Friday, August 16, 2019

Simple and Sweet #UseYourWords

Welcome to August's Use Your Words writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked four to six words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.




My words are:
hardwood ~ monster ~ VCR ~ bicycle ~ boys ~ motorcycle

They were submitted by: https://wanderingwebdesigner.com/blog (Thank you for the magnificent words!!)

I am going to keep today's post, as short and sweet as possible. By no means due to the words not inspiring me, but possibly because they inspire me so much. If I wrote everything these words brought to mind, I would probably spend hours at my computer crying, and not all sad tears. 

The very first vision I saw in my mind, when I read these words, were my cousins and I running along the hardwood, wrap around porch, at my Uncle Ricky and Aunt Jackie's house. The boys would chase the girls. The girls would chase the boys. We would all take turns sitting on Uncle Ricky's motorcycle, while everyone else made sure no adults were coming. We would play monster games, cops and robbers games, tag, taking turns riding on the bicycles, hide and go seek, and just plain had fun. 

We are all growing older and memories fade, and things change, and people go away, and others pass on. Life changes. Journeys take us elsewhere. I think it is beautiful, that in our minds, we can revisit days long gone. Memories nearly forgotten, and just reminisce in their purity. Enjoy the unbridled joy that they bring us.

In so many ways, those were the best days of my life. I was loved. I was safe. I was surrounded by family. I had my Daddy. I had fun. I laughed. People loved me. Of course, my cousins and I did not always show that love, but let someone else mess with any of us, and see what happened. Trust me, we loved each other, no matter how much we annoyed one another.

I really grew up with my second cousins. My dad did not have me until he was forty. By then my first cousins, had kids my age. As was custom, I did not just walk around calling my older adult, first cousins by their name. They were Uncle Ricky and Aunt Jackie. I knew they were my cousins, but there was a respect there, due to the difference in age. I am an adult now, and they are still Uncle Ricky and Aunt Jackie. 

Their kids have kids, and they are growing up, just like we did. Loved, safe, and together. I hope they enjoy these days. Before long they will be gone. People will be gone. Memories will be faded. The important things will be distorted. At least, I know they will never, ever forget the love. I can close my eyes, and still feel it wrap around me. All the love I was shown. That kind of love, it can never be forgotten. 

I wish I had our old VCR, and all the VCR tapes. I would love to spend hours and hours just watching those days. I remember thinking how silly it was to film everything, and now I would give anything to have those tapes. Those visual memories, to sit, and help sharpen my mental memories. Those were the days. We have advanced so much, but those simpler days.... Those were the days. Simple, sweet, perfect.

I wish I could go back, and tell younger me, to really  soak in and enjoy those days. Focus on all the good, because there is SO MUCH good, and let the bad go. I grew up, and I spent years focused on the bad, and looking back now, I see those were not the important parts. It was all the good, that deserved focus and remembering. At least I remember them now. A bit too late, as it had a huge impact on my relationship with my Daddy, and I would love to change that. I would love to redo it, letting all that good, be what had the impact on our relationship, especially in the final years.


Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

Climaxed     


Friday, August 9, 2019

Reckless Voyage #SecretSubjectSwap

Welcome to August's Secret Subject Swap. This week eight awesome bloggers submitted a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.




My “Secret Subject” is:
You're shipwrecked or lost somewhere. What three items are your musts?

It was submitted by: https://ourprimeyears.com/blog/ (Thank you for such a fun subject!!)

I have never not liked a Secret Subject I have been assigned over the years, based on merit. I think they have all been excellent. Some I have struggled with, because I have difficulty in turning them into a decent blog post, but that is actually the beauty of these challenges we do.... being actually challenged by the prompt/theme/words/picture that is placed upon us, to weave into a post worthy of reading. Over the years, many of these challenges have shown my lack of writing ability, and have highlighted why I do not do this blogging thing, on a more professional level. I still stand firm, that when I say I am a blogger, I feel like a phony, because I know some awesome bloggers, and to be labeled the same as them, just does not seem accurate. 

Every so often I get a prompt, and I may or may not do it justice, but the prompt itself sparks something in my soul, that makes me feel like I am doing exactly what I should be doing. I cannot accurately describe it, so I won't even try. Just know, that when I read this prompt, my soul was on fire with excitement to write about this. 

Any of my friends, mostly those who knew younger me, the me before life sort of beat me down, and turned me into this new me, that is not quite the old me, but is also not quite not the old me, would read this prompt, and probably have a flashback to a conversation with me. I used to love to talk about random topics with friends. I especially loved playing twenty questions, or simply just asking the most random conversation starters ever, and one of my most favorite questions, has always been the stranded on a deserted island question. I almost think it is safe to say, that it was my absolute favorite question.

