tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56546523032760862842024-03-20T06:30:41.720-07:00HOME OF AUTHOR JUDITH JENNINGSmember Pinellas Writers GroupJudith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-88837905990836927522024-03-19T17:08:00.000-07:002024-03-19T17:08:36.444-07:00Poem: Some Things That Are True<p>S<span style="font-size: 12pt;">ome Things That Are True</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Wise ones preach “write
words each day”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’m inclined to listen to
what they say<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Words bleed from my
fingertips; poetry<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Or come hard, slow, like
good sex; story<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Today I determine to
entertain the paper</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Without using tired, stock
plots, a raper<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Women, children, first
abused then rescued<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It makes them stronger or
so it’s been argued<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Fuck that. I was strong at
birth.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I write because no one
else will listen<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Except the white square,
it pays attention<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When I press the keys and
letters appear<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And I tell the tales you
don’t often hear<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">No overused plot, busting
up drug rings<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Badass men or women with
guns and things<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Same backstory about their
addicted family<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Kids went to school dirty,
smelly and hungry<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Fuck that. Killing
kingpins hasn’t solved the problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I inhale thoughts and
exhale dialog<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Mine my anecdotes to clear
the fog<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Throw energetic verbs at
lazy nouns<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Read aloud to hear how it
sounds<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Stop trying to shove me in
your boxes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I run with wolves not with
foxes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Life doesn’t have to be
mean or bitter<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Books don’t have to bruise
the reader<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Fuck that. I’ll make a cup
of tea. I’ll write a laugh; write kind people; write a world we want to live
in.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Judith Jennings 3/13/24<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/j9fc60AHol4" width="320" youtube-src-id="j9fc60AHol4"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is DWTS Mark Ballas and Lindsey Stirling version of the Paso Doble</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stirling wrote and played the music they danced to</div><br /><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><p></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-34986482313829479402024-03-13T10:23:00.000-07:002024-03-13T10:23:36.312-07:00About "Haroun and the Sea of Stories" by Salman Rushdie<p> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">It was pure, unexpected,
good luck that I chanced upon a book on CD written by Salman Rushdie, read by
Salman Rushdie, in a library in Paducah, Kentucky. My experience of Kentucky
outside Lexington or Louisville was that xenophobia was rampant so the library
offering a book with such a foreign source of origin was a shock.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The book was "<i>Haroun and
the Sea of Stories</i>". I started listening to the book in the car on the way home.
It was my plan to listen whenever I drove anywhere. Sometimes things don’t go
as planned. This was one of those times.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The story and the
narration were so compelling. I didn’t go home. I veered away at the last
minute and went to the lake. I called home and made excuses so I could spend
the next five hours listening to the book. I had water. There was a bathroom. I
could take walk breaks. Why not?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Haroun Khalifa is the
protagonist. He’s a young boy and he starts out believing that stories that
aren’t true are useless. Which is sad because telling stories is what his
father Rashid does for a living. And even sadder is the fact that Rashid’s
storytelling ability is failing him.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Life is further
complicated because Haroun’s mother Soraya has left him and his father for
their neighbor, Mr. Sengupta. Rashid and Haroun board a yacht captained by Mr.
Butt who is taking them to the Land Of K to tell stories for the campaign of a
politician named Snooty Buttoo.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Haroun cannot sleep so he
is awake when the yacht is boarded by a water genie named Iff whose job is to
take away Rashid’s imagination. Haroun demands to speak with Iff’s supervisor,
the Walrus in an effort to save his father’s gift.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Haroun and Iff’s journey
through the Sea Of Stories is interrupted when they are captured by the
antagonist Khattam-Shud who is determined to put an end to stories.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">***Slightly off topic – does
this sound familiar to anyone? Are there villains today trying to stop the
telling of stories that, though true, reveal their villainous natures?***</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Many things happen
including magical details of Salman Rushdie’s writing that are delightful.
P2C2E for example is Processes Too Complicated Too Explain which is a phrase
used several times when Iff and the Walrus cannot make Haroun understand
something.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Haroun and company, joined
by the hero, Mali the story gardener, are investigating the Old Zone when
Khattam-Shud kidnaps them. They learn that Khattam-Shud plans on plugging the
Story Source at the bottom of the Sea. That source is the origin of all stories
ever communicated. Mali manages to destroy the machines being used to poison
the sea. Haroun diverts the giant plug meant to seal the source.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Walrus promises Haroun
a happy ending for his own personal story while Khattam-Shud is crushed under a
huge statue of himself that he had commissioned.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When Rashid and Haroun
return home, their city has been released from the state of misery it was in
and Soraya has returned home.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Most of the plot takes
place on the fictional Moon Kahani which consists of a massive ocean composed
of an infinite number of stories. Each current or stream is a piece of story
and Rushdie shows clearly how the pieces connect in different ways to create
unique stories. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It should come as no
surprise that Salman Rushdie can write a powerful tale in the genre of magical
realism. His personal magic is legendary. While loneliness and the longing for
companionship are a modern-day plague, Rushdie in real life meets and marries
his wife even while living in hiding because Iran’s supreme leader, Khomeni has
issued a fatwa calling for his death.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rushdie’s genius is
recognized with many accolades. He was knighted in 2007 for services to
literature. At the same time religious extremists hate him because of his
fourth novel, The Satanic Verses. He was stabbed and almost died during a
speaking engagement in New York in 2022.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I only wish that this man
who wrote the book which so thoroughly consumed and entertained me was writing
real life today. I would embrace a happy ending. I would revel in the justice
of leaders destroyed by the weight of their own oppressive, self-glorifying
actions. And the victory of the restored freedom to tell any story over the
attempts to squash those stories that don’t serve certain factions of humanity,
would put a smile on my face everyday for months, years, decades even.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If only…</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bNnFFKv_NyI" width="320" youtube-src-id="bNnFFKv_NyI"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Imagine by the late, great John Lennon</div><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-18359251695573390372024-03-06T13:36:00.000-08:002024-03-06T13:36:27.519-08:00Do Walkers Write Or Do Writers Walk?<p> </p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Author Barbara Kingsolver
won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2023. The winning novel she wrote is
titled. “<i>Demon Copperhead</i>”. In an interview she has said that her novel
is the contemporary version of Charles Dickens novel, “<i>David Copperfield</i>”. It’s the
“<i>David Copperfield</i>” of Kingsolver’s time and place.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I recently read a meme
(source unattributed) that said:</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“Reading and writing cannot
be separated. Reading is breathing in; writing is breathing out.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My favorite author, Jennifer
Crusie believes and embodies this. Before writing her first novel, she taught
high school English. She taught the gothic novel, “</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">The Turning Of the Screw</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">”
by Henry James every year. When she taught it she thought – I could write this
story better. So she did.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">Maybe This Time</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">”
is Crusie’s version of a gothic romance novel and, in my opinion, it’s better
than Henry James’s book. I was lucky enough to see her speak and get my
hardcover copy of this book signed.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jenny has more than twenty
novels, many of which are on the NYT bestseller list. She gets ideas from a lot
of places but reading stories and watching stories definitely contribute. She
has another novel that is, as yet, unpublished, titled “</span><i style="font-size: 12pt;">The Devil and Nita
Dodd</i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">”. It is a novel spawned from watching the television series, Lucifer,
and being annoyed by the bad writing for a show full of actors so skilled, she,
and many others, me included, kept watching.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Of course, I can abuse
anything, including reading. I have just started a second reread, back-to-back,
of the sixteen books in Jayne Castle’s Harmony series. The current rereads are
a response to the fact that she is coming out with</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">a new book in the series in May.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And, of course, I love
that series. The first reread – okay. The second reread, procrastination my
friends.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jayne Castle doesn’t
procrastinate. The author is actually Jayne Ann Krentz. She writes historical
paranormal romance as Amanda Quick – love, love, love. She writes contemporary
paranormal romance as Jayne Ann Krentz – again with the love. She writes futuristic
paranormal romance as Jayne Castle – I think the rereads attest to the love.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Paranormal the Krentz way
is not vampires or demons or werewolves. No. It’s people who have developed
additional powers. For example, on Harmony, people can summon “ghosts” (not
real ghosts just a deathly form of energy). They can set illusion traps which
will scramble your wits if triggered.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And they have dust bunnies
as pets. Castle describes them as looking like a wad of dryer lint with eyes.
The dust bunnies have names and personalities. For example, dust bunny Elvis
has a cape and dark sunglasses and eats peanut butter with banana sandwiches.
They are also fierce little predators who have a second pair of eyes in the
back of their heads that come out when they think their human is in danger. In
which case, they will use their six little paws to scurry up a villains body so
they can bite their jugular vein.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One wonders, were those
pets fueled by Castle finding dust bunnies under her bed? We may never know.
