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About This Author
My name is Joy, and I love to write.
Why poetry, here? Because poetry uplifts its writer, and if she is lucky enough, her readers, too. Around us, so many objects abound to write about. Once a poet starts with a smallest, most trivial object, he shall discover that his pen will spill out what is most delicate or most majestic hidden inside him. Since the classics sometimes dealt with lofty subjects with a lofty language, a person with poetry in his soul may incline to emulate that. That is understandable. Poetry does that to a person: it enlarges the soul and gives it wings. Yet, to really soar, a poet needs to take off from the ground.
 
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Everyday Canvas
"Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself."
CHARLIE CHAPLIN
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.
David Whyte
This is my supplementary blog in which I will post entries written for prompts.
Previous ... - 1- 2 ... Next
September 29, 2014 at 11:28am September 29, 2014 at 11:28am
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Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, I was full of ideas and inspiration when we moved into our present house, twenty-one years ago. At the time, we had taken an early retirement and the other me (my hubby) had embarked upon a part-time job situation that made us travel to different locations to stay in each place for about one to two months.
Although we were absent from the house most of the time, all that planning I had was meant to provide direction and meaning to my housekeeping, for my planning had come after I had examined my values, current status, environment, and other related factors.
Our beginning in the new house was fine, as anything new deserved respect, and we practically lived elsewhere, anyhow. Thus all the years we traveled were manageable, but I hadn't thought of the time when hubby would be a full-time retiree.
Now, no Marshall Plan will work for my cluttered bathroom counter-tops, clothes strewn all over chairs, and oddly placed cushions and pillows on the sofas and armchairs. Worse yet, along the lines of "if you can't beat'em, join'em" idea has affected me, and I don't care anymore if I leave a lone sweater on the back of a chair or if the books and papers on my desk are askew.
Without going into further detail, I have to advise people who are dreaming of keeping a perfect house; don't make huge plans if you have a full-time retiree at hand, and forget about the business's motto of "Planning is the primary management function because it organizes all downstream management functions..." Remember that, in my house, downstream has gone upstream.
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Prompt:"I had such great plans..."
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September 27, 2014 at 7:03pm September 27, 2014 at 7:03pm
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The smell of lavender helps me remember my grandmother who used to purchase lavender plants from a gypsy woman who used to knock on the door and offer us her wares. My grandmother used to fill the dried purple flowers in sachets and put those sachets in my drawers, so my underclothes and whatever else was there would smell nice.
The scent of lavender also makes me recall my grandmother's housedresses, loose with dainty flowers, and her tatting laces for my dresses and her knitting me sweaters. I remember her as always being busy with something. Even so, she made time for me to tell me stories of our family, of people long gone, and she was never idle.
Although, she bought the lavender flowers from the gypsy, my grandmother used to enjoy raising roses of all kinds in the backyard. Yet, it wasn't their thorns that bothered her, but the tiny green caterpillar pests on the plants. My mother and I used to inspect the plants for caterpillars before Grandma would come into the garden. Once she found a tiny one, which somehow had escaped our sight, and she had a fit. She jumped on a garden chair and was stomping her feet and shaking all over. That was, probably, the only time I saw her lose it and was afraid of her.
Afterwards, when she had calmed down and she embraced me and stroked my hair, her hands smelled of lavender, and I knew everything would be all right. Her hands were old woman's hands, but they felt soft and warm and they pacified me.
Now I am the one with the old woman's hands, and I am more into lemons and lemony scents, but I am not afraid of caterpillars.
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Prompt: The _______________ helps me remember. I don't
what helps you but I would like to know....
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September 26, 2014 at 3:35pm September 26, 2014 at 3:35pm
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It goes without saying that I like writing for anything. Some people can hold long lists in their minds whereas, despite the mnemonics tips I have tried to use, I usually forget something if I don't have a written list. The same goes for every communication. Writing works better for telling another person or the world what I mean.
On the other hand, speaking face-to-face with a person has its advantages, too. Then, I can add other means of communication to speaking, such as gestures, the tone of my voice, etc. Some of those additions go both ways, as our faces and body language signal meanings. This, however, is not necessarily done with conscious decision; yet, it is helpful in transcribing or adding to the meaning of the words the other person is saying. When informal give and take between friends are the issue, speaking or even speaking without much thought is fine. Even then, I find taking care with what I say is needed, so I don't unknowingly say something that would hurt the other person.
Communication skills are essential in handling all aspects of life. Be it an interview or dealing with friends or writing a report, getting the point across is what matters. Good communication is key for creating relationships between people, groups, and nations. I have a strong suspicion that most wars and misunderstandings take place due to poor communication skills and methods, and misinterpretations happen because, while interacting, people forget to give importance to their messages or they haven't thoroughly thought out the situation and their words.
For the success of any communication, thinking skills, writing skills, speech skills, listening skills and non-verbal skills are needed. The tenets of good writing, however, is the basis for all good communication. When writing skills are perfected, the other areas of communication also benefit, because writing skills are based on thinking skills. That is why presidents and heads of other groups have speech writers, and most of us usually write down at least the vital points of any important thing we need to say.
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Prompt: How do you communicate best? Speaking or writing? |
September 25, 2014 at 12:06pm September 25, 2014 at 12:06pm
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At this moment--the day before Halloween, the day before my loony cousin's wedding--on the clear October sky, the sun is sharpening its daggers of light on us earthlings beneath, and the light wind is stirring the dry, brittle leaves that hiss, hobble, and crackle. All this seemingly gentle and reflective atmosphere is more absurd than anything I have ever experienced.
Technically speaking, I used to be a girl, up to a day or two ago, on the coast of Rhode Island. As is the standing tradition, my cousin asked me, no-made me, to become one of the bridesmaids for her wedding on Halloween night. Then she chose those god-awful outfits for us: long sleeved burnt-orange dress, matching shoes and burnt-orange brocade tiara with a green tulle tail hanging at the back. All we needed was a fairy godmother to turn us into carriages, but instead, right after the wedding rehearsal, uneasy and feeling foolish for having imbibed quite a bit that night, I plopped on the bed without changing my clothes.
