Saturday, April 30, 2016

Zing! The A to Z Challenge The Letter Z

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?
Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.




"Zing Went The Strings of My Heart"
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
heartstrings                                                                                 
                                                                                                      
 The deepest feelings or affections: a tug at the heartstrings.     
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So here we are at the end of another A to Z challenge.  This is the fifth one I have participated in.  I feel the same way at the end of this one as I have at the end of the other four.
One feeling, of course, is relieved.  I'm not going to lie, it is a challenge.
I also have an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and exhilaration!

But most of all I have the deepest feeling of affection for the A to Z Challenge






Thank you to all who visited and commented on my A to Z posts.   You gave me the incentive and encouragement to keep on going until the end :) 
  



Friday, April 29, 2016

Just One More Skein, I Promise - A To Z Challenge - The Letter Y

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?
Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.


Photo Credit CoolChaser Graphics


I am an avid knitter. I also crochet.  Most avid knitters and crocheters I know are yarnaholics.   We call our accumulation of yarn our stash.  Actually, a knitter's stash can also include knitting needles, project bags, markers, stitch holders, binders filled with hundreds of patterns, and anything else having to do with our craft.
But mainly our stash is yarn.
I have a four tier shelf in my walk-in closet which holds eight plastic bins, two on each shelf.  These bins are filled with yarn.  Not all of my yarn fits in those bins, though.  Some of it is still in shopping bags from whatever store I purchased the yarn.  Those bags are on the floor in front of the shelf.
Next to my chair in the corner of our living room, known as my nook, I have two baskets filled with the yarn of my current project(s).
If I had to explain my addiction, I would say that it is a pleasurable sensorial experience which in turn engages my creative imagination.
Trippin' on yarn?  Perhaps.
When I walk into a yarn shop, I'll stop for just a second at the front of the store and sweep the room with my eyes, perceiving the vibrant colors and soft hues of yarn filled shelves as one large painting.
As I make my way down each aisle,  I will choose an inviting skein to touch and squeeze and brush my cheek with.
I think of who might like a "Really Red" hat or a "Periwinkle" shawl.
On the way home, with my newest acquisitions safely tucked inside the cute pink shopping bag from "Woolbearers", my local yarn shop or LYS,  I solemnly promise not to buy another skein until I get my stash under control.
Yep, that's the talk of an addict for sure.
Oh, and don't even get me started on WEBS,  which is not only my favorite brick and mortar yarn shop (a four-hour car trip that I'll take once a year) but it is also my favorite place to online shop.  Curses to them for currently having their 42-anniversary sale. 


Okay, you wanna see, don't you?
I really have to re-organize 

But, I dare to believe that I have knitted and crocheted my way into perpetuity.


Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Thursday, April 28, 2016

X Doodling - The A to Z Challenge - The Letter X

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?
Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.



X doodle

I'm sure that I don't have to mention this and I shouldn't whine about it, but I will anyway.  X is impossible.
Okay, not impossible but pretty darn difficult.

To try to get started I googled "nouns that begin with the letter X".
Did you know that there is a website called, Nouns Starting?

They have the nouns broken into categories.  It looks like this:

There are 18 animals listed, all with very long unpronounceable names.   I didn't think you'd be interested.

Did you know that there are no foods that start with the letter X.
I got this message when I clicked on the Food tab:

Sorry, we do not have any food words that start with X :(

That's according to "Nouns Starting" anyway.

They list three objects that start with the letter X


I wonder how many bloggers will choose to write about one of those.

Oh, the places you will go.  Well only three that start with the letter X



There are 22 "X" plants.  I picked the one with the longest name, xeranthemum annuum to show you.


It looks like this:
Pretty huh?

I read an article in the May 2016 issue of Family Circle magazine about 20 influential moms.
One of the moms is Johanna Basford.  They call her the Master Doodler.   According to the article, "If you ever wondered how the adult coloring book trend got started, look no further than Johanna.  The Scottish illustrator, whose hand-drawn works are featured in her wildly popular books like Secret Garden and Lost Ocean, reminds us that kids shouldn't have all the fun."