This author doesn’t have a lot of time for interviews since, at seventy-five
years of age she still puts out three books a year; one Quick, one Krentz and
one Castle.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It’s well established that
reading fuels writing. What are other things that further the efforts of
getting a story sorted out and on paper or computer?</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I am a lover of trees and
therefore ‘forest bathing’ is definite fuel for my writing. I need a whole
blogpost to cover that subject alone. If you can’t
wait to learn more you can go <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/forest-bathing-nature-walk-health">here</a> and check out what National Geographic has
to say on the topic.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Many great writers have said the only way to write is to sit your butt in your chair and put your fingers on your laptop keys. I wrote more on this in a blogpost titled Don't Wait For Inspiration. Go </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/u/1/blog/post/edit/5654652303276086284/3338682663761626691" style="font-size: 12pt;">here</a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> for that blogpost.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> A lot of writers will tell you walking helps. The theory is that if your story isn’t moving, one solution is to move your body.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Charles Dickens said about
walking: “If I couldn’t walk fast and far, I should just explode and perish.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing">Statistics agree with him. If you walk three times a week, forty minutes each time, the part of your brain that is associated with memory and planning increases in size.</p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rebecca Solnit, author of
the book Wanderlust; A History Of Walking said: “Thinking is generally thought
of as doing nothing in a production-oriented culture, and doing nothing is hard
to do. It’s best done by disguising it as doing something, and the something
closest to doing nothing is walking.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve recently started
intentionally walking for different purposes. It would be nice if moving my
novel along was a side benefit. That would require thinking about my novel in progress while I'm walking. I would have to think about what I'm writing instead of what I'm reading as I put one foot in front of the other.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That would be more easily done if I give up on
my second reread of the Harmony series. But, but, but…</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kn4UE8yS1-c" width="320" youtube-src-id="Kn4UE8yS1-c"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Longview by Green Day</div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-59004717811968388482024-02-27T17:49:00.000-08:002024-02-27T17:49:51.831-08:00The Look It Up Club<p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Once upon a time, I was a
fourth grader. I had a magical teacher named Mr. Hall. After lunch, he read us
chapter books.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He introduced me to a club
where I have been a lifelong member.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The “look it up” club. It
wasn’t a club in reality. It was a way of engaging children, me, with a love of
looking up the meaning of words.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">I love it when I am
reading and I stumble on a word I’m not familiar with; or a word I don’t see
often; or a mix of words that aren’t commonly used together.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Brain bleach – it means
just what it sounds like. Something to clean your brain of nastiness. What a
valuable thing for these times.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Recently I was reading one
of my favorite authors, Jayne Ann Krentz, writing as Jayne Castle. She used the
words psychic dissonance. I am fixated on the concept of cognitive dissonance
and consonance. But psychic dissonance – intriguing.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Psychic means relating to
the soul or mind.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dissonance means a tension
or clash between two disharmonious or unsuitable elements. An example being the
current dissonance between a politicians words and their behavior.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Psychic dissonance would
then be a clash in the mind caused by two conflicting thoughts or energies.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Maybe a good example would
be so many romance readers who love books where the hero is an alpha male. They
love to read such a fictional character on the page but in reality they would
never allow a real man to treat them that way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Another example might be –
I was watching Gordon Ramsey cook with someone else. That person put shaved chocolate
on their cooked ground beef. Gordon could not wrap his mind around the notion
of chocolate on ground beef but when he tasted it – it was good.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Psychic dissonance – it’s
enough to give me a wordgasm.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7v2GDbEmjGE" width="320" youtube-src-id="7v2GDbEmjGE"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">De Doo Doo Doo by the Police</span></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><br /><p></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-11938533559202015422024-02-20T17:30:00.000-08:002024-02-20T17:30:30.700-08:00Chatty Kathy; Kristen Hampton, Lorelai Gilmore<p><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>The plan was</b>, once my
daughter headed upstairs for her procedure, I’d find my spot, set myself up comfortable
with some coffee and write.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p>Y</o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">ou know what <a href="http://www.stevenwright.com/">Steven Wright</a> says about plans. “You should plan to be spontaneous tomorrow.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Of course, that’s
irrelevant here and he’s crazy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">While I was getting myself
set up – four people settled in at the table beside me. And one of them started
talking. Non-stop. In an annoying voice. I looked over and thought, they’ve got
scrubs on. They’re working. They won’t be there long.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">To quote the narrator for
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpongeBob_SquarePants">Sponge Bob Square Pants</a>: “2 years later…”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Okay not two years but
forty-five minutes later, she was still talking. And the other three people at
the table were alternating between nodding as if they were listening and doing something
on their phones.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Chatty Kathy: “blah blah
blah ice water, nurse, urinal cakes, call button, Jello”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Person to the left: nodding
her head</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Person to the right: typing
on his phone</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><i>So, I moved.</i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My daughter had two
procedures and they both went well. On the way home she said – it’s Tuesday. I
wonder if <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stories/170618744424869/UzpfSVNDOjk0NDk2NTQyMzg5Mzg5NA==/?bucket_count=9&source=story_tray">Kristen Hampton</a> has a new product testing video on Facebook.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">And she did. This time she
was testing microwave-able pork rinds. Things to know if you’re not a Kristen
Hampton fan. 1 – You should be. She’s awesome. 2 – On Tuesday’s she tests new
products in her car if she’s in town. Or in her golf cart type vehicle if she’s
out and about on her farm. 3 – She’s funny. 4 – Sometimes on youtube.com she
does a cooking show called White Trash Kitchen which is also funny.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This Tuesday she was in
her car. I didn’t get how she did this because I was driving while listening, but
somehow she snuck a microwave into the car that worked off of the cigarette
lighter charger thing. Evidently it was her wife Terra’s because she was
worried about Terra finding out before she got started and reclaiming it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Which started her on a
tangent about some 5000 people who unsubscribed to her page after her last product
testing video because she referred to Terra as her wife and they got upset.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">She does that. Goes off on
tangents. She also talks non-stop.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Kristen Hampton: “Me and
my grandpa when we were little, well when I was little, he was not little he was
old, he was always old since I knew him, because I was born and he was already
old, but we used to go get a Pepsi and pork skins and that was our little
treat.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b><i>Huh. When she does it, it
doesn’t bother me. In fact, it’s amusing.</i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Which led me to thinking
about the Queen of non-stop fast talking; Lorelai Gilmore<i>.</i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">If you aren’t a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ula6EzP0cPY">Gilmore Girls</a> fan, I can’t help you. There is, in fact, no help for you.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">As a demonstration of the
awesomeness of Lorelai and her daughter Rory – if you’re a fan – travel down
memory lane with me – if you’re not – go on youtube.com and find this scene
afterwards.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Fans – you know what scene
I mean. She is talking to Rory about writing a character reference letter for
Luke and she tells Rory she can’t seem to get it written. Rory advises her to
just sit down and put pen to paper and write it.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Lorelai tells Rory she
tried that and it didn’t work. Rory asks why.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Lorelai Gilmore: “My brain
is a wild jungle full of scary gibberish…bicycle, unitard, hockey puck,
rattlesnake, monkey, monkey, underpants.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Rory Gilmore: :”Hockey puck,
rattlesnake, monkey, monkey, underpants?”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Lorelai Gilmore: :”Exactly
that’s what I’m saying. It’s a big bag of weird in there.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>In conclusion, there are
times when non-stop talking is annoying as fuck.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>There are other times when