At midnight, I opened my eyes, still spooked from the dream of a man made of dead, rotting leaves whirling, turning, and rushing at me. Yet, it was no dream. Fearful and unable to put up a fight, I began twirling and whirling with him. Together we whirled down the stairs, out of the back door, into my father's now-empty vegetable patch, where we twirled all night long.
When the dawn broke, the leaf-man scattered around, and I stood alone in the middle of a now-barren patch. I wanted to scream, but I couldn't talk. Heck, I couldn't even move.
A few hours later, people came running about, calling my name; among them were my mother and aunt, tripping on each other's shoes. The two stopped just at the edge of the patch.
"Now she's done the worst," my mother said, panting furiously. "This is too much. Just too much. We were all bridesmaids at one time and bore the brunt of wearing some horrific stuff, like the young ladies we were."
My aunt said, "She hated her outfit. Maybe we should let her wear what she wants."
Then someone screamed. "Look, a pumpkin! Right in the middle of the patch."
"I don't remember Gus putting pumpkin seeds into the ground," Mom said. "No stems, leaves or any indication of a plant. Someone must have put it there."
"It must be your daughter's theatrical fashion of showing her aversion."
"Never mind, Dear," Mom said. "Let her be. Let's call back the search party. I'm sure she'll show up after the wedding."
Fat chance, I will show up again. How can I?
So, that is why I sit here on the porch and mope with my insides gone, holes etched on one side, and supporting a wax candle in the hollow of my center. Someone will light the candle after the sun sets, which will dry me up even more.
Step by step, my family is reducing me to smithereens.
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Prompt: You are a pumpkin sitting on a porch. What sights do you see? What are your thoughts?
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September 24, 2014 at 11:13am September 24, 2014 at 11:13am
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It seems to me, the more modern we become the more superstitious and gullible we think. If I were to believe in destiny, I would be negating all human achievement as being human, and my attachment to the idea of destiny would eradicate my free will or freedom of choice.
No matter what minds with spider webs believe, I do think who we are determines what happens to us. True, the chance happening of wars and other events, nasty or nice people around us, or our upbringing and the like have something to do with what happens to us. Still, those things are the results of the mistakes of people, nations, and our unpreparedness against natural disasters. In addition, there is no proof these things were decided before we were born, and for that reason, a preordained fate feels totally ridiculous to me.
Supposing destiny were possible, why would God (creation or nature, if you so believe) put us where we are? I think He wanted to show us that, be it through intention or ignorance, how we choose to act belongs to us. So let us not confuse poor decision-making with destiny, as destiny as the commander is a poor excuse for not owning up to our mistakes.
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Prompt: Do you believe in destiny?
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September 23, 2014 at 10:44am September 23, 2014 at 10:44am
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Some people have fair complexion, others olive or dark. Some teachers grade fairly, others subjectively. Looking at things from my point of view, all grading and judging of anything is subjective. When it comes to being fair, as much as we think we are, are we? Aren't we judging others from the point of view of our own backgrounds, our own education, and our own spiritual beliefs? Something to ponder about, I believe.
But then comes the big question. Is life fair? Is creation fair?
I first look at my fingers. They are all fingers, but they have different jobs and they are different sizes. Some fingers do more work than others and are bigger. Yet, are the smaller ones any less important? I don't think so; I wouldn't want to be without any one of them.
Then, what about karma or scriptures of any religion? Does what goes around come around all the time?
I'd like to believe that, but then there are so many mysteries hidden in those things, which the religions tell us to just believe blindly, which I personally take as a master-slave relationship in the area of beliefs. If life was fair, why do little babies die of hunger in third world countries and why do little kids anywhere become ill or are born with birth defects? Why are some people blamed unjustly for crimes they haven't committed and they pay for things they didn't do? Why do entire nations are subjected to the atrocities of wars while others live peacefully?
Maybe there is such a thing as fair. I think I try to treat people fairly, but still do I? Aren't I depending on the tenets of what my belief system, my upbringing, and my education instilled in me to judge what's fair? What about the others who have different beliefs, background, and upbringing? Do they think I am fair? I guess not.
When I consider all those things, I'll have to say "fair" is one-sided in being fair. There may be such a thing as fair, but it is only subjective.
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Prompt: There's no such thing as fair. Agree? Disagree? Tap out a few words about it.
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September 22, 2014 at 6:01pm September 22, 2014 at 6:01pm
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It took me almost a lifetime to learn and follow through my own directive: Do it, now! I try not to put off anything anymore, simply because if I don’t tend to things right away, I forget about them later.  This way, when I do the important stuff immediately, I don’t feel overextended or kick myself later for not doing it.
There are some things a person needs to do promptly, without wasting time and dillydallying around, like jotting down the ideas when they pop up, editing the text that has a deadline, paying the bills, getting a leaky roof repaired, getting medical attention if something feels wrong with the body, and taking care of family and people around. Delaying these important actions just a tad or even other not so important ones would not be a problem if we all were Methuselahs, but even for Methuselah, time ran out, didn’t it?
In the world of business, wasting time or putting things off has terrible, visible, and expensive costs. Imagine a factory dumping its waste water into a lake, even though the owners do want to find a better solution but they keep putting off the research for any reason. The lake will be polluted and will not sustain life at all. Then, even if they try to clean it after the disaster strikes, it will cost them a lot more than it would earlier. Not only that, they’ll have a slew of lawsuits to contend with.
Same is true for small things. If we don’t water and feed our plants, they’ll shrivel and die. All life is like that. It needs our attention when the time is right.