I have several of those coloring books.  They're supposed to be relaxing.  Personally, they stress me out.  It's just my personality, I guess.  I want it to be perfect.
So what does this have to do with the letter X?

I decided to draw my own doodle.   So, first, I drew an X on the paper.  Then I doodled all around and in-between the legs of the X.  I finished off by coloring in all the doodles.  

LyndaGrace's Doodle X 


Do you doodle?


Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Which Witch? - A to Z Challenge - The Letter W

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?
Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.

There was an old woman who lived on the outskirts of our small town.  "Out in the sticks" is how we referred to that area. There were all kinds of rumors about the old woman.  The main one was that she cast spells and practiced unusual rituals.
Gosh, I haven't thought about that woman in years.  Her name was Mrs. Strega.
My friend Cookie called me yesterday.  Cookie and I grew up together in that small town.  I moved away years ago.  Cookie still lives there,  in the house that she has lived in her whole life.
We stay in touch, speaking on the phone every few weeks.  We visit each other twice a year.    In February I go back "home" and in August, she comes up north to my house.
Yesterday, when we spoke, Cookie asked me if I remembered the old woman.
"Of course," I said.  "How could I possibly forget Mrs. Strega?"
"I don't know if you knew this, Lynda, but the old woman left an unusual will."
I did remember my mother telling me something about a will, but I didn't remember the details.
Cookie filled me in.
Apparently Mrs. Strega owned about 100 "out in the sticks" acres.
"Developers were always trying to get her to sell some of it off," Cookie said.
"Anyway, she left the property to a distant great nephew, something like that," she said.
"Mrs. Strega and her nephew had some kind of an agreement.  There was a stipulation that if the nephew didn't come to live on the property withing ten years, he could dispose of it as he saw fit."
Anyway, Cookie said that the ten years was up and the nephew sold the property to Clarke Developers.
"There are going to be at least one hundred new homes," she said.
"I hope the developing doesn't start until after my next visit," I said.
After we hung up, I remembered the encounter Cookie and I had with Mrs. Strega.
Despite our parent's admonishments, we were always venturing "out in the sticks".
Each time we went, we got a little braver and closer to Mrs. Strega's house.
The house was a one room cabin.  There were four windows, one in the front, one on each side and one in the back.  All the windows had black oil cloth coverings.
The cabin was in the middle of a thickly treed area.   There was a clearing of about 25 feet all around the house.  Along the side of the house was a neatly kept herb garden.
This one day Cookie and I got all the way to the edge of the woods.  We hid behind a big old oak, peering around the trunk to see if we could catch a glimpse of the old woman.
Mrs. Stegra came out of the cabin.  She was bent over and leaned on a crooked stick.  She had long gray hair, and a big nose with a wart on the end of it.  I swear she did.  She wore a black dress and black shawl.
"The only thing she is missing is a pointy hat," I whispered to Cookie.
I don't know how she spotted us, but she did.   Maybe she heard me.
She yelled out, calling us by our names.  I can still hear her raspy voice.  To this day, I don't know how she knew our names.
"Come here!"
In shock, we froze.
"Come here, now!"she yelled"
We timidly came out from behind the tree.  I was trembling.  Cookie told me later that she was shaking like a leaf and felt like she was going to throw up.
We slowly walked towards her, arm-in-arm.  When we reached her, we stood in front of her with bowed heads.
"Listen, girls, I'm out of bread and low on milk.   Do you think you could run to the store for me?"
We both jerked our heads up at the same time, and dumbfounded, we looked at each other and then looked at her.
She smiled.  She had warm brown eyes.
I stammered, "Sure Mrs. Strega."
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a little black leather pouch.
Opening it, she took out two ten dollar bills.
Her hands and fingers were so riddled with arthritis she could barely hold onto her cane.
I reached for the money and she took my hands into hers.
They were surprisingly soft.
Her face was close to mine.  Her hair hung loose and brushed my cheek.  I caught a whiff of a scent of peppermint and eucalyptus.
I wondered if witches were supposed to smell like that.
We never did go to the store for her.
In fact, that was the last time Cookie and I ever went "out in the sticks".
I feel regretful about Mrs. Straga.  I'm sure she was just a lonely old woman.