it’s just plain funny.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-33386826637616266912024-02-15T16:47:00.000-08:002024-02-15T16:48:23.465-08:00Don't Wait For Inspiration<p><span style="font-size: medium;">I attend Tuesday night Zoom meetings for Pinellas Writers. The issue of whether or not to wait for inspiration comes up frequently. I've read a lot of really good writers opinion on this and it's almost always - don't wait.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://jamesclear.com/">James Clear</a>, who wrote a book I really enjoyed called Atomic Habits, has a newsletter I subscribe to. Recently he had the following in his newsletter:</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDfmeawYg1mj9lIHCU_3Qt1SBzv4bExAqxh42sQ-tadjN6mcGsxKiZyxhKAjKZAoNsbfnT5NWUz7YzSCvX52amEBwcNtQagN_YeXWvwWy0TjwLB1V9egIoGo58KYCmn0kSutl1RIcOawhQ8KhVZh8nPq-oFSOPrU7KPkaG5wg8aiZCEvKYPTdpe7e_uJmx" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="192" data-original-width="228" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDfmeawYg1mj9lIHCU_3Qt1SBzv4bExAqxh42sQ-tadjN6mcGsxKiZyxhKAjKZAoNsbfnT5NWUz7YzSCvX52amEBwcNtQagN_YeXWvwWy0TjwLB1V9egIoGo58KYCmn0kSutl1RIcOawhQ8KhVZh8nPq-oFSOPrU7KPkaG5wg8aiZCEvKYPTdpe7e_uJmx" width="285" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chuck Close self portrait</span></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: minion-pro, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i>"Painter and visual artist <strong style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;"><a href="http://chuckclose.com/">Chuck Close</a></strong> on inspiration:</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: minion-pro, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i>"The advice I like to give young artists, or really anybody who'll listen to me, is not to wait around for inspiration. Inspiration is for amateurs; the rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to do an awful lot of work.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: minion-pro, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px;"><i>All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself. Things occur to you. If you're sitting around trying to dream up a great idea, you can sit there a long time before anything happens. But if you just get to work, something will occur to you and something else will occur to you and something else that you reject will push you in another direction. Inspiration is absolutely unnecessary and somehow deceptive. You feel like you need this great idea before you can get down to work, and I find that's almost never the case."</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: minion-pro, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px;"><em style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;">Source: </em><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://click.convertkit-mail4.com/k0uwe7zm5of6hdwm2v6f7b8x8r577/l2hehmh36e0o4df6/aHR0cHM6Ly9jaGFybGllcm9zZS5jb20vdmlkZW9zLzE5Njgw&source=gmail&ust=1708127028129000&usg=AOvVaw2eDFY0DDbv7qdpnSYZ7l5H" href="https://click.convertkit-mail4.com/k0uwe7zm5of6hdwm2v6f7b8x8r577/l2hehmh36e0o4df6/aHR0cHM6Ly9jaGFybGllcm9zZS5jb20vdmlkZW9zLzE5Njgw" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border-bottom: 2px solid rgb(226, 221, 202); color: #111111; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><em style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;">Interview</em></a><em style="color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;"> (March 2007)"</em></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: minion-pro, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;">I think Chuck Close's words are one of the best explanations of why sitting around waiting for inspiration does not work.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: minion-pro, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hdcTmpvDO0I" width="320" youtube-src-id="hdcTmpvDO0I"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">I Like To Move It</div><span color="inherit" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: minion-pro, Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 12px;"><span color="inherit" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-76326250494802950812024-02-06T17:49:00.000-08:002024-02-06T17:49:02.847-08:00A Fairytale For Melanie<p> L<span style="font-size: 12pt;">ong ago there was a girl,
a girl and a dog. They lived a happy life in a lovely city in a land called
California.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">One of the girls, Jasmine,
was studying to be a massage therapist. She spent hours of her day in peace and
quiet learning to use therapeutic touch to heal aches and pains and strained
muscles. She received a lot of praise from customers who thought her hands were
magic.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The other girl, Melanie,
worked in a coffee shop. She took the dog, Lasher, with her. Before she opened
the doors of the shop, she would chant while she concocted a special drink for
the day.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>“We all come from the
goddess and to her we shall return</i></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>Like a drop of rain
flowing to the ocean.”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The owner of the shop felt
lucky to have such a girl working for him and he would always ask her, “What
kind of brew are you blessing my customers with today?” Melanie would hand him
a sample of the drink on her way to open the doors.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After work Jasmine,
Melanie and Lasher would head for the sea. They liked to live outdoors in parks
overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Melanie would bring home leftover bagels and
they would stop at a stand or a farmers market for fruits and vegetables and cans
of food for Lasher.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They timed things so their
arrival back at camp every day coincided with the dolphins coming in to play
and feed. They would watch the dolphins frolic in the water while they chanted
over the food that they were preparing to eat.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>“Isis Astarte Diana Hecate
Demeter Kali Inana”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Evenings slid into nights
filled with gazing at stars and reading books they checked out from the library
in Cardiff By the Sea. Melanie would play guitar and sing. Jasmine would take
Lasher for long walks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Sometimes boys would
appear, enamored by Jasmine’s magic hands or Melanie’s melodic voice. They
would take blankets out under the stars for hours and then the boys were sent
on their way.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Life was idyllic. Such
times are usually fleeting, though, and that was the case for the two girls and
their dog. Trouble started when Lasher got sick. Melanie searched high and low
for the right veterinarian but she knew – the right veterinarian was back in
Maine. Meanwhile a bad man had become obsessed with Jasmines touch and he was
stalking her. Melanie needed to take Lasher back to Maine and Jasmine needed to
move indoors so she could protect herself.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>“We all come from the
goddess and to her we shall return</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Like a drop of rain
flowing to the ocean.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">They made their plans. The
last night they would spend together would be Beltane. They decided to spend it
on Black’s Beach even though getting there could be tricky. It meant climbing
down the side of a cliff covered in loose gravel with backpacks full of stuff
and with a drum tied to the bottom of the pack. There were a few scary
heart-pounding seconds of feet sliding but they arrived safely at the bottom.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">A full moon filled the
surf with energy and it crashed onto the beach making a kind of watery music.
Lasher ran in and out of the water while Melanie and Jasmine built a balefire
with wood from the packs. They found comfortable spots to sit on across from
each other with the fire between them.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Journal and pen beside
them had to be weighed down with rocks as the wind threatened to carry it away.
Jasmine drew a circle of salt around them for protection. They beat their drums
and sang the chant while the surf pounded and Lasher ran everywhere building
energy to a crescendo.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>“We all come from the
goddess and to her we shall return</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Like a drop of rain
flowing to the ocean.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Isis Astarte Diana Hecate
Demeter Kali Inana”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">They rose from their
seats, put down the drums and danced. They took turns jumping over the fire
leaving the things they wanted to let go of on one side and calling the things
they wanted to embrace into themselves on the other side.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When they started to tire
and the energy waned, they wandered back to their seats, picked up journal and
pen and wrote. They wrote of the beauty of the night. They wrote of the sorrow
put in their hearts by the reality of parting company. They begged the goddess
to reunite them someday and they vowed to continue asking until it happened.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Exhausted from dancing and
drained emotionally, they walked down to the edge of the water. They got their
feet wet in the sea and bathed their faces in the moon. They hugged and cried
until there seemed to be nothing left inside them but peace.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>“Isis Astarte Diana Hecate
Demeter Kali Inana”</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Their sleeping bags were
in the car and they needed to retrieve them to sleep on the beach as the night
had turned chilly. A knowing came over Jasmine and she insisted they carry
everything up to the car. They made their way slowly up the cliff face. They
were stashing things inside the trunk when a familiar man’s voice said, “You
came up. I was just about to come and join you.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jasmine inhaled sharply:
her stalker. She whispered quietly to Melanie, “Let’s get the car loaded and
leave quickly.” Melanie nodded. The man kept speaking and they nodded and said
uh-huhs so he wouldn’t get angry. He was focused on Jasmine so Melanie put
Lasher in the backseat, got in herself and locked all the doors except the
passenger side, Jasmine’s door. When Melanie started the car, he realized what
was happening and stepped in Jasmine’s path. Lasher started growling low in his
throat, steadily getting louder.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jasmine took a step away
from the man and put her hand up to stop him coming closer. They stared at each
other. He started to step towards her again just as the wind kicked up and
there was the loud shrieking sound of an alarm accompanied by honking. He
turned and ran towards the noisy vehicle which must have been his. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Jasmine jumped in the car, slammed and locked
her door and Melanie raced away.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">“We all come from the
goddess and to her we shall return</span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Like a drop of rain,
flowing to the ocean.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Melanie planned to drive
all night. She was a night owl and more comfortable that way. Jasmine was ready
to shower, eat and rest. They parted at Jasmine’s door with one last hug. She
watched until she couldn’t see the car any more then went inside.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Later in bed, Jasmine read
the words she wrote in her journal and started to envision life on her own. She
would be sad for a while but she would be okay. Hours down the road Melanie did
the same. All that remained of their time together was memory and hope.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The reading of this story
today and always is a plea to the universe. Please reunite me with my friend.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><i>“Isis Astarte Diana Hecate
Demeter Kali Inana</i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>We all come from the
goddess and to her we shall return<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>Like a drop of rain
flowing to the ocean<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>The goddess is alive.
Magic is afoot.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>The goddess is alive.
Magic is afoot.<o:p></o:p></i></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><i>The goddess is alive.