On the other hand, doing something haphazardly and without prior knowledge is dangerous, too. Imagine a person running into the Amazon jungle or African Savannah without any preparation and any information on how to deal with the environment, beasts, weather conditions, etc. In his case, delaying his adventure for getting ready and finding knowledgeable people to accompany him would be wiser.
Time and tide wait for no man, true, for time, like a river, keeps flowing forward and never turns back. On the other hand, using time wisely, with proper understanding, and not jumping into action in a thoughtless manner will work to our benefit. Why enter a contest with an unedited, haphazard piece of work, for example?
It is essential to maintain equilibrium between taking one’s time for preparation and doing things when they need to be done. Managing time well will reduce stress, simplify life, and will get rid of mental clutter for everyone.
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Prompt: "You may delay, but time will not" or "Delay is preferable to error." Now write or write later.
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September 20, 2014 at 10:50am September 20, 2014 at 10:50am
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Perfectionism is idealism, plus a distorted form of it. I am, therefore, not a perfectionist, and with or without wanting to, do not write perfectly. So what I do when I write may not be the perfect solution for anyone else, but what I do seems to work for me. When I say seems to work, I don't mean it brings me wealth and fame, which I don't care for too much anyway, but it does bring me satisfaction.
Now that I have written my disclaimer, I can make a list of what I do that is practical for me, since we in Blog City have all become used to making lists. 
1. Read every day, any time, anything.
2. Be present and open to the world and experiences, even if they feel unsavory. All experiences carry the requirement of respect and sometimes awe. This way of looking at them turns them into write-able subjects.
3. Write every day. We bloggers are already doing that. I used to have a 500-words-a-day group here a few years ago to instill everyday-writing in other writers. It didn't seem to work well, probably because each one of us has her or his own nervous system to work with. So my tip now is, if you see, or are in, an interesting situation, ask yourself how you would put that in words or in a fictional story. If you don't have a means to write it down, think it inside your head. Even if you forget it, it will re-surface when you need it. Prompts sometimes help this re-surfacing.
4. Each writer owes it to himself or herself to learn the basics of grammar, punctuation, and how to do stuff in relation to writing. Having done that, don't worry about the mistakes while you write, and even after you have edited and someone else shows you the mistake. This happens to all of us. It is a normal, common writer's affliction.
5. Don't take mistakes too seriously, but correct them if they are shown to you and you respect the reviewer's know-how and agree with the suggestions. In this site, colors don't mean anything. A black case may know and understand the tricks of the trade much better than a purple or blue. Higher colors here may mean that the writers have been in this site longer and are not necessarily any better.
6. Learn and write the way fiction, non-fiction, and poetry are constructed and acceptable in our time. For example, we all learn a lot from reading Dickens and other writers of much older times; however, if you try to write like them or try to emulate their style, your work will sound archaic and out-of-touch. For example, authors of yesteryear didn't mind pushing themselves into the work by addressing the reader as, "Dear reader, our story continues with...." Nowadays, this is taboo.
7. Other things you might consider doing that help me are: taking notes on how to write stuff and other usable information; making lists; writing some little phrases and sentences that pop up in my head in a note-book even if I forget them and do not refer to them; thinking or writing down the main point I want to make before I write the first sentence. The idea is when we write things down, they somehow become etched in our subconscious minds and we will know where to look for them almost like magic.
8. And most important of all, train yourself to write anywhere under any conditions. I am still working very hard on this, as I like total quiet and solitude when I write, which I usually lack.
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Prompt: Everyone has practical tips they feel make it easier to write, let's compare notes. Maybe we can help each other be more efficient. What rituals do you have that keep you focused and on track with your writing?
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September 19, 2014 at 11:08am September 19, 2014 at 11:08am
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G is such a small boy but can emit such huge, booming sounds. At the age of eight, he is almost a baritone to his mother's soprano-shriek, turning stunned heads. People think it is disturbing and impolite. Despite the warnings and scoldings, he uses his loud voice often, shouting across the playground, the mall, the house, and possibly the entire neighborhood. No matter how much G tries to control his voice, he finds out he cannot do it, but that is not the only thing he cannot control. He cannot control his tantrums or petit mal seizures either. He is perplexed and furious at what fate has dealt as his share in life.
The last time I saw G, his face was tight and pale, and his mother was breathing hard, her breath pushing out between open lips. I realized she was trying to hold back her tears. Then I saw G's arm. Despite the large towel wrapped around it, blood oozed through the rip in his sleeve.
I couldn't hold back the remark "He's bleeding!"
"It is just a scratch," G said in his full-toned contralto.
"He stabbed himself," his mother said. "I am taking him to the emergency room."
I asked if I could drive them. They both refused my help, and G said he didn't want his mother mollycoddling him while I drove. I insisted, but G became distraught. Powerless, the mother shook her head in negation.So, I stepped back, thinking G was made in the womb fearfully and wonderfully,* so his mother could gain all the kudos from the Most High.
 
* Psalm 139:13-15
From the first page of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain:
The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked THROUGH them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not service -- she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:"
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Prompt: We are going to do a little word play with this prompt. Open a page in the dictionary or a book and write down the first three adjectives you see. Now, tell us about someone you know who personifies these traits in some way. |
September 18, 2014 at 1:35am September 18, 2014 at 1:35am
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Prompt: Who was your favorite first lady?
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Well, the original first lady was Eve, and I haven’t met her. Some insist she is my great, great (many greats here) grandmother, but I take most anything legendary with a grain of salt, since there was that guy Darwin, too, with other ideas.
This prompt, however, doesn’t say first lady of what or where; therefore first, I have to get the "favorite" part of it out of my system.
Right at this moment, my favorite first lady is the The StoryMistress  as the co-owner and manager of WdC and a wonderful mother to two bright ones. She is also an artist and animal lover; plus, I’m sure she has many other gifts we are not aware of.