Over the years, I have answered the question many different ways. As my life changes, as I change, as the world changes, so to does my answer. I think the very first time I ever answered this question, I said something like "My favorite book, a bottle of water, and my walkman", and then my friend gave their answer, and it included survival items. It was in the moment, that I first ever really analyzed the question, and over the years, I have analyzed it so many more times. I do not know how many times I have answered this question, but I am fairly confident that I have never given the same answer twice.

One of the more memorable times I answered, was when my friend and I were just randomly answering questions. He answered first, and his answer was very well thought out. We could have five items, not just three, and his answer included items to help him get rescued, as well as items to help him survive on the island. Now, I like to get under my friend's skin, and I am really good at it, and when he set the guidelines for our answers to the question, he left some loopholes. So, my fifth item was a bottle with my very own genie inside. He nearly lost his mind arguing with me, but in the end, agreed it was not against the rules. That was probably the best answer I have ever given to this question.

Today, as I ponder an answer, I have three things that immediately pop into my mind, but when answering this question, I never give my first thought answers. I give my analyzed answers. So, let's analyze...
    
If my cell would have service, then definitely that, so I could call for help. However, cell service is never a guarantee, so chances are that would be a wasted item. Though, if I were tech savvy, I could probably use it to create a working communication device, but let's face it, I am clueless. So, I definitely think cell phone is out.

With my OCD being what it is, I need to keep in mind sanitary conditions. It will be hard, but I can do my best. One thing that would definitely be helpful, is a complete pot/pan/utensils/knives set. One like you can by all boxed up. So, I want a boxed up Pioneer woman pot/pan/utensil/knives set. I wanted to go with Rachael Ray, but Ree has beautiful designs, and I think they would cheer me up. So, I definitely want this as one of my three. Having proper cookware, will enable me to keep things sanitary enough, that I do not go insane. Plus, let's face it, I will need all the help I can get in the cooking department. Having cooking materials I am accustomed to, will be a massive help. 

Of course my mind immediately goes to books. Reading will definitely help, and in dire circumstances, they can help keep fires going. However, my soul sort of hurts at the thought of burning books, and I should be able to have plenty of burn material. Plus, if it rains, the books would be destroyed. I have my mind and imagination, and they can handle the entertainment factor, so I would say books are not the best idea.

I also immediately think Chad and Gigi. I would not want to be without them. Logic then kicks in. I will probably struggle just to keep myself safe. Having two more people to worry about, may not  be wise. Plus, if anything ever happened to either of them, it would ruin me. Also, if I am lucky, with them home safe and sound, they will lead efforts to find me, and not give up until they do. So, it is probably best they stay home.

Now, I have never been camping. So this whole experience is going to be difficult on me. One thing that is certain, I need a safe home base. A place where I can be as safe as possible. A place I can lay my head and rest. I think I would be good at building boobie traps around my home base, to alert me of anyone or anything approaching. I just worry I won't be able to build adequate bedding. So, I think it would be wise to have one of the tent kits. They one with the tent, blanket, pillow, and weather proof sheet. This way, I could have a great place to rest and relax. The boobie traps would help protect me while I am asleep. 

So, I have cooking and sleeping/protection from the elements covered. One more thing. One more item that would be best at helping me survive my time on the island. 

Well, the other thing that comes to mind is health. Health is incredibly important. So, I would definitely want a fully stocked first aid kit, enclosed in a large, weather proof container. I want it fully stocked.... Alcohol, Hydrogen Peroxide, band aids, liquid band aid, splints, medical tapes of all sizes, ace bandages, tweezers, those break and freeze ice packs, those break and warm compresses, Neosporin, Calamine lotion, Tums, Tylenol, my medicines, suture kit, gauze, iodine, Benadryl, my inhalers, burn salve, aloe, sunscreen, etc etc Anything and everything you would want in a first aid kit.

I don't have anything to entertain myself, but hopefully, I will survive.

Now, before anyone comments... Yes, I considered every single type of coffee maker. I just could not figure out a way to work it or make it beneficial. So, here is to hoping withdrawal isn't too terrible.

What would you bring?! Am I dumb for not choosing Matt Damon?! I feel slightly dumb.

Here are links to all the sites now featuring August's Secret Subject Swap posts.  Sit back, grab a drink, and check them all out. See you there:


Skin

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