Magic is afoot.”</i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Blessed be.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gXIsHPlntAY" width="320" youtube-src-id="gXIsHPlntAY"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span><p></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-67818678520050454242024-01-31T04:36:00.000-08:002024-01-31T04:42:09.480-08:00Gabriella Cimli - more please<p> Did you ever accidentally stumble on to music that just does it for you? </p><p>I have experienced that a few times.</p><p>Recently I found Gabriella Cilmi. She's not new but she is new to me. And that is the best way because then you have a backlog to make your way through instead of waiting on pins and needles for something new to drop.</p><p>This is my favorite song so far:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qvuyYj5ROmk" width="320" youtube-src-id="qvuyYj5ROmk"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sweet About Me by Gabriella Cimli</div><p style="text-align: center;">ENJOY!!!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-59901968801496139442024-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:002024-01-19T10:00:20.126-08:00Outsidey Person, That's Me<p> I recently read an unattributed quote comparing 'outdoorsy' to 'outsidey'.</p><p>I am definitely outsidey. </p><p>There were three situations and I resonated with outsidey each time:</p><p>I would rather see mountains from a roadside viewpoint than from walking to the top and running into creatures which I love in theory but am not anxious to encounter in the wild.</p><p>I love to eat outside - on a restaurant patio - not on a blanket somewhere battling ants and such.</p><p>I can enjoy sitting next to a fire in the woods - on my camp / beach chair. When it's time to sleep, though, I want to leave the woods & be comfortable in bed at home or in a hotel.</p><p>See - outsidey - that's me.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dom7VlltBUc" width="320" youtube-src-id="dom7VlltBUc"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> Wide Open Spaces by The Chicks</div><p></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-61803924163946002072024-01-02T00:51:00.000-08:002024-01-02T00:51:09.374-08:00staying in is the new going out - Happy 2024<p> </p><p>Liz, Cooper & I stayed in. </p><p>We ate popcorn & watched Dr Who.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ubTJI_UphPk" width="320" youtube-src-id="ubTJI_UphPk"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The last episode we watched was a re-watch of Matt Smith taking Vincent Van Gogh into the future so he could see how loved he became.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I cried as usual. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Otherwise it was a pleasant send off of 2023 & a good start for 2024!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Peace & fun to you & yours in the coming year!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oxHnRfhDmrk" width="320" youtube-src-id="oxHnRfhDmrk"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-88210516876692734332023-12-25T22:14:00.000-08:002023-12-25T22:14:14.406-08:00Happy holidays & forget the Who's in Whoville - there's a new Dr Who<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJWc7tgR0HDbinl1puLm2bMfJG5OAr35q-yUlxF-tQBj7r87h3DFULQD6gyfL8pyKn-nPFHp882gr5caJmuGmnfVejSAVcr1PXD54bXiGTygy5KayiACGgP-cTIa7cae_UGze4I9EramODbWMEHqro1toMeNyfG_KAXdlfSXkxVwcadraTRF5wq4S_taLC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="199" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJWc7tgR0HDbinl1puLm2bMfJG5OAr35q-yUlxF-tQBj7r87h3DFULQD6gyfL8pyKn-nPFHp882gr5caJmuGmnfVejSAVcr1PXD54bXiGTygy5KayiACGgP-cTIa7cae_UGze4I9EramODbWMEHqro1toMeNyfG_KAXdlfSXkxVwcadraTRF5wq4S_taLC" width="279" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ncuti Gatwa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">His name is pronounced shootie got wa. He is a Rwandan Scottish actor and for a brief period I thought we were going to have a Dr in a kilt. Alas no such luck.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Still - Ncuti is a cutie and I am enjoying him as the doctor so far!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So happy holidays y'all!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RrutzRWXkKs" width="320" youtube-src-id="RrutzRWXkKs"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lindsey Stirling - Master of Tides - one of my favorite musical things that I found in 2023...</div><br /><p></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-22408466168969687672023-12-12T09:01:00.000-08:002023-12-12T09:01:20.792-08:00Hot Pockets - and not the good kind<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX_0eYf16HvRpSD6juoO4GyH7up8LZDCN0XRH3jUowD1wgOuhDVaZYHWmz5RfG2caOgnhb0--4AsVmcgSwVomP7odF3kacUqbkqoHPapOahwMus_g1mc_U43XnIBnl-0_It8OBFG0BTwpk8G5uJU7y8vTKcfkISnZ1ezoDJ8IhFYnb30Mmx3O6Spc-x_qZ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="276" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX_0eYf16HvRpSD6juoO4GyH7up8LZDCN0XRH3jUowD1wgOuhDVaZYHWmz5RfG2caOgnhb0--4AsVmcgSwVomP7odF3kacUqbkqoHPapOahwMus_g1mc_U43XnIBnl-0_It8OBFG0BTwpk8G5uJU7y8vTKcfkISnZ1ezoDJ8IhFYnb30Mmx3O6Spc-x_qZ" width="239" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In working with my accountability partner I recognized that I have inside myself - hot pockets of resistance - to certain things that are good for me.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">One of my personality quirks is - when I label something it starts to reveal itself. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">So I'm expecting hot pockets of resistance to reveal themselves to me in the future.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">And my mind will scream & yell when I try to examine them. The questions I am going to ask are - what are they? What purpose are they serving? If they are not serving my growing into the person I want to be - how do I deal with them or get around them?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm not going to look for their origin because the origin of most such things is the same and knowing it doesn't change it. It just makes me angry mad woman.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Fuck that. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/REryc1TpeY8" width="320" youtube-src-id="REryc1TpeY8"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-30667164183162951262023-12-04T22:13:00.000-08:002023-12-04T22:13:21.724-08:00Fresh from the framer...<p> Here's an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ciaxjvCsZ/?img_index=1">instagram</a> link to my painting back from Uncle Larry who framed it for me.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks again to the artist who painted it and gave it to me for my birthday: Tadeusz Deregowski.</p><p><br /></p><p>Upcoming holidays remind me of this youtube video featuring the Muppets version of Carol of the Bells - enjoy!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ysIzPF3BfpQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="ysIzPF3BfpQ"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-57181103326408979992023-11-23T05:24:00.000-08:002023-11-23T05:24:26.197-08:00Happy Day!!!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_vupxqywxcGDxcXRNJqTMyPUXD6cGb9Sq7kYpjRMdr7UkiFnCy2xLlakibQnFEta750mhInGe9yoJJoCISjihfqlnCWPr45vRewOXxoX4f_58W8p8-qhBKvYyC8a3_cSirO4rqKkODEDs2FkxC4XugIW54BHdgvAOzskb6Y-Ch4uIo5ptvOW0XaHgdE5/s1080/image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="1080" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_vupxqywxcGDxcXRNJqTMyPUXD6cGb9Sq7kYpjRMdr7UkiFnCy2xLlakibQnFEta750mhInGe9yoJJoCISjihfqlnCWPr45vRewOXxoX4f_58W8p8-qhBKvYyC8a3_cSirO4rqKkODEDs2FkxC4XugIW54BHdgvAOzskb6Y-Ch4uIo5ptvOW0XaHgdE5/s320/image.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-27943002477690932742023-11-18T15:33:00.000-08:002023-11-18T15:33:25.060-08:00Sex Orientation Revelation<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmMxqlqOoc3moAlBS607ENldhb72rKyIK0MrL08l6rieeMAPfaDGH1lDaixNOUscyx6jcZ8JvLUmeJauYFsWW42esFpfZ2gbXXsvSTeyZ01xtWbMU0qxksIeIF9a33ohVLstHbNY2rNbmbuunibnxZahwo4fM5aRRmQA9VxBkDuSRubFmRzasgCWEwfysN" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="241" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmMxqlqOoc3moAlBS607ENldhb72rKyIK0MrL08l6rieeMAPfaDGH1lDaixNOUscyx6jcZ8JvLUmeJauYFsWW42esFpfZ2gbXXsvSTeyZ01xtWbMU0qxksIeIF9a33ohVLstHbNY2rNbmbuunibnxZahwo4fM5aRRmQA9VxBkDuSRubFmRzasgCWEwfysN" width="306" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">People today put a lot of thought into defining their sexual orientation. I've always thought that I could just accept & love everyone as whatever they are & that was enough. As a heterosexual female my only role appeared to be one of support of all orientations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's changing though. Because I've changed. I'm still heterosexual but really I'm asexual. I'm 66 and I don't care if I ever have sex with another person again. I don't have negative feelings towards men and sex, I just don't have the desire to participate anymore. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I do, however have romantic leanings. I like flirting with men. I like reading & writing romance (though not actual sex acts). </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I discovered there is a category I fall under: ACE </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I don't have a lack of libido that needs to be fixed. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As a romantic, asexual woman ditching the term heterosexual to define myself as and embrace ACE, I am whole and healthy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4DwcPqjCW3Y" width="320" youtube-src-id="4DwcPqjCW3Y"></iframe> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fell In Love With A Boy by Joss Stone</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(This rendition is good but I must admit I like the energy & feel of it better when the White Stripes do it as Fell In Love With A Girl - maybe I'll just change the words when I sing along. The way Jack White does it - it's a breathing exercise.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fTH71AAxXmM" width="320" youtube-src-id="fTH71AAxXmM"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Fell In Love With A Girl by the White Stripes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-52297468441914872082023-11-15T02:28:00.000-08:002023-11-15T02:28:10.080-08:00Dedicated to: You Know Who You Are - A Like Letter<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9KzcZCF48uk4nJxRL7Cym0Ye_KXfxCfwzqVtwdlCUp72VwceMzAX7O5AH5z3mxuEnhcYXPk6KEemKxITaliiSZ4rEH2wAANm0pR6FAy1UYtbw89_NWKAvSkdgeG_zYXY5u-YO9EtVLc8ZWKXOXh64QHkQ-CY9XmKvJgM3YfuBPJPPM9tPlSUpfvn5xoE3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="787" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9KzcZCF48uk4nJxRL7Cym0Ye_KXfxCfwzqVtwdlCUp72VwceMzAX7O5AH5z3mxuEnhcYXPk6KEemKxITaliiSZ4rEH2wAANm0pR6FAy1UYtbw89_NWKAvSkdgeG_zYXY5u-YO9EtVLc8ZWKXOXh64QHkQ-CY9XmKvJgM3YfuBPJPPM9tPlSUpfvn5xoE3" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><p></p><p> I turned on the youtube 8D Panning ambience video: Mystical Forest Music // Melody in 8D (Audio from EarMonk Mystic Music) as background for writing this.</p><p>8D panning is new to me. The D stands for dimensional. I love it. Especially this Mystical Forest one.</p><p>This nonsensical bit of whimsy blogpost is about connections. Particularly one connection. Someone I have only met in cyberspace.</p><p>I listened to him read a piece he had written earlier tonight. The piece was amusing and thought-provoking and affirming all at once.</p><p>The kind of amusing that leaves me smiling later. </p><p>The kind of thought-provoking that makes me exclaim - how did he put those things together?</p><p>The kind of affirming that makes me relieved to know - there's someone else in this world who thinks like me. I am not alone.</p><p>Three words from his piece embedded in my psyche and resonated; "jinx the ease".</p><p>First, I'm going to steal that phrase for my writing. Second. I do that. A lot. I jinx the ease in many situations, occurrences, friendships.</p><p>I don't intend to. But I am the queen of making things more complicated than they need to be. And of over-thinking. </p><p>(Ooh - I've been looking for a reason to buy myself a tiara...)</p><p>Anywho - here is a person who laughs with me about smut of all kinds. </p><p>And takes the time to put his thoughts about serious stuff like censorship in emails.</p><p>And...And...And...</p><p>Let me not jinx the ease but rather just say - Thanks T!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iJjQVr9Pcqk" width="320" youtube-src-id="iJjQVr9Pcqk"></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><p> </p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-69059102393064621782023-11-07T18:07:00.004-08:002023-11-07T18:07:52.983-08:00Sprints and Prompts: 8584 words and counting...<p> <span style="font-size: medium;">The first self-imposed sprint with the word prompt 'disgraced' brought me 440 words. I listened to Low by Cracker before starting. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Imposing another sprint from 12:45 to 1:30 PM. Word prompt 'gloomy', Going to listen to Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground before I start sprinting.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I only made it to 1:15PM / 5877 words (206 added). I'm fighting sleep.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I didn't get gloomy in either. Nap first. Another sprint after. Word prompt 'gloomy'. Listen to Lost Cause by Beck first. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Break</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Total today from 7 sprints was 3383 words added to my novel making my word count 8584!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xXZF9W6uCTo" width="320" youtube-src-id="xXZF9W6uCTo"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-33026168475021284062023-11-07T08:30:00.001-08:002023-11-07T08:30:14.798-08:00Never Enough Words<p><span style="font-size: medium;">This time around with NANOWRIMO I am enjoying all the sprints. And, with some of the sprints come word prompts. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The word prompts are definitely helping me fuel my story. I never would have guessed they would. I can't explain the how yet but I will after some more continued use.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-sBOaQ_mQz6EpNIYYtlm-Wv_jSxfyHg-pQe_mg2Tm3Ls6JITkafF_FEYWARuSUBnyuMDjpFtwkGnkggCe2LvEui7ksX_9UUwSb2B2D3jyNH947hywwk1lzXb62s8wb0pp_U-dQPpFpAFd4qURgWJikR8lxIyD5yKVa8ZRMe2y42OX4ACq_6CPVjz7kpIh" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="104" data-original-width="109" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-sBOaQ_mQz6EpNIYYtlm-Wv_jSxfyHg-pQe_mg2Tm3Ls6JITkafF_FEYWARuSUBnyuMDjpFtwkGnkggCe2LvEui7ksX_9UUwSb2B2D3jyNH947hywwk1lzXb62s8wb0pp_U-dQPpFpAFd4qURgWJikR8lxIyD5yKVa8ZRMe2y42OX4ACq_6CPVjz7kpIh" width="252" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">If I want to win Nano - I should be at 11669 words by midnight tonight 11/7.</span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm at 5193 at this point. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I have a one hour sprint to participate in at 4 o'clock today and a two hour sprint to participate in </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">from 7 to 9 o'clock tonight. I plan on writing in shorter, self-imposed sprints all day.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Will this catch me up? No, but I hope to make some headway today and then catchup over the next few days.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The first sprint from 11:45 to 12:30 I am going to make use of the word prompt 'disgraced'.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nVDRju1OOUY" width="320" youtube-src-id="nVDRju1OOUY"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Low by Cracker</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-55400189273189891892023-11-05T22:17:00.000-08:002023-11-05T22:17:07.975-08:00Evolving place-keepers - NANOWRIMO update 11/5/2023<p>Added 909 words today - total of 4329</p><p>The place-keeper for my main character - heroine - started out looking like this:</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiskbAO_IF5d7vH9Eno-GstdDJ50tvOxiWNTCoA-SXMTXdJIPCUKFlLcFHF8j8DBG-sxYN8EUs5u0P_DAtkXhFz5qzW_RcPztJUGnDq4Q6uM7c3grfeFHM1tMO92IuKNj4sZO60aqQOfo5k0EhE_lu5KpNZsxEYzfD9ZTouQ-Euo9K4AksJqI1KNNwf-ZbP" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="284" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiskbAO_IF5d7vH9Eno-GstdDJ50tvOxiWNTCoA-SXMTXdJIPCUKFlLcFHF8j8DBG-sxYN8EUs5u0P_DAtkXhFz5qzW_RcPztJUGnDq4Q6uM7c3grfeFHM1tMO92IuKNj4sZO60aqQOfo5k0EhE_lu5KpNZsxEYzfD9ZTouQ-Euo9K4AksJqI1KNNwf-ZbP" width="296" /></a></div><br />Today I was writing her getting ready for a date and - I don't know how to do her hair. I could research how and I might get it right or I might get it wrong and it might be disrespectful.<p></p><p>So I changed my place-keeper to Victoria Beckham;</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih4-NBLwRl7A-JHVzSOnSlNyY-PTd09akGeTiFWK_ZwrGo4XhQGr_klXoTw2OAoqaJbp1vB8fiz1z_rICb2BEXECe2upx8u4s9OOXLpOC50DTDc2TKWtpFcSl1rD5AxUxP4xYckKD_QlIpUZh29WZtebSVRyi3dTKn806mtOUD0kwQt5EL9WZJRekdLqE8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="202" data-original-width="255" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEih4-NBLwRl7A-JHVzSOnSlNyY-PTd09akGeTiFWK_ZwrGo4XhQGr_klXoTw2OAoqaJbp1vB8fiz1z_rICb2BEXECe2upx8u4s9OOXLpOC50DTDc2TKWtpFcSl1rD5AxUxP4xYckKD_QlIpUZh29WZtebSVRyi3dTKn806mtOUD0kwQt5EL9WZJRekdLqE8" width="303" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">She's offbeat pretty. My version of her has green eyes. I can picture her being the outspoken person I need for my MC college librarian who has to fight a battle against censorship every day. And I know how to do her hair.</div><div><br /></div><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NmbOQcd1yR8" width="320" youtube-src-id="NmbOQcd1yR8"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stop by the Spice Girls</div><br />Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-34983942460878507942023-11-03T23:24:00.001-07:002023-11-03T23:26:59.381-07:00Midnight Not at the Oasis; NANOWRIMO check in 11/3/2023<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> Added 1670 words today - total of 3420!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVUHWnwnwoed_KSF38gc3PWG-V9JSUoVy0Gb2Tz0VDzPigIubH1gqRD21cHY79GsmLlRoHoIKpBBNEh_SNThJR8RjDlFo-TpQhdbQZjE2Xiy_rliREMouLT9ZkWJdzbN_jnPZ4aJed2_c7bFZdeOJQYOeD8ZoUArK7j4KOCjrMa0cXmNNV9gZvNZtpPqCL" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="186" data-original-width="191" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVUHWnwnwoed_KSF38gc3PWG-V9JSUoVy0Gb2Tz0VDzPigIubH1gqRD21cHY79GsmLlRoHoIKpBBNEh_SNThJR8RjDlFo-TpQhdbQZjE2Xiy_rliREMouLT9ZkWJdzbN_jnPZ4aJed2_c7bFZdeOJQYOeD8ZoUArK7j4KOCjrMa0cXmNNV9gZvNZtpPqCL" width="246" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Not sure how 'cute' it is but I'm working on the opening scene for my wip and MC Sadie is meeting her love interest Finn.</span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This scene comes a little after the meet cute:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Her landladies, Hattie, a