Talking about first ladies, if the prompt means the USA, I haven’t met a first lady I haven’t liked, although I met none of them. Let’s say, I haven’t read about (or watched on TV) a first lady I haven’t liked. They were all wonderful women who had to put up with the hardships of their positions and spouses with huge egos. They all deserve purple hearts. Here are a few quotes by several of our first ladies of USA, some taken out of context and without any comment by me.  Although I could take each quote and run with it…
"War is not nice." - Barbara Bush
"We're laying the foundation of peace for our children and grandchildren," -Laura Bush
"I did what people do when they do the wrong thing," - Hillary Clinton
"The one thing I do not want to be called is First Lady. It sounds like a saddle horse." - Jackie Kennedy
“I never felt hopelessly mutilated.” - Betty Ford
“Ike runs the country, and I turn the pork chops.” - Mamie Eisenhower
“I must say acting was good training for the political life which lay ahead for us.” – Nancy Reagan
“Being first lady is the hardest unpaid job in the world.” - Pat Nixon
"Don't worry about polls, but if you do, don't admit it.” - Rosalynn Carter
"The point is that Barack, like any leader, is human.” – Michelle Obama
Then, who can forget the first ladies of other countries? Mrs. Khrushchev (RIP) of Russia, for example. She became an example to the women of Russia by starting to take the spot in the Russian limelight, whereas the wives of other dignitaries stayed in the shadows of their husbands. On the other hand, most anyone I know--who was alive around the time Mrs. Khrushchev visited USA—remembers her eagerness in shopping, like any other woman.
As for the first ladies of European nations, I don’t even want to go there. Most of them are so lively that they would stun even the most inventive Hollywood gossipers.
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September 16, 2014 at 11:27am September 16, 2014 at 11:27am
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Dedicate a day to myself? The thought didn’t even cross my mind, ever. I don’t even like celebrating my b’day. If anyone ever dedicated a day to me, I would run and hide under the table like the times I used to do when I was a little kid. I would rather watch other people and celebrate them. They make my life worthwhile.
Then, why dedicate a day to me if given the chance? No, I wouldn’t want that. I don’t want a big head, ever, as I am neither more nor less important than the people who populate this earth. I would, however, love to have a day dedicated to humanity, a day where everyone is encouraged to behave as civilized, kindly, and loving to one another.
Some of the Days Dedicated to People
1. Native American Day
2. Fathers’ Day
3. Mothers’ Day
4. Teachers’ Day (May 5)
5. Nurses’ Day (May 6)
6. Presidents’ weekend
7. Peculiar People’s Day (Will first be celebrated Jan. 10, 2015)
8. Valentine’s Day for lovers
9. Techies’ Day (Oct. 3)
10. Mother-in-law day (Oct. 26)
11. Salespersons’ Day (Dec. 5)
12. Miners’ Day (Dec. 6)
13. Skeptics’ Day (Jan. 13)
14. Gorgeous Grandma’s Day (July 23)
Some of the above are taken from https://www.daysoftheyear.com
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Prompt: When was the last time you dedicated a day to yourself? If you have, share the details and their effects on you at the end of the day. If you haven't, why not, and would you if given the chance?
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September 15, 2014 at 1:39pm September 15, 2014 at 1:39pm
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In their own way, some inventions make things easier for us. Some may cause revolutions that change history, while others are doomed to be forgotten. This is because the line between usable and crazy is a gray one, and sometimes, ideas that may feel great may not work well in real life. On the other hand, we need extra help to solve the tiny everyday problems we all face.
Since I may be on the selfish side, if I could invent something, I would invent an author isolator, a contraption that is sound proof. This isolator, I don’t know how it would work, could be something like a tent or a mask or just an invisible shield around my desk, but it has to work in a special way in order not to limit my motions or my writing or my reaching out to the bookshelves. It must also make other people think I am there as usual and paying attention to them. This isolator should include a few other services as well such as answering people in my voice but not letting me hear it.
Other Inventions I Might Like
1. Magnet hats/clothing on which you can attach magnets like you do on a fridge.
2. Robot arms I can attach to my body, probably three pairs of them. Sometimes I need more than two arms.
3. A camera that can shoot water like a hidden water gun while I take someone’s photo, so I can catch the funny expression on people’s faces.
4. Ear enhancer satellites for my hubby. He can’t hear me since he ups the volume on the TV so much, all the time.
5. Extended arm on my camera for selfies.
6. Self-watering plant pots for when I am away from home. Current contraptions don’t work.
7. Bedroom slippers with tiny lights in front of them, so I don’t have to bump into furniture at night.
8. Gravity-defying shoes to make my walks easier, and also, to make me jump higher than normal to cause alarm/surprise on other people.
9. Invisible shield for my hair to keep it in place—Yes, I hate hair-spray.
10. Amphibious car, in case I drive into a canal in FL—as some old persons do very often. It must be an old-age quirk to think a canal is a roadway.
11. A robot to do all the cleaning. Rhombus stops when it hits something on the floor. I need a robot that would pick up after my hubby.
12. Some kind of a brain enhancer for data storage, such as names.
13. A juicer that cleans itself.
14. 100% Hurricane-proofed house.
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Prompt: If you could invent anything new, what would it be?
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September 13, 2014 at 10:53am September 13, 2014 at 10:53am
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The last time I went to a flea market was thirty or thirty-five years ago in Smithtown, LI. This indoor flea market was called, I believe, TriCounty on 25 A after the Smithtown Bull. It is not there anymore or it must have moved as a Google Search only gave a TriCounty Flea Market in Levittown.
My TriCounty of yore must have had at least a hundred vendors and the place was open three days a week. The rent mustn't have been much because there were lots of craftsman. The vendors had cubicles or stalls, and there wasn't anything you couldn't find there: jewelry, mood rings, crystals, school stuff, kitchen utensils, furniture, bric-a-brac, clothing and lots of it. Most of the things were brand new. Come to think of it, I cannot remember one vendor selling anything used; antiques, yes, but no used clothing or shoes.
