statistical point of review, you can assume that 50% have had a more satisfying life and 50% have had a less satisfying life.

 

 

Share Your World – 2016 Week 49

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Sheepdogs. When I saw Linda’s prompt for this Saturday’s stream of consciousness challenge, that’s the word that popped into my mind. I’m a dog lover and the type of dogs I’ve had most in my life have been sheepdogs of one type or another. My mind really started working overtime, remembering my wonderful sheepdogs.

After the death of a beloved dog, I researched the type of dog I might want and came up with the Pembroke Welsh Corgi or the Cardigan Welsh Corgi. After a little more research and a search for breeders in my area, I settled on the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and suddenly, I had my first sheepdog. I named her Kelly and she is still one of my two heart dogs. I’ll never forget Kelly. She was bred in Wyoming by a breeder who became my friend. This was way back in the 1980s.

Kelly was the most wonderful companion for 14 years. Yes, Pembroke Welsh Corgis originally herded sheep in Wales and still do in some places in America. They are long, very low dogs. They even nip at the heels of their humans and try to herd us. They herd sheep in precisely that manner and are too low for the sheep to kick. They kick right over their heads. Kelly was soon joined in my household by two other corgis. One was another Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Zachary. They are the most wonderful little animals with unbelievably winning personalities and great herding skills. Kelly is on the far left in the picture below and Zachary is on the right.

 

 

I also raised two Cardigan Welsh Corgis at two separate times. Katy and Eliza. Katy grew up with Kelly and Zachary. Katy was a black and white Cardigan and Eliza was a black and white with brindle points Cardigan with one brown and one blue eye. Eliza was a dog that came later in my life. Cardigans are slightly larger than Pembroke and they are the corgis with the tail. In Wales, they were usually used to herd cattle as opposed to sheep as they have the larger bone structure and are slightly taller and stronger dogs. They are still short enough for the cattle to kick over their head. In the U.S., they are also used to herd sheep. Cardigans, in my opinion, are the ultimate fireside dogs. Yes, they can work and herd, but they adore their “people” and want to guard their home. Katy is in the picture above with Kelly. Below is a picture of Eliza, who was with me until she was 13 years old. Eliza, like Kelly, was my heart dog. She was with me through some hard times and I will always be sad she is gone. I miss her every day.

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I haven’t had another Pem since Kelly and Zachary. But, I was introduced to another herding breed by my friend, Anne, who breeds Pulis. The Puli may not be as well-known in the U.S. as most herding breeds, at least not to just the average person. They come from Eastern Europe. I was fortunate enough to be able to have a Puli that was of Anne’s breeding. His name was Bear and I will never forget him. Pulis herd by actually jumping on the backs of the sheep and they are very effective herders. They are one of the corded breeds. You can see Bear and his dreadlocks in the picture below. I found the Puli to be strong, determined, and very, very quick. I can imagine that they are very good herding dogs. Bear had to be content with herding us. He spent his days keeping track of me and my Cardigan Welsh Corgi mentioned above, Eliza, and was the sweetest boy ever. I secretly think that Bear would have been happiest had he been given a real herding job. Bear occupies a very special place in my heart. He loved hugs more than any dog I’ve ever had.

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I don’t have a herding dog now. I have a little spaniel who thinks she owns me. As much as I love little Betsy, I miss my herding dogs. Maybe I’ll have another one yet. Another corgi, another puli, or maybe I’ll go further afield and opt for a herding breed that can also serve as a guard dog.

This was a long stream of consciousness post. But, the letters “sh” inspired me about my precious sheepdogs. I have experienced a lot of the sentiment “they don’t live as long as we do” and it has been painful to lose each and every one. But, they have brought great joy to my life. I hope you have enjoyed reading this. #amwriting #amblogging #writing #dogs

 

*This post is part of Linda Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Challenge

Thanks, Linda!

#SoCS December 3/16

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 Cee’s Photography Blog has a cool challenge that I’ve decided to participate in for a bit. The title is self-explanatory. Let’s see if I can do this! Cee asks four questions and a bonus question.

1. Do you like to eat foods with nuts or no nuts in them?

Probably no nuts, though I like nuts by themselves especially Brazil nuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios. All of these provide minerals to our bodies that are important.