curmudgeon who grunted more often than speaking, and Hattie’s sister, Gloria, a
carefree soul who was naturally chatty, sat on a bench in the flower garden to
the left of the parking lot.</span></div><div>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The picture they presented
was surreal. Or she should say more surreal than usual. Was ‘surrealer’ a word?</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Rocks that were balanced
in precarious positions and cactus that had been twisted into weird shapes, sat
on desert sand. In the center was a bench that was fashioned from two recycled
plastic slabs, one to sit on and the other to support the sitter’s back,
anchored to three cement pillars shaped like the giant feet from Monty Python’s
flying circus.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">At the very back of the
garden was a bee-crossing sign which served as a warning for the beehives the
sisters kept.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">That sight alone was
surreal. When you added the women sitting on the bench, the scene was
‘surrealer’.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VlrKETxwRvM" width="320" youtube-src-id="VlrKETxwRvM"></iframe></div><span style="font-size: medium;">And, of course, Midnight At the Oasis by Maria Muldaur<br /></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><br /></div>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-63833799722488934242023-11-01T21:39:00.003-07:002023-11-01T21:39:37.413-07:00Midnight November 1, 2023 word count<p> 1750 </p><p>NANOWRIMO win - here I come!</p><p>Excerpt from today:</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">"Time started moving fast even
as it felt like events were in slow motion. The park had a disc golf course and
a disc hit him hard in the back of his head. In reaction his body fell and she
found herself pinned underneath him. Her book flew, the paper bag cover
ripping, revealing tentacle porn in all its glory. The lid came off of her
travel cup and sticky sweet wine went everywhere, staining book pages, blanket,
his white shirt, her favorite Dead and Roses T-shirt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">This was the part where
she should have been indignant and insistent that he get off her. Instead she
felt laughter bubbling up inside. She counted untimely, inappropriate
bouts of mirth as one of her many flaws and here it was, rearing it’s ugly
head. Again."</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Today's wine container: </span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7rgAQ28qy2m5MXMoKX96nEtzKz7BbcoNi3EvrZ6qBkNyGxgSCmvXu_QP45rhJq5zYgStkdvexkshyphenhyphenVBvdhKEkQwaQ5qFiTb2OP19PHbP0_5NaOywVyyAGIkpPT7C2ZpNfxUTIq5qKxpwzxvgfaZfF1tSlb5dHQy-6X-b4O0RcBfGsDM76YZ3sSiBednJ/s4000/20231102_000954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7rgAQ28qy2m5MXMoKX96nEtzKz7BbcoNi3EvrZ6qBkNyGxgSCmvXu_QP45rhJq5zYgStkdvexkshyphenhyphenVBvdhKEkQwaQ5qFiTb2OP19PHbP0_5NaOywVyyAGIkpPT7C2ZpNfxUTIq5qKxpwzxvgfaZfF1tSlb5dHQy-6X-b4O0RcBfGsDM76YZ3sSiBednJ/w240-h201/20231102_000954.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>Today's ambience youtube Witchy Autumn ASMR Ambience: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusv1d9rPFjO4GhLwAGicrqgBa0qhHn7Y_HUvy4XUhP8K8zXsrEjzi9YurAwjsVqdkBo-aFoqmgsWl7sZBnxeA1MfFzPEHp2iEu_me06Nw9G1AqEcZBYgl6AQeyJtVh3NOa4gLW3PuznFzCqZURxr2f4c-b8L7txAaOUKFbZBuerd77cTYcy4A84v8NtOq/s4000/20231102_000923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjusv1d9rPFjO4GhLwAGicrqgBa0qhHn7Y_HUvy4XUhP8K8zXsrEjzi9YurAwjsVqdkBo-aFoqmgsWl7sZBnxeA1MfFzPEHp2iEu_me06Nw9G1AqEcZBYgl6AQeyJtVh3NOa4gLW3PuznFzCqZURxr2f4c-b8L7txAaOUKFbZBuerd77cTYcy4A84v8NtOq/w240-h208/20231102_000923.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing">And I leave you with a song by David Bowie; The Laughing Gnome</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h-jLTkais7s" width="320" youtube-src-id="h-jLTkais7s"></iframe></div><div><br /></div>Happy Dia De Los Muertos, y'all!<br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-24270552823854660922023-10-31T17:28:00.000-07:002023-10-31T17:28:11.905-07:00A Study of Matthew Goode on Halloween AKA NANOWRIMO Eve<p> <span style="font-size: 14pt;">The W.I.P. novel that I
plan on writing during the month of November, along with scores of other
writers all across the globe – is tentatively titled: “The Battles We Create”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I want this adventure in
writing to be fun.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What could be more fun
than a study of how to describe Matthew Goode? Nothing. Obviously.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">To that end - I am fast
forwarding through seasons 5 & 6 of The Good Wife stopping to describe how
various emotions look on MG acting as Finn Polmar.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiTqkwqpeMsV0NJzd9w54RflKtxn4KvCc1W8NIxGtZfHUcyPAwfu597e1QsyMOA0mwOkDpcikiRFtWbvbIYCGNdQYfMy83yNnnbKevISTkT9dlthLsZX05O9wFi9jWL-n7K_8SG-5_tDe_4uJ4ZNKPg86Pc5rwPVVsmyfW4M578L4wnSm5XHmCz9Px-vAJ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="165" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiTqkwqpeMsV0NJzd9w54RflKtxn4KvCc1W8NIxGtZfHUcyPAwfu597e1QsyMOA0mwOkDpcikiRFtWbvbIYCGNdQYfMy83yNnnbKevISTkT9dlthLsZX05O9wFi9jWL-n7K_8SG-5_tDe_4uJ4ZNKPg86Pc5rwPVVsmyfW4M578L4wnSm5XHmCz9Px-vAJ" width="210" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">See – fun!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">MG as FP has a luxurious
head of dark brown hair which he parts on the side and sweeps back from his
forehead. His eyes are blue and usually twinkling, framed by thick, dark brown
eyebrows. He has a wide mouth and sweet lips which are often curved into a
mischievous smile or a mysterious smile which suggests he knows something you
don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The dimples and lines on
his face are sometimes there, sometimes not depending on his emotions.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">His gestures are soft; one
hand, open, indicating left or right. His movements and his voice are
understated, slow, patient.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">He wears dark, tailored
suits with elegance.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaBXNxC51t_uflPgPN0PxdpQ6a6NjxVTEOSy0_mkTwAAdzK5SbbLCe78Z8eG2XcSs1gMBIoFmoabrp8epOY-IPX9VObJ1hJj_pqcBOFJM6Ky9hHIXk0sd-bLjCbCEFbaNHkVYoIz8k4yqqsIqL4qkf3_WW3_vFcYTap0IvgaBjeK9HJH6La3AzAnXOG85c" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="113" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaBXNxC51t_uflPgPN0PxdpQ6a6NjxVTEOSy0_mkTwAAdzK5SbbLCe78Z8eG2XcSs1gMBIoFmoabrp8epOY-IPX9VObJ1hJj_pqcBOFJM6Ky9hHIXk0sd-bLjCbCEFbaNHkVYoIz8k4yqqsIqL4qkf3_WW3_vFcYTap0IvgaBjeK9HJH6La3AzAnXOG85c" width="167" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Words to describe his
general demeanor: complacent – pleased with himself and unaware of any road
bumps ahead; graceful; gentle; kind; charming.</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What does he look like
when he is:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Devastated – looking off
to the side, eyes wide, mouth slightly open, staring into space</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Threatened – eyes alert no
twinkles, mouth closed in a straight line</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">In agreement – pronounced
nod, turns towards someone & smiles</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Resigned in disagreement –
face to the side, slightly tilted towards his shoulder, lips closed &
turned up at the ends, cheekbones prominent</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg466JXUXdwxYfYUbMUR3KOXd5GczEIMis1JpauWtb1NzXekjWLO2d3fi1ebm1Ui2uBLJMKZVgdfXPXI7jg85qK8CHYWuQdCLjLJbiNDZXS63qdLEbgtc2YGZxk6ppqZalbPPg_aSICob6iSm2QZu1okEiUeOPgGxEKR1ZCAHlla5AfI-Xj3NSlHkiqya32" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="152" data-original-width="150" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg466JXUXdwxYfYUbMUR3KOXd5GczEIMis1JpauWtb1NzXekjWLO2d3fi1ebm1Ui2uBLJMKZVgdfXPXI7jg85qK8CHYWuQdCLjLJbiNDZXS63qdLEbgtc2YGZxk6ppqZalbPPg_aSICob6iSm2QZu1okEiUeOPgGxEKR1ZCAHlla5AfI-Xj3NSlHkiqya32" width="237" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Laughing – looking down
& to the side, mouth turned up, eyes twinkling, lines appear in the corner
of his eyes & beside his mouth, forehead smooth<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> Or - like this:</o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg-RaPCSb7AP0gnOF4jCs1y6evlG2K2ZCMYFaoLAShjjFQ4nd1vDy9JtZF-tfEuD1NOXh_lFsboGwXIRuAjXgV_fn0zbz84Xp6XHP2rWTK8W0QDFPecy7bLC9pqLPqSpf60SvbjReG0o_5v_avwARFFcN-ChC9dvHpDM3V5K_RwiE4Qd3M_DwUu9chx8bC" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="179" data-original-width="158" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhg-RaPCSb7AP0gnOF4jCs1y6evlG2K2ZCMYFaoLAShjjFQ4nd1vDy9JtZF-tfEuD1NOXh_lFsboGwXIRuAjXgV_fn0zbz84Xp6XHP2rWTK8W0QDFPecy7bLC9pqLPqSpf60SvbjReG0o_5v_avwARFFcN-ChC9dvHpDM3V5K_RwiE4Qd3M_DwUu9chx8bC" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Loopy on pain meds – eyes
wide & twinkling, eyebrows raised, lines prominent on forehead<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Flirting – involves a
series of expressions with head moving as he speaks – looking straight ahead,
off to one side, downcast – goes through a range of lip / mouth movements all
with corner of lips turned upwards – eyes move through mischievous, mysterious,