Something happened there all the time. That was the fun part. Sometimes it would be vendors fighting with each other; other times it would be the guards escorting people out for reckless behavior. The main thing was, I could watch people at their best and at their worst. Greed seemed to be reigning queen of emotions, but once in a while, a vendor would grant a little kid a small toy or a lollipop, and I'd hear one woman telling another woman she just met the private stuff that went on in her house. Once, a rat ran across the middle of the place, making everyone scream.
I know I bought school supplies for my kids and gold chains for myself, but I never bought anything I didn't examine first. I always like to see what I am buying. Even in the mall, these days, I make the cashier open the box for me if something I am purchasing is in a box.
I don't go to flea markets or fairs anymore, which is a loss for me. The walking and the crowds get to me, although I miss the interaction of the people with each other and the pseudo-clever vendors with their unique approaches to advertising, be it pushiness, flattery, or downright humor.
Tips for Flea Market Vendors
1. Find out the market and what you'd like to sell. Pre-examine your market, similar vendors, best location, the population, trends, and the product quality and prices.
2. Find out which services the flea-market owners provide to the vendors.
3. Depending on where and which state you are in, make sure every legal thing is in order such as tax ID number or resale license.
4. Try to reserve a booth as close to the entrance as you can, and pay for your spot in advance if possible.
5. If given a choice, choose the highest traffic booth space, and use colorful, neat, eye-catching posters and signs.
6. Invest in folding tables and chairs, a canopy if the place is outdoors, or anything else you might need. Also, don't forget your business cards, pen and a note-pad or a receipt book, marking pens, price stickers, tape, paper towels, and a small dish with wrapped hard candy or mints for kids and adults alike.
7. If you need electricity, bring extension cords to the available outlets.
8. Get to the place early and begin your setup so you'll be ready when the customers begin to arrive. Make sure your items are priced right.
9. Make up a cash box ahead of time with plenty of change, coins and dollar bills, and wear an apron with large pockets to not open the cashbox unnecessarily or leave the it unattended.
10. Bring more than you intend to sell, and consider accepting credit cards for more business.
11. Try to bring a co-worker or friend for helping you and for watching out for shoplifters.
12. Pack your own food and drink in a cooler. Although there may be food vendors there, you may not be able to leave your booth.
13. Keep track of accounts, customer and inventory records.
14. Customer service is crucial. Be upfront with customers if an item is damaged or if you won't haggle, and wait until a customer hones in on a specific item before offering your comments.
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It's Saturday and the flea market is open. What treasures did you discover? Do you actively look for certain items? Or do you buy closed boxes because you like mysteries? What kind of shopper are you?
Don't forget your list.
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September 12, 2014 at 1:23pm September 12, 2014 at 1:23pm
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Some of life’s small successes come in sly increments, only asking for minimal effort and just showing up, which means our hobbies. The way I see this, they are other than our vocations, compulsory tasks, or lifelong addictions.
At the moment, I don’t have very many hobbies. It doesn’t mean I didn’t have them in the past, though.
In the past, I used to raise organic veggies and flowers and loved playing with the dirt. I also bowled and played tennis. I used to run some, but now, I can do none of those things. Darn old age!
Again in the past, I used to paint. I have a thing for art. This started as a hobby; then it became way too serious. I ended up being part of a group to rent a studio and attending shows. When the group wanted to take the show on the road, I left them and didn’t paint ever since. It was great and I still miss it, but it took too much from my family life, and family life is the most important thing to me.
Also, in the past, I used to sew a lot, not just clothes but soft toys for kids and curtains and pillow covers for the house. Nowadays, I only mend things and only if it is absolutely necessary.
As for now, if trying to catch the full moon in my camera and some interesting sunsets so I can post them on FB is a hobby, then there’s one. I like to take photos of interesting things, family members, even a nicely put together restaurant dish, too.
Another one could be standing under the rain or watching the rain fall in the pool or on the grass and trees outside. I also like the beach and watching the ocean in its many forms. I feel like I’m praying when I watch nature like that.
I don’t know if my interest in music, reading and writing can be called hobbies, as they have been more than that. Reading, ever since I was three and a half, and writing, ever since I was eight, have been integral parts of my life. With these goes people watching, but all these are more than hobbies.
A list of hobbies I would probably enjoy
1. Drama—I might try acting
2. Digital Arts
3. Crochet and knitting
4. Origami
5. Quilting
6. Scrapbooking
7. FB Games—I once was doing them but I left them cold turkey because they took too much time.
8. Watching movies
9. Yoga
10. Astronomy
11. Gardening to a small degree
12. Photography
13. Collecting vintage books and first editions
14. Seashell and seaglass collecting
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Prompt: Tell me about your favorite hobbies? Why do you do them? Could you teach someone else how to do them?
Don't forget your list!
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September 11, 2014 at 12:35pm September 11, 2014 at 12:35pm
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On that fateful morning of 9/11/2001, I was at my computer, feeling happy because I had just become a moderator about a month ago, on 10/05/01, on Stories.com (WDC's first title). It felt as if nothing could go wrong.
Then, sometime after nine o'clock, my husband alerted me. "Look, something's happening in New York City." We had the TV on. Sue Herrera, on CNBC, said they didn't know what was happening but it seemed a plane hit one of the towers. So they had their cameras directed on the towers that were, I am guessing, behind the hosts.
After a while, the second plane hit the second tower. To this day, as I write this, I feel the same horror of watching this terrible thing live. I can easily say, I suffered from a post-trauma of some sort. I couldn’t go back to the twin towers area for at least ten years after that. When we went to NY last month, we still couldn’t go inside the memorial building and neither could we go where the large square hole with the cascades. We just sat in a little park and said our prayers.
Coming back to 9/11/2001, my older son was working close to that area, but since he commuted from Long Island, he would be in the city just a little before ten o'clock; however, at that time, I didn't think of him. I was too horrified to think of anything personal, until family and friends called to ask of him.