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2.  If someone made a movie of your life would it be a drama, a comedy, a romantic-comedy, action film, or science fiction?

I would say it would be a drama with some romance thrown in. You know who you are! There hasn’t been a lot of comedy, but there may have been some science fiction, at least it’s felt like that, particularly recently!

As a child and young adult, I’ll go with a lot of dysfunctional drama. As an adult, I’ve had a pretty normal life with occasional bouts of drama and romance. Recently, throw in high drama and perhaps a bit of science fiction, along with romance!

3. Who talks real sense to me?

I actually have a lot of people who talk real sense to me. Sometimes, I feel like a child! Friends and family. They all mean well. Often, I ASK them to talk real sense to me!

4. What is my favorite board game?

I don’t have one unless you count cribbage which has a board of sorts. My Dad taught me to play and few people around me know how. It’s a Northerner’s game.

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Optional Bonus Question:

What am I grateful for this past week: This is an easy one. The good medical care in the U.S.

What am I looking forward in the next week? Another easy one. Starting to work on a new consulting project!

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Have a nice week, everyone!

Share Your World – 2016 Week 48

It’s Not This Time of Year Without… making sure that the wildlife, particularly the birds and deer, that inhabit my property have enough food and shelter. My property has been designated as a National Wildlife Federation habitat. That just means that I have the resources on my land to sustain the needs of the wildlife. Water, food, shelter, and so forth. Since I live in the woods, it’s not hard to provide those resources although I do supplement the natural resources to make sure that there is enough for the wildlife that have been pushed into my land by land development all around us.

Since it is still autumn, the squirrels and chipmunks are busily gathering up the nuts that have fallen. The birds still have a few berries to eat. The deer eat both. But just the resources on my land is surely not enough for the plethora of wildlife that frequent my property — from deer, birds, and the small rodents to raccoons and the more exotic foxes and beavers.

Since I do live in a hardwood forest, I have many species of birds visiting my property, particularly woodpeckers. They require a special kind of food to get them through the winter.

The woodpeckers prefer suet that I hang in suet feeders from the trees. When the big pileated woodpecker is around (see picture at the top of the post), the suet vanishes rapidly because it is almost as big as a chicken. When all the species of the woodpeckers are feeding, I buy a lot of suet. They will also eat seeds and nuts from specialized types of hanging feeders. Not only do I have to have food out for the birds but water as well and I have to make sure it is not frozen in winter.

I have dozens of other species of birds. The ones that are here all the time are cardinals, finches of all types, nuthatches (who eat what the woodpeckers eat), thrushes, flickers, sapsuckers, mourning doves, wrens, juncos, and many others. This list is certainly not exhaustive. Many other birds pass through when they migrate. These birds love black-oil sunflower seed and safflower. The finches like thistle and the big blue jays love peanuts. Be careful if you buy mixed bird seed. It is usually full of filler.

I also provide shelter for the birds in the form of bird houses and plat

As for the deer, I provide them with salt and mineral blocks scattered around the property. I also make major purchases of field corn for them and there are often twelve deer at a time standing around the feeding troughs, does and bucks alike. I give them apples as we have them. Sometimes, I think the deer are going to walk right into the house if I’m late in feeding them. Hunting season thins the herd a bit but I have a very high deer population where I live. Raccoons share the corn with the deer.

For me, it surely isn’t this time of year without making sure these animals are well-fed, watered, and sheltered. We have taken their habitat and the least we can do is try to give a bit of it back to them. #amwriting #amblogging #writing #wildlife

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It’s Not This Time of Year Without….

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Please! Come on in to my writing studio and join me for coffee, tea, or hot chocolate! It’s cold this morning – in the 30s. It has finally gotten cold here in the Ohio Valley. I think most of us here are welcoming a bit of normal weather for this time of year. I always welcome some cold in this age of global warming. It kills the bugs that would plague us in the spring. We will have a hard freeze tonight, I suspect.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I have my normal selections of coffee and tea to offer you, including chicory coffee and green teas. I also have, as something new for you, matcha green tea which I received as a gift this week. I would love to share it with you. Are you familiar with matcha? Matcha is a specially grown tea. It is grown in the shade for just three weeks and then ground into a fine powder. It is sort of a Zen thing as it supposedly calms the mind. But, the interesting thing about matcha is that it has unparalleled health benefits. One cute is equal to 10 cups of regular green tea. It is packed with antioxidants and nutrients. Check it out! Please let me make you a cup!