knowing, seductive (bedroom eyes)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMHAxsQwDtNFp-hD0zk6PBoVWcBOLo8gFIgeet_4x_NQ82_a7HYUnWxcGMC2qaVXvS_Lb_SQy-i8qS0mEVtH-9u2SRhL50oLCY1MHIZtZf0Lgc8_x4AHnUpncc4S1jG3Sqdd20FQq-TWYAJ-B9AKLl6Z6LFhBKT0e8HMEOv4_K7wJ6h3Xy6zF9VQUg0whd" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="192" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMHAxsQwDtNFp-hD0zk6PBoVWcBOLo8gFIgeet_4x_NQ82_a7HYUnWxcGMC2qaVXvS_Lb_SQy-i8qS0mEVtH-9u2SRhL50oLCY1MHIZtZf0Lgc8_x4AHnUpncc4S1jG3Sqdd20FQq-TWYAJ-B9AKLl6Z6LFhBKT0e8HMEOv4_K7wJ6h3Xy6zF9VQUg0whd" width="286" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Anger – moves through a
range of movements and expressions – all unsmiling, no eye twinkle, no lines or
dimples showing on face – voice raised and forceful<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd0fLlg5mbkCnxEo5L--o2AOB_vyEa5uLJykR8MFQQIy72OESc0UHCNkLRoy1xyvQZDeMawp4ebBC5Kvg6ZZOD-8rNnPgPhodewBG9M6-1U6aTsL6ZJ9hELscl1duoB6k1qA9rf_jh0VseFMvTwNx8ZyjSUHn4g8dPg9GaS8P-pvosbqKpB8EwTAZGJX0v" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="132" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhd0fLlg5mbkCnxEo5L--o2AOB_vyEa5uLJykR8MFQQIy72OESc0UHCNkLRoy1xyvQZDeMawp4ebBC5Kvg6ZZOD-8rNnPgPhodewBG9M6-1U6aTsL6ZJ9hELscl1duoB6k1qA9rf_jh0VseFMvTwNx8ZyjSUHn4g8dPg9GaS8P-pvosbqKpB8EwTAZGJX0v" width="182" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I am satisfied with my
study of how to describe emotions moving across Matthew Goode’s face as he
plays Finn Polmar.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">What about his voice? Is
voice important? In my opinion, yes, sometimes more than looks.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">When I recall compelling,
seductive voices, the late Alan Rickman, the lead singer from Echo and the
Bunnymen… I would put Matthew Goode in the top five of personal favorites.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">So… I could spend my
afternoon, perhaps eyes closed, listening to Goode in his various roles, with
pleasure.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Unfortunately, I need to
do laundry, fix lunch, prepare for critique tonight.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">And, such an experiment
would be more enjoyable with wine. They say it’s always five o’clock somewhere
but not here, not yet.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I’m going to give it one
sentence, in the POV of MC Sadie, albeit long: “Underneath the accent, probably British, was a
compelling, dulcet voice, low-key with underlying sensual, seductive tones that
appealed to Sadie, even as she fought the attraction.”</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Wrapping up this post -
let’s switch gears and take a few minutes to savor Echo and the Bunnymen with
Ian McCullough singing ‘Lips Like Sugar’:</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9hGcJA8fXvU" width="320" youtube-src-id="9hGcJA8fXvU"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> H</o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">APPY HALLOWEEN Y’ALL!</span></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-63468507830496561132023-10-30T13:02:00.003-07:002023-10-30T13:02:37.995-07:00The day before the eve of NANOWRIMO<p> I am participating in NANOWRIMO again this November.</p><p>Right at this very moment I am 'partying' in an event called <span style="background-color: #e2eff3; color: #5f8c6f; font-family: SerifSemiBold, serif; font-size: 24px;">Global Write-In Crawl Packing Day Welcome Event</span></p><p>It's chaotic mostly because I don't know what I'm doing but that's okay. Also, the place where you report your word count starts with the word discord so I feel like a discordian. Typically I don't like discordians. Or accordions. I wonder if there are discordians who play the accordion?</p><p>So - my novel I plan to write is tentatively titled 'The Battles We Create'. My MC is Sadie Jones and her love interest is Finn Smith looks like Matthew Goode's character Fin from the Good Wife. Double Fin / Finn yumminess. </p><p>I have written 300 words previous to this blogpost. Now I'm going to waste some event time trying to put a NANO 2023 badge in a few places. I am not a tech wizard so...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClaFofQq2YqtVuTZwNxPxIU1QI1n1agwcsJx91FYS8foToIYzOQTr0xWDIRViZDDkE2XzJpVuRQUQqL1A_lMn6Xox3YRj_m8pJPkGFz-_Livg1AtnyG1l7MblvEraS8uPUNjfo5VMMqpD3r3ReuyGvkry8iBpRfAgwCYuX2d4lVlH1f986AeqQXC9zXj4/s500/event%20badge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClaFofQq2YqtVuTZwNxPxIU1QI1n1agwcsJx91FYS8foToIYzOQTr0xWDIRViZDDkE2XzJpVuRQUQqL1A_lMn6Xox3YRj_m8pJPkGFz-_Livg1AtnyG1l7MblvEraS8uPUNjfo5VMMqpD3r3ReuyGvkry8iBpRfAgwCYuX2d4lVlH1f986AeqQXC9zXj4/s320/event%20badge.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Triumph!</div><div><br /></div>Sandwiches from the pizza place are on the way. I'm out of wine (dammit) which is extra sad since my MC Sadie is currently illegally drinking wine in the park.<div><br /></div><div>Okay back to the fun!</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll keep you posted now to 11/30/2023 <br /><p><br /></p></div>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-72060776828795163462023-10-18T10:14:00.000-07:002023-10-18T10:14:22.913-07:00Kintsugi<p>B<span style="font-size: 14pt;">lasphemous but true: I
have become more of a tea drinker than coffee. Specifically, I love Scottish
Breakfast tea – and not only at breakfast.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I like to brew it in one
of these:</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB96aC0q3UdUS4ArtjOPy1QfFDFhwZwD63p0ZrLNh7H1e3v3V5JUl8QJogypk0S4UF9bSBc_aBou-7nHofFKRYUbZnOJpFp9Z6Om0PnlJK5_Dnljd5GjN65YmT9Er6zqCSpvVFyknm3if214iuuxQdZzlXjezB3DwQfrccVjEdWquuiaEQeROjIbzU2aUr/s4000/20231013_134529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB96aC0q3UdUS4ArtjOPy1QfFDFhwZwD63p0ZrLNh7H1e3v3V5JUl8QJogypk0S4UF9bSBc_aBou-7nHofFKRYUbZnOJpFp9Z6Om0PnlJK5_Dnljd5GjN65YmT9Er6zqCSpvVFyknm3if214iuuxQdZzlXjezB3DwQfrccVjEdWquuiaEQeROjIbzU2aUr/s320/20231013_134529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: left;">They’re cups by Tea Forte
(available on Amazon) and I have that exact one. I use it frequently. The metal
coming out of the top is a basket that holds the tea while it steeps and is
easily removed when it’s ready.</span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Recently another of my
favorite cups broke. It was a smooth break with two broken chips that fitted
easily together and back in the cup.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I decided to pursue how to
put it back together with gold seams as I have seen done online so I started to
research.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1zA7cLs90-4W52tPFAJbSHvmvzEyvLAcVK8kWn9-wykoIsSxDlnmd7vVbIB6ZUWtjL4b0fQHkKTe6_72JTKO6nR2H4MXQ0stMz6mmutd-xuSHaALgtn0xPHqKCRvpjhwa5P6RP9ERRL0-eUNc8TmyxuNW0edt1Shyphenhyphen95blPDVHBdphbim_eHwRf8w1OjX/s3000/20231008_230932.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2610" data-original-width="3000" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD1zA7cLs90-4W52tPFAJbSHvmvzEyvLAcVK8kWn9-wykoIsSxDlnmd7vVbIB6ZUWtjL4b0fQHkKTe6_72JTKO6nR2H4MXQ0stMz6mmutd-xuSHaALgtn0xPHqKCRvpjhwa5P6RP9ERRL0-eUNc8TmyxuNW0edt1Shyphenhyphen95blPDVHBdphbim_eHwRf8w1OjX/s320/20231008_230932.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p>Kintsugi or Kinsukuroi –
literal translation – ‘gold seams’ -golden joinery – golden repair – join with
gold – is an ancient Japanese concept.</span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62-oHR_EDpLrj8Ma5ztEIs5H3-zWEGgYucZu93nltCoTiKqKBuwmlFwceyi7hkQZphwsqv2M-50KjdxBseMZwTvRndnrO7VRm43OI_3Fbm7fLIy2e_5ilg2uYpObd7tsp9FcqOPZ3pJxOgQGRQZon8fVHQ4nY78CfL5oeekpbcRTmdom_mJZDt70Qdyp6/s2891/20231013_113944.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2891" data-original-width="1891" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg62-oHR_EDpLrj8Ma5ztEIs5H3-zWEGgYucZu93nltCoTiKqKBuwmlFwceyi7hkQZphwsqv2M-50KjdxBseMZwTvRndnrO7VRm43OI_3Fbm7fLIy2e_5ilg2uYpObd7tsp9FcqOPZ3pJxOgQGRQZon8fVHQ4nY78CfL5oeekpbcRTmdom_mJZDt70Qdyp6/s320/20231013_113944.jpg" width="209" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p>I</o:p></span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">t’s hard to be specific
about the meaning behind the concept. If you research you will find many, many
ways in which it is used.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFx4eDg3zElyThGMhRiRXzQPObpsNrVhJwNdAbe-YXT3ECFn-tecLZw1x7Sh8Xmlm4G3Zye1shfDtpD8TcZhHJBiiBp9UFBsYig_xouhXG-Ipecc4HCug5uWdHobcmzS-XleuuDgbsmTA9zBs6dlivMZTqJgyKgo8nWXECOHSWvTGRloevICQuxRCwbWF9/s2537/20231013_114004.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2537" data-original-width="2039" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFx4eDg3zElyThGMhRiRXzQPObpsNrVhJwNdAbe-YXT3ECFn-tecLZw1x7Sh8Xmlm4G3Zye1shfDtpD8TcZhHJBiiBp9UFBsYig_xouhXG-Ipecc4HCug5uWdHobcmzS-XleuuDgbsmTA9zBs6dlivMZTqJgyKgo8nWXECOHSWvTGRloevICQuxRCwbWF9/s320/20231013_114004.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">The philosophy behind
Kintsugi can be thought of as – a variant of the adage ‘waste not want not’. It
is also said to encompass other Japanese concepts such as </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">‘no mind’ or
non-attachment or acceptance of change or fate.</span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoBUqtvadsYIuYbPzm64rJh8yeVgJYWJVdtHQETx6ZR_qVFB-38CWR1FbcbleTRwMciz9iV-wz7XRZ-qb-dUMkzqlwMAFOlMRZXjwJ9KiyaeUhsaUAA76JH1k5kj_TirrhepXopzoEy1qgu3ASPUkxEQ1XrzCFjdelAjeV2LmbUUnPVP4oXgZFmASrPTc/s3162/20231015_235742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3162" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoBUqtvadsYIuYbPzm64rJh8yeVgJYWJVdtHQETx6ZR_qVFB-38CWR1FbcbleTRwMciz9iV-wz7XRZ-qb-dUMkzqlwMAFOlMRZXjwJ9KiyaeUhsaUAA76JH1k5kj_TirrhepXopzoEy1qgu3ASPUkxEQ1XrzCFjdelAjeV2LmbUUnPVP4oXgZFmASrPTc/s320/20231015_235742.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Amongst the ideas that