Immediately, our son thought of calling us from his cell phone, which worked throughout the day. He had no idea of what had happened, but he said he saw the fog and the police didn't let them in the area and told them to walk north. He learned what happened from us as we told him what we heard on the TV. At first, he said he walked to Columbia U., but there too, people didn’t know what had happened and most of them were in panic. Worse yet, our son had no way to return home. Then he went to a bar to watch it from the TV. He kept calling us periodically during that day, but he couldn't talk long because he was afraid the battery of his phone would run out. He said he was thinking of walking on the bridge to Queens, but we told him to go to Penn Station since we heard that LI. railroad had opened. This was around 4:30 in the afternoon. Finally he was able to go home. He, too, suffers emotionally as the result of that day. He is not the good worker he once was and can’t keep a job for long.
Three days later, after 9/11/2001, I put together an item, asking WdC members to write their feelings so we could cry on each other’s' shoulders.
Although some of the writers of that year have left the site by now, here is that item:
"A Monument from Feelings 9-11-2001"  [E]
A Few of the Novels and Movies Made on or about 9/11/01
1. DC 9/11: Time of Crisis –2003 movie
2. Fahrenheit 9/11—2004 movie
3. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close-2005- by Jonathan Safran Foer--novel
4. Flight 93--2006 movie
5. The Good Life –2006 --y Jay McInerney—novel
6. Falling Man by Don DeLillo. —2008--novel
7. The Hamburg Cell—2004 movie
8. The Path to 9/11 –2006 movie
9. Tiger Cruise—2004 movie
10. United 93—2006 movie
11. World Trade Center—2006 movie
12. Reign Over Me -- 2007 movie
13. Netherland -2009- by Joseph O'Neill—novel
14. In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman, —2004--novel
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Prompt: What were you doing and where were you on 9-11 when the twin towers were attacked?
Listers, don't forget your list.
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September 10, 2014 at 4:07pm September 10, 2014 at 4:07pm
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Oh those Anglicans! I'll be well rid of them in the new continent. Holland was our better choice; however, that didn't pan out well. It might be wilderness where we're heading, but at this point, it is prudent to leave the country I thought would be true to me.
So far, we had just one crosswind, and the ship was shaken, but it has been fair winds and weather mostly. Fare Thee Well, Good Ole England!
Although our experience on the Speedwell had been a fiasco, I had been eager to try again. I had to, since what happened in Speedwell had been my fault, but that is for me to know.
You see, on Speedwell, they had given me the worst job, since I couldn't afford the fare for the passage. I was to guard the boxes and other stored items in the bottom of the boat. As I was suffering from an affliction that had to do with the calls of nature, I couldn't quite make it to the deck to relieve myself, and the chamberpot given to me would fill up after two voidings. So I discreetly lifted a plank and opened a hole on the side of the ship.
Oh, the relief! But then, Speedwell started to fill up with water. Although the water rose slowly and the men at the pumps worked harder than ever, there was no way to handle the water coming in. When I and my chums moved the cargo and the boxes, we saw other holes underneath the vessel. We plugged those real tight, but to no avail.
"The hull's worn out. That's why," said the captain. The ship had to return to Southampton. I do feel somewhat responsible for the leak, because no one found out the hole under the plank, but showing it to them would incriminate me. So I kept my mouth shut. Not something to be proud of for someone Godly, but it worked for the better.
For my valiant effort in plugging the Speedwell's other holes in the hull and alerting the crew to the leak, and especially as the special work of Providence on my behalf, I was again given free passage on the Mayflower together with the 101 passengers. The voyage is said to take two months and more days, but I feel the joy of the new land running in my blood already. A dangerous journey for sure, but God willing, Mayflower will make it.
A ship is a harbor to find refuge on rough waters, and may this fine ship sail under the Providence's guiding light!
We left the motherland on September 6. Today is September 10. It is only four days, but this time I requested a deck job. Being a gentleman's servant was another option, but luckily, a deckhand succumbed to his wife's broom and I could fill his spot.
I am only hoping I won't be swept off to the sea. As anyone should fear God's wrath, especially a sinner such as I.
Note: Sorry for the modernized version of my language. Even if I had time for it, my real Pilgrim talk would sail by us all (pun intended).
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What did Mayflower lack, which would make the real me not set foot on it?
1. Wi-Fi
2. My Laptop and my e-readers
3. Toilet Tissues and Kleenex
4. Nice clothes, not the kind the Pilgrims wore. I would go for the Irish stockings, though.
5. Sandals and Sneakers—I would hate those buckled shoes
6. Radio
7. My music CDs
8. My Ginsu knife for the kitchen
9. Decent bedding. I couldn't possibly sleep on a straw mattress with its canvas covering.
10. My Writer's Digest books
11. My favorite books by Dean Koontz, Pat Conroy, Anita Shreve, etc.
12. Deodorant and Febreze: Everything and everyone smelled on the ship
13. A private cabin. Everyone slept in between the decks.
14. Smooth sailing. That ship rocked something awful.
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Prompt: Pretend you were on the Mayflower on that first voyage to settle in America. Describe how your felt leaving England and seeing your new home.
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September 9, 2014 at 5:15pm September 9, 2014 at 5:15pm
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I try not to sweat the petty things and also not to pet any sweaty things, but there was a time when my children were playing sports in tyke or kids leagues when I did both. How can you not hug sweaty little kids? How can you not sweat the petty things that your sweaty kids come to you telling of the opposite team’s unjust tactics with the complaint: “They cheated!”
Even if I didn’t sweat –as much- with my kids’ petty stuff, I at least perfected my effective listening skills without interrupting them while they kept carping. In those instances, petting the sweaty kids came in handy and released me from agreeing with them verbally. There’s no way you can reason with a kid or a person who is like a kid and is hurting because he believes the worst has happened to what is important to him at the moment.