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you that it has been an interesting and disturbing week in the United States because of our Presidential election. It was a contentious election and campaign. Many people are very happy with the outcome. My hope is that they knew exactly what they were voting for in terms of policy. Almost as many people were very disturbed at the outcome of the election. Those of us who are fearful of what could happen have to keep an eye of things and organize into groups that can lobby for our positions, such as women’s rights. I think we all realize that the international community thinks the U.S. has lost its collective mind and I’m not sure they are wrong. I find myself in a wait and see mode. I will try to keep all of you up-to-date here and with my blog postings, though I won’t post about politics very often.

If you are wondering about Americans leaving the country and relocating, I would say that many feel like I do – they will take a wait and see attitude. No one wants to abandon America. It depends on how untenable things become…..if they do. If we see any signs of the rise of Fascism at all, we will leave the country in droves, I am confident. Not all of us necessarily to Canada. There are other countries that would be attractive. Younger people would stay and fight but older people…..it would be hard for us to do that.

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you that Veteran’s Day was also this week. So many Americans had family members who fought in one war or another, from World War I through World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm, and all the Iraqi/Afghanistan conflicts. I think Veterans’ Day meant something to all of us.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I find myself thinking about Eastern Kentucky today. They voted, almost exclusively, for a man who has threatened to take away services they depend on, such as Medicaid. He also promised to bring back coal mining, a promise that there is no way he can keep because that industry is dying.

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I’ve spent the week writing. I’ve written many posts for this blog but I have also spent time working on my novel. For those of you also working on a novel, I have found an excellent novel writing program. If you are going to write a novel of around 80,000 words or so, the file on Microsoft Word just gets too big and difficult. It becomes too unwieldy to move scenes around. There is a program for those using a Windows-based computer called yWriter that helps you keep everything in order. For Apple computer users, the best novel writing program is Scrivner. You can download both off the Internet. I’m currently learning how to use yWriter. If you are using yWriter, get in touch and we will figure it out together!

To all the American writers. Regarding the Trump administration. Remember that we can write…..and write and write and write. There is power in the pen if we see this administration going off the rails.

I hope all of you have had a good week! Back to writing. Please come for coffee/tea/hot chocolate next week! #amwriting #amblogging #writing #coalmining #EasternKentucky #realDonaldTrump

*This blog post is sponsored by parttimemonsterblog.com

Thanks, Diana!

#weekendcoffeeshare 11/12/2016

 

 

“What do those men want, William?” Anne whispered. William and Anne were crouched in the bushes at the base of the arch bridge. Three men had attacked them about a mile away, grabbing Anne’s sweater, but they had outrun them and were hiding.

“I don’t know. We’re just tourists,” William said. They had only been in Europe two days. They heard the men run onto the bridge.

They waited for what seemed a long time and heard the men run off the bridge. They crept up the bank, peering at the road leading off the bridge. There stood one of the men, acting as a sentry. He rushed forward and grabbed Anne but discreetly.

He whispered for her to unfasten the brooch she had on her sweater and give it to him. She did as he wished.

The man ran off. William and Anne started laughing. Her brooch was a copy of the famous Queen Victoria’s Bows brooch. It wasn’t worth anything. The thieves had been fooled! #amwriting #amblogging #writing #flashfiction

*This post sponsored by FFfAW

Thanks Priceless Joy!

Queen Victoria’s Brooch

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Good morning, everyone! It’s good to see you this Saturday morning. Won’t you please come in and join me for coffee. I also have tea for my fellow tea lovers. You can choose from regular or decaf coffee. I can offer you arabica or if you really want a kick, robusta. I would be glad to make you an expresso. I have black flavored tea which is delicious – hot cinnamon spice. I also have the green tea equivalent in both regular and decaf. You will love it. I happen to have a little special tea today. It is called Pur-reh and it is an ancient Chinese fermented tea with a very earthy taste. Please help yourself!