explain Kintsugi, the one that means the most to me is Wabi Sabi which means ‘admiring
imperfection’ or ‘beauty within imperfection”.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Many moons ago I was in a
relationship with a Navajo man who taught me a lot about beauty because it is
deeply entrenched in the Navajo’s view of the world.</span></p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPQmCV4bnAuPy1HbFfpDJqpPVy4COSUIPcLQHDqrGBCjy3Mao4EB01BVv4Tv11IdXQBwVK3L3UtvegWIDNBEuakrZxW1cGRLx9F1Sy42JQ2gLlLShxU38Xu7GoLmPcr5u9VL4DBhV9aaBb0OvJYEnTeHkVHMk9INQuuafnFVP3uUxFZyZGNX2IRdJRXhm/s4000/20231013_131824.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPQmCV4bnAuPy1HbFfpDJqpPVy4COSUIPcLQHDqrGBCjy3Mao4EB01BVv4Tv11IdXQBwVK3L3UtvegWIDNBEuakrZxW1cGRLx9F1Sy42JQ2gLlLShxU38Xu7GoLmPcr5u9VL4DBhV9aaBb0OvJYEnTeHkVHMk9INQuuafnFVP3uUxFZyZGNX2IRdJRXhm/s320/20231013_131824.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Navajo’s have an ancient
concept called ‘Hozho’ which roughly translates as balance and beauty. Their
culture recognizes that beauty can be visual as in beautiful people or objects but
it also takes in much that is beyond the five senses. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKAqa66j9cj5XaBv_UetQ5GYjJZJ4Vfn6O5b7V4s3sgZb70qmusKK5ukwgfGGLjevS_BiwAgLWmpO00j0DxY4Fhasl6lANF02qqWLmF6fBUGKo1bELCN7Srr672n3mcBXmBSe-WeHRxMnGmw8_a-HhNGZi33lnuAvYVLapMbPLSt8lPOt97sKt8M2U6LK/s4000/20231013_131854.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKAqa66j9cj5XaBv_UetQ5GYjJZJ4Vfn6O5b7V4s3sgZb70qmusKK5ukwgfGGLjevS_BiwAgLWmpO00j0DxY4Fhasl6lANF02qqWLmF6fBUGKo1bELCN7Srr672n3mcBXmBSe-WeHRxMnGmw8_a-HhNGZi33lnuAvYVLapMbPLSt8lPOt97sKt8M2U6LK/s320/20231013_131854.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Beauty can be seen in
relationships and health and goodness and in rituals and ceremonies. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Being respectful of other
cultures, I think that the Navajo concept of ‘Hozho’ combines the Japanese
concepts of ‘Wabi Sabi’ and ‘Yuugen’ or beholding beauty in the unseen.</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">From the Daily Sabah* –
Big in Japan: 10 Japanese concepts to live by<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Ikigai: A reason for being</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">(This idea is spoken of in
several documentaries about longevity and the Blue Zones of the world;
sometimes by name and other times unnamed by meaning. Centenarians generally
have a specific purpose or reason for being in their life.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">I recently read of a woman
named </span><a href="https://www.pianote.com/blog/colette-maze/" style="font-size: 14pt;">Colette Maze</a><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> who is 109 years old. She’s a pianist and she just released
her seventh album. She started playing at age five which means she has played
piano for 104 years. That seems like a definite reason or purpose for living.)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Oubaitori: Never comparing
oneself</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Kaizen: continuous
improvement</span><span style="font-size: 14pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Wabi-sabi: Admiring
imperfection<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Mottainai: the concept of
not being wasteful</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Kintsugi: the art of
golden repair<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Gaman: Dignity during
duress</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Shikata ga nai: Acceptance
and letting go</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Yuugen: Beholding beauty
in the unseen</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Mono no aware: the pathos
of things (having empathy towards things and ephemera)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">*The Daily Sabah is a Turkish
pro-government daily newspaper published in Turkey and available online in
other languages.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NVD7Eh45NXM" width="320" youtube-src-id="NVD7Eh45NXM"></iframe></span></div><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5654652303276086284.post-8841620774397235122023-10-05T01:07:00.006-07:002023-10-05T01:17:08.810-07:00Hillerman; Skinwalkers, Coyote Waits, Thief of Time and Dark Winds<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjc3Sz1Z8Q7Pqvkg_QfwdO0lteHSfqVbZZyYuiIiHlZ-iINtvL3JTiMsLwJPSZITcmSXF6J79N0dcDDu7XbbnxRFhDqgNMhXX1rwdqQTPrBBHTH9gH2oyGBuFZ_x-mQuuSPlkarTMtuInAr2GWOeqyyR-IY7DjYoJS-5pN8EVZa9IvBhI6aGPgbAmiizj_N" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="215" data-original-width="272" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjc3Sz1Z8Q7Pqvkg_QfwdO0lteHSfqVbZZyYuiIiHlZ-iINtvL3JTiMsLwJPSZITcmSXF6J79N0dcDDu7XbbnxRFhDqgNMhXX1rwdqQTPrBBHTH9gH2oyGBuFZ_x-mQuuSPlkarTMtuInAr2GWOeqyyR-IY7DjYoJS-5pN8EVZa9IvBhI6aGPgbAmiizj_N" width="304" /></a></div><a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1170866478/beautiful-navajo-wool-rug-by-acclaimed"><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1170866478/beautiful-navajo-wool-rug-by-acclaimed" style="background-color: white;">Beautiful wool rug by Navajo weaver: Bernice Toledo</a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">T<a href="https://mysterysequels.com/tony-hillerman-books-in-order" style="font-family: arial;">ony Hillerman</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> wrote three books featuring Joe Leaphorn. Then he wrote three books featuring Jim Chee.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Book seven, <u>Skinwalkers</u>, published in 1986, featured the team of Leaphorn and Chee. He wrote eleven more Leaphorn Chee books. The last one was published in 2006.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Hillerman died in 2008 at age eighty three.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">I only read <u>Skinwalkers</u>. I loved it. I didn't follow the series because it wasn't my preferred genre and I didn't have much time for reading in those days. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">In 2002 and 2003 Robert Redford produced three Leaphorn Chee movies for PBS Mystery series: <b><i>Skinwalkers</i>, <i>Coyote Waits</i> and <i>Thief of Time</i></b>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><a href="https://wesleystudi.com/">Wes Studi</a> played Joe Leaphorn and <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0063440/bio/">Adam Beach</a> played Jim Chee. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">As with most things PBS does, they were excellent. I couldn't find them streaming anywhere so you might have to buy the DVDs to see them.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee are together again in a new AMC series, <b><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15017118/"><i>Dark Winds</i></a></b>. Leaphorn is played by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0565647/">Zahn McClarnon</a> and Jim Chee is played by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3377042/">Kiowa Gordon</a>. Bernadette Manuelito, Chee's love interest, is played by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3906656/">Jessica Matten</a>. Sheriff Gordo Sena is played by <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0553436/">A. Martinez</a>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">This time around producer Robert Redford is joined by producers George R. R. Martin and Hillerman's daughter, Anne Hillerman. The series began in 2022 and has so far given us two fabulous seasons with season three in the works.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Dark Winds is written by Chickasaw native, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3169366/">Graham Roland</a>, Pyramid Lake Paiute native, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm9558376/">Anthony Florez</a>, and Seneca - Cayuga native, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2109991/">Erica Tremblay</a>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"> <span>In 2013, Hillerman's daughter, <a href="https://www.annehillerman.com/">Anne Hillerman</a></span><span> published <u>Spider Woman's Daughter</u></span><span>, the first new novel since 2006 featuring her dad's Navajo characters. The novel's protagonist is Jim Chee's wife, Officer Bernadette Manuelito. Leaphorn is the victim of an assassination attempt and spends half of the book in a coma. Chee and Bernadette Manuelito are the crime fighters from that book forward in the series. Leaphorn recovers and consults frequently throughout the books to date.</span></span></p><p><span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><u>Spider Woman's Daughter</u>, which I read and enjoyed, is followed by seven more books with the Bernie and Chee team. Anne does a good job of remaining true to the characters her father created while developing a style all her own.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O572-dHT4H0" width="320" youtube-src-id="O572-dHT4H0"></iframe></span></div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">R. Carlos Nakai and Peter Kater: All Soul's Waltz</span></div></span>Judith Jenningshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00704256258924647884noreply@blogger.com0