Other than hugging my sweaty kids, there was no way I could successfully pass on to them my lifetime’s experience of, “It’s all small stuff.” That bit of ahha! thing they had to find out for themselves.
I think they did, too, if I am not mistaken. My kids must have learned that or something close to it by now from what I gather, if I am not deluding myself.
It makes sense to accept life as it is. To let go lightens people up and frees them from putting too much emphasis on pointless things, as life is one thing after another; you lose some, and you gain some. Even though we may mess up, we are all doing the best that we know how in the circumstances we’re in. Then, at the end, my guess is, practice makes perfect.
What May Make People Sweat the Petty Things
1. Inexperience in Life
2. The fixed notion that they have to be right and on top all the time
3. Perfectionism
4. The lack of emotional filter
5. Their pledge with themselves to take-none-of-your-basic-shit policy
6. The idea of an eye for an eye
7. Having no empathy for those who aren’t at their level
8. Having thick skin and even thicker confidence
9. Feeling so bad about their shortcomings that any little thing feels like an insult or injustice
10. Mixing their need for TLC with the commandments for Truth and Justice
11. Thinking they are only speaking the truth
12. Thinking they are responsible for correcting everything
13. Feeling that their routine is disturbed in some way
14. Having zero tolerance for drama in others, although they may be the drama kings and queens themselves
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Prompt: Don't sweat the petty things, and don't pet the sweaty things. Take this and apply it to your blog in any way you see fit.
LISTers - Make your List
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September 8, 2014 at 1:04pm September 8, 2014 at 1:04pm
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Losing track of time can happen either in a negative way or a positive way, I think. The negative one happens when a person is late for appointments and misses deadlines. This may be because of a hectic schedule or time management problems.
The kind when I usually lose track of time is when I'm engrossed in what I am doing. As they say, "Time flies when you're having fun." This mostly happens to me when I am writing or reading. The last time it happened to me was last night. I started reading a novel about 10:30 PM when the house was quiet with the idea of reading for 15 minutes or so, then going to bed, but the next time I looked at the clock on the DVR, it was 12:40.
Some people lose track of time while gardening, talking to someone they love, playing video games etc. With me it is mostly reading, and then, writing. I can also talk to my cousin/best friend for hours and not know where time took off to.
Time perception is a weird thing. Those of us who write regularly, especially fiction, know that we stretch the time of fearful or tension-filled moments for our characters and shorten the others for drama. This is because the experience of time has its roots in our mental reality. We may be constructing or reconstructing an experience in our minds pertaining to time, so we can manipulate the elements we find interesting or troubling.
In addition, when too much stuff happens in our lives, it is as if the tempo of time accelerates. It is like looking through a telescope that shows things larger and closer, thus letting them take more space in the experiencing of them. This may make them feel as if they have taken more time to happen. In short our brain's system of keeping time is flexible, as it takes into account other factors like expectations, emotions, demands etc.
In my case, I think I can never have total control over this extraordinary phenomenon of losing time while I read and write, as it takes me into another dimension, which I feel is the gift of the universe to me.
How to Manage Time
1. Pinpoint when or with what you lose time. Then place those things when you have larger time slots in your day.
2. If you habitually are late for something or other, go over your history and time management patterns.
3. Ask yourself if you are late for everything or just for some things.
4. Are you late by the same amount of time or does it vary? If it's always the same amount of time, that points to a psychological issue.
5. Ask yourself if you like the last minute rush of things as if a journalist loving deadlines. If you are loving it, try to minimize the last minute rush by doing some things you do the last minute a bit earlier.
6. When going for an important appointment or to work don't do the things that will make you lose time.
7. Don't give yourself massive to-do lists, to cause yourself to be overwhelmed. (I am guilty of this.)
8. If you are easily distracted and freeze at the last minute with any one task, try to do your last minute stuff in the same order each time.
9. Put a clock everywhere at your eye level, so you are aware of time, always.
10. If other things are not working, set your clocks 10 to 15 minutes ahead, but don't rely on those extra minutes, either.
11. Try starting earlier so you can get things done and feel less rushed.
12. If you are habitually late to appointments, plan to be there fifteen minutes earlier.
13. If being somewhere ahead of time freaks you out, plan an activity to do while you wait there. (I take my Kindle with me or people watch.)
14. If you are dealing with a friend or family member who is habitually late to things, tell them to be there a half-hour earlier. This will help your management of your own time.
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Prompt: Tell us about a time when you completely lost track of time. Does it happen often or hardly at all?
Remember THE LIST....
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September 6, 2014 at 3:33pm September 6, 2014 at 3:33pm
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If bad neighbors would be like Macbeth's witches, what could one do? Hmmm. The three witches in Macbeth were prophets of some sort, as they predicted things. They talked one by one, then together they said, “Double, double toil and trouble; // Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.” My guess is they were sisters, as only sisters manage to talk at the same time.
I just don’t remember ever having three witchlike sisters together next door, but I might have encountered a witch-like character in each neighborhood I lived in. I’ll just go chronologically, as this will make the recall easier on me.
The first one was, “Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf,” and she moved next door after she sold us her large house. I was a new bride then, in Kingspark, LI, and her meddling scared the bejesus out of me at first. I’ll call her Mrs. P.
Mrs. P had just divorced her husband and thrown him out the door. Yes, she had actually thrown him out the door, according to other neighbors. Not that it mattered to me, but what mattered to me was that she thought she still owned our house. She would just walk in, inspect the house, and say, “Your bathroom walls are still wet. You should dry them, after each time your husband takes a bath.”
Hahahaha! She was singing to the wrong choir. Then, when we took a vacation in the Poconos, she got mad. “You’re letting him spend all your money. You could have re-painted the house or fixed the backporch.” At this point, I had stopped getting annoyed and took her meddling like (RIP) Joan Rivers’ jokes. Mrs. P wasn’t all that bad, though. She was very helpful in her church and knew a lot of people in town, and in some way in her heart, I really believe she wanted to help me.