If we were having coffee today, I would share with you that my writing studio is basically finished! It was hard work, but it is ready to start the month of November and NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. Of course, I’ll also be blogging from there. So, I’d like to share a few pictures with you because some of you have asked for them. Here goes:

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A big desk with computer equipment although not all has been moved in yet.

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A bookcase waiting on its books.

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The writing studio’s mascot, my dog, Betsy, lying on MY comfy couch.

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Every writing studio needs a rocking chair, sitting beside an old-fashioned heater.

So there you have it – the bare bones of my writing studio, though there is nothing “bare bones” about  my dog! Soon, it will have books and papers stacked all over it and Betsy will be lucky to find a place to nap. Right now, I am just focused on doing some outlining of my novel and getting ready to start characterization and writing in earnest, aiming for a first draft by early December.

I hope others of you are going to participate in NaNoWriMo! It will be a busy month. Thanks for taking my tour! #amwriting #amblogging #writing #NaNoWriMo

*This post was sponsored by Diana, at http://parttimemonsterblog.com

Thanks, Diana!

 

 

 

#weekendcoffeeshare 10/29/2016

The betting window

I am lucky enough to live just about 60 miles from the most beautiful horse country in America – the area around Lexington, Kentucky. The horse racing track located here is Keeneland Race Track, ranked in 2009 as the #1 premier horse racing track in the United States by the Horseplayers Association of America. Keeneland has two racing meets per year. One in April for 4 weeks and one in October for 3 weeks. Here is a photo of two horses in the padlock in the 2016 October meet:

Besides racing, Keeneland does many other things. They have sales meets every year at which some of the best all-time race horses have been sold. Nineteen Kentucky Derby winners have been sold at Keeneland along with 21 Preakness and 18 Belmont winners. Eighty-two of 88 Breeder’s Cup World Championship race winners have been sold at Keeneland.

.The atmosphere at Keeneland can’t be beat. It is a bit old-world and certainly “old Lexington” and reminiscent of the thoroughbred industry of both the past and the present. Lots of old and new money changing hands but the common person off the street can also have lots of fun. There is seating from general admission at $5 per person to very expensive box seating. You can always “ride the rail” and feel the dirt being kicked in your face by the horses as they pound the track running by.

The dining options are extraordinary with three fancy dining rooms. Make your reservations way in advance! Then there are the equivalent of fast-food restaurants but many serve a Keeneland specialty food called Kentucky burgoo which is a type of stew. Burgoo can be made out of almost anything. The recipe is a closely guarded secret. Rumor has it that it may have rabbit, squirrel, or other game meats in it.

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Of course there is the gambling. Betting on horses is certainly gambling. Racing forms abound at Keeneland and there are experts sitting around in the most varying costumes. There are also ATM machines which this writer advises you to stay away from!

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The betting window

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There are so many things to do at Keeneland. You can go there early in the morning, watch the horses exercise, and sometimes have breakfast. They have a famous equine library you can peruse. Their gift shop and its merchandise is to die for. Arrange a trip to the backside (the stables) if you can and see the horses, grooms, and what really goes on in racing stables up close and personal.

There is also the quite fascinating people watching. Sit on a bench, relax, and watch the quite varied types of people who wander through Keeneland Race Track. That will entertain you all by itself. This is truly a travel destination. #amwriting #amblogging #writing #Keeneland

 

 

Destination Travel: Keeneland Race Track in Bluegrass Country

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The last three weeks have been some of the most miserable of my life. I’m sure it has shown in my writing and not always in a good way. However, one good thing about a writer going through both good and bad situations is that it gives them so much great material to write about.

The crazy thing is that I have gone through exactly the same situation under basically the same circumstances with the same people at least two other times in my life. This is the third time. It seems that I never learn, doesn’t it? That, my friends, has been true in the past. It will not be true in the future. This time, I learned a very hard, extremely painful lesson. Much more painful than the first two times.

The first two times were painful enough and it took me years to recover. Why? I’m a sensitive and emotional person. I think that came from my dad who wore his heart on his sleeve. That made him the best dad in the world, but I’m sure he was hurt many times. I don’t exactly wear my heart on my sleeve in most situations, but I do recognize that I can be emotionally fragile in the right (or wrong) situation. I was definitely in the wrong situation this time. Probably the first two times as well. I mistook flattery for something else. People should remember that words are important. Never say words that you don’t mean or that aren’t appropriate.

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This time, I’m older, more fragile, less able to come back from being shattered into a million tiny pieces. This time,  I was very emotionally invested and the rug was pulled out from under me in a brutal way. I never got an explanation. I’m not assigning blame. I was as much to blame as anyone else involved. That doesn’t make the hurt go away.

Until the last two days, for three weeks, I’ve hardly eaten or slept. That’s what happens to me when I’m upset about something that was as important to me as this situation was. I’ve sat at my kitchen table and drank a thousand cups of tea, trying to figure it all out. I’ve talked to my good friends endlessly and they have been saints on earth to put up with me. I feel like I would have lost my mind without them.

I’ve walked around in a daze because I’ve been so distracted. I would cry and not even realize I was crying. If I could catch a couple of hours of sleep at night, I would wake up sobbing. I’ve written – a lot – because nothing else much gave me any solace. I had no family to turn to – I’m an only child and except for a few cousins I seldom hear from, my family is gone. I didn’t want to burden the couple of cousins who might actually care enough to listen. I would find myself going about my days, living in the same pattern as I did when I was involved in this situation, except there was no need now. Then, I would just cry more.

Until today. Last night, for the first time in three weeks, I slept. I didn’t have nightmares. I woke up this morning and I knew it was over. The acute grief. I felt like myself again, for the first time in a long time. I knew that this time, the third time I’ve let this happen to me, would be the last time. Never again. Never again would I allow myself to be involved in this situation. I was finally able to put it in a little box and store it away in a corner of my brain, hopefully to someday forget it forever.

Now I don’t care what happens. I can deal with it. One of my friends told me today that I sound like the person she’d always know and, funny, I feel like that person again. So whatever this situation, or any situation, throws at me, I can handle it. Bring it on! I made a terrifically bad decision and mistake. But, I was not the only person involved who made a mistake and I hope the other people involved in this situation know that.

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So why do I have a picture of Marilyn Monroe here? It’s complicated. She reminds me of many things, but right now, looking at her picture reminds me not to make bad decisions. Put yourself first. Don’t let yourself be used. Don’t assume anyone will take care of you but you. I want to look at this picture of her a lot right now.

No sympathy please though I thank you! Now I’m ready to move on. At my age, there is no time to waste. I’m going to go to the ocean. Hearing the waves and seeing the water has always soothed me. But, mainly, I want to see the ocean because I can see the horizon. I can see for miles and miles. I need that. I need to be able to see for miles and imagine what a good future is waiting for me. #amwriting #amblogging #writing #shortfiction #romance #marilynmonroe #dailyprompt

I Can See for Miles

Reblogged on rosemarycarlson.com – Writings from the Heart. Wow! The food looks wonderful. Your work is awesome. You’ve taken such great care to make us all comfortable! Come over and visit me!

jacquelineobyikocha's avatara cooking pot and twisted tales

Image result for party imagesYeah! It’s fun time again. 🙂

We have hit October so fast that sometimes my mind spins at the way time zooms by. Doesn’t it make one feel like a happy hamster running around in circles in pursuit of time? 🙂

Anywhoo, I hope your weekend is going great. You are most welcome to my monthly meet & mingle, shake a leg & jingle, connect & interact with other awesome folks in here.

If this is your first-time visit, the rules of play are outlined below, if you are an old-timer, you know the drill.

Grab some refreshments and favours which nicely arranged down the page. Feel free to indulge, these are zero calories😉

Just some little party rules:

  1. You must mix and mingle with others. Don’t be a wallflower. Go say hello to someone and you can participate in the Tag a poem, a thought or quote below.
  2. Let us know where…

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October Blog Blast – Let’s Get This Party Started.🎶🍰🍨🌭🍸🍻💃