The second one lived next door from us in the next house we moved to. She saw me as “By the pricking of my thumbs,// Something wicked this way comes.” I’ll call her Mrs. G.
Mrs. G wasn’t too, too bad either, but we had moved in after her best friend moved out, not being able to afford the house or the taxes after the mafia shot her husband on Long Island Expressway. In her mind, we were somehow responsible. I swear we didn’t know about her husband at the time.
Two days after we moved to this second house, I found a swastika painted in black on the front lawn. Now, we’re not exactly Jewish, but in a sickened mind, I guess, we were. We also didn’t attend any church, and in that neighborhood, this was heresy. We didn’t complain or tell the police or anything, as my husband said, “Let’s not make a big deal of it. If we did, we would be doing exactly the thing whoever wished us to do.” Later, I learned from another neighbor that it was her son who painted the swastika with Mrs. G. giving him the can of spray paint, but her worse acts came when we adopted a puppy.
Who knew that her dog had died two days before we adopted Joe? I bet that, too, was my fault. She didn’t do anything to the dog, but she kept calling him to her while I was trying to train the dog to stay within the boundaries of our two–acre yard, which couldn’t be fenced in. She somehow made the dog go to her when she clapped, while I, too, was using clapping for the same reason. She would also feed the dog without telling me, and at one point, I took the dog to the vet, wondering why he wasn't eating much. This was so weird; because here was this woman who wouldn’t talk to me at all, but she wanted my dog, as if the dog pound lacked other dogs. In a few years, however, with the help of the lady across the street, we managed to patch up whatever ailed her, and she turned out to become a harmless --if not nice enough-- neighbor.
My third witch would “charm the air to give a sound,// While you perform your antic round: “ And round it was for us in Lewistown, PA, where we were being housed in an apartment for two months by the company for which my husband was doing a part-time job after his retirement. The building was next to a Greek restaurant/bar in the middle of the town where two main roads made a cross. The lady next door would get drunk every night in that bar and come home, to mix up where her door was and would try to break into our apartment. She also did pot and all her pot smoke kept finding its way into our apartment through the heating vents. Worse yet, I was having a bad time with asthma and any smoke did set it off. But this lady was very nice and polite during the daytime, and she’d remember nothing that she did at night. Luckily this thing lasted only two months.
In hindsight, all three ladies were quirky people, not exactly witches, and in some way, I enjoyed watching their weirdness. As Macbeth said at the end of the witches scene: “Where are they? Gone? Let this pernicious hour // Stand aye accursed in the calendar! “
14 Ways to Deal with a Bad Neighbor?
1. Try to stay on good terms with them and act as if you didn’t understand their efforts to annoy you.
2. Invite your neighbor for coffee and cake, and hope that the relationship will improve.
3. Confront them, but without starting a fight.
4. Tell your neighbor you are a black-belt or a sharp-shooter, not in a threatening way, but as if you are making small talk.
5. Continue talking to them and being nice in some way, even if they are being nasty.
6. Build a fence or get a dog and make your space unapproachable.
7. Try videotaping any nasty action with a webcam, so you may use it for further action.
8. If the neighbor is doing something illegal, like being a drug dealer, report it to the authorities.
9. Talk to the landlord if you have one.
10. Call the police, although in some neighborhoods, police may prove to be just as unfriendly.
11. If the neighbor is noisy, use earplugs.
12. If the neighbor is sending bad odors and stuff your way, buy air purifiers.
13. Go to court, and sue someone, your neighbor or the landlord, for breach of enjoyment.
14. If nothing else works, move!
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Prompt: The three woman who live next door to you remind you of the three witches in Macbeth.*Shock* Why?
Don't forget to put list in the subject line and that your list needs to apply to the prompt. I am looking forward to your lists with this one.
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September 5, 2014 at 12:41pm September 5, 2014 at 12:41pm
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Funny that I should remember when this photo was taken, since I was really little, just four years old from the date in the back of the photo. I know I hated that hat and what they did to my hair, but since the photo was being taken to be sent to my father, I endured the torture. A photographer was called to the house, and he was not much better than my mother in being unrealistic and taking phony photos. I don’t know why my mother wanted my father to see me as a young lady-child and why the photographer went along with her wishes. My true personality was far from what the photo shows. Maybe it was the times and the understanding was very different.
That hat choked me, but since I was promised to be set free on the beach afterwards, I stopped fussing. The photographer made me look into the camera. His camera was a huge box on a podium (not a tripod) and he went under a sheet behind it, becoming one with the camera. In my mind, that contraption of the camera and the photographer became the same boring animal-like being.
I have other photos taken by the same photographer. In all of them, he made me pose. I think children should be photographed as they are in life, probably without any prior notice. These photos are annoying to me even to this day, because they look so fake.
What Could Be Important in Taking Children’s Photos
1. Don’t bribe the kid with candy or outing. Let them want to be photographed.
2. The photo shoot should be fun for the child
3. Make it as natural as possible.
4. The child’s personality should be reflected in the photo.
5. The child’s present mood should show.
6. If you have to pose a child, never force her or him to do something they don’t want and are not comfortable with.
7. Don’t tell a child to smile. It will look fake or she’ll pout because of her willfulness.
8. The face is the most important thing, not the clothes.
9. Try to entertain the kid with props or jokes first.
10. If you have to take a series of shots, take small breaks. A child can get overworked easily.
11. Be aware of proper lighting.
12. Soft and light works better with small children.
13. If you want to get their eyes focused on the camera lens, use a small toy or something that would interest the child on top of the camera.
14. If the child doesn’t like posing, it may be because he or she didn’t understand your direction. Show them with your own body how to do it.
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Prompt: Recall an old childhood photo. Narrate the events that led up to that moment that photo was taken.
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