Nah, none of that really happened.

Straga - Italian for Witch.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although the above piece is purely fictional I do happen to know a Wiccan.  Funny thing is, her aroma is peppermint and eucalyptus.
I guess even witches shop at Trader Joes.

                     Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle Conditioner with Peppermint and Eucalyptus



Tuesday, April 26, 2016

And The Oscar for Video Editing Goes To - A to Z Challenge - The Letter V

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?
Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.


Video Editing

In my post for the letter "P", I wrote about our first attempt at creating a podcast video.  Ross and I  actually had a lot of fun making it.  The title we came up with for the podcast was "On the Patio With Lynda and Ross".  I admit I insisted on top billing.
As I mentioned in that post, filming was the easy part of the process.  The learning curve was editing the video.
I wanted to use iMovie to do the editing and polishing.
I found a YouTube video by Eric Timmer titled iMovie Tutorial For Beginners.
So in essence, I watched a video on how to edit a video.
Eric's tutorial was easy to follow and I did learn the basics.
But since I had no experience at all in using that type of software, I found the task to be challenging, and at times frustrating, to say the least.
However, when I start a project, particularly one that is challenging, I am patient and tenacious.  And while it took me about three hours to complete the editing process, I was proud of myself for sticking with it and quite pleased with the final cut.
One thing I was not happy with, though, was the time it took for the video to upload to my Mac.  But, it could be my Mac.  It is running very slow lately.   I really have to schedule a visit to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store.
As a side track, Apple describes their Genius Bar like this:

'What to expect at the Genius Bar.

Before you come in for your reservation, be sure to back up the data on the device that needs help. When you get to the Apple Store, ask a team member to check you in to the Genius Bar, or check in using the Apple Store app on your iPhone. During your session, your Genius will gather information about your system and answer your questions. If your product requires repair, the Genius will discuss repair options, explain any applicable charges, and prepare your equipment for repair. Most sessions last about 15 minutes, but some may take longer, depending on the issue."

I like that they refer to the technician as "your Genius"

Anyway, back to today's topic.  On Sunday, Ross and I recorded episode two of On the Patio.
I am becoming more comfortable with iMovie.  By episode ten, I will probably be a wiz!
And the Oscar for best Podcast Video Editing goes to....

What about you?  Do you like a challenge?  Do you stick with it until it is completed?


Monday, April 25, 2016

Ranting About an Umbrella? - A to Z Challenge - The Letter U

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?
Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.


Umbrella



An umbrella can bring forth metaphoric thoughts of feeling protected and safe or providing protection and comfort for another.
Sharing one can be an intimate experience.  After all, you must huddle closely together underneath its silky cover to make sure neither of you gets wet.

We must own about ten umbrellas.  I think we have one or two stored in each of our cars.
Then there are five or six more in the large stoneware pickle barrel sitting by the front door.

 Actually, I hardly ever use an umbrella.

For me, they are cumbersome and bothersome.   I find them awkward to maneuver when I am trying to get in and out of the car.  I can't figure out if I should stick the umbrella out of the door, then try to open it? But then while the door is open, the rain is coming in.  Or do I get out of the car and then open the umbrella?  Most times the ones that are supposed to open automatically when you push the button don't open when I push the button.  Then I'm foolishly left out in the rain struggling to get the thing to pop open.

And what do you do with a dripping wet umbrella when you enter a store or are visiting someone's house?

We keep our cars in a garage.  So, there's no need for an umbrella when we go out or when we come home.

I usually decline when someone offers to share theirs. It's my aversion to space invaders, of my space that is.

Sometimes, though, the offerer is aggressive and won't take a "No, thanks, I'm okay" for an answer.
"Come on, don't be silly,  get under!" they'll say as they reach out the umbrella to cover my head then grab my arm to pull me towards them.

I remember the last time this happened.  I was going to lunch with a group of women from the neighborhood.  We are all seniors.  

It was overcast when we left to go to the restaurant.   All of the others had their umbrellas.   I didn't have one for the reasons I listed above.

When we came out of the restaurant, it was pouring.   The umbrellas started popping open.  Red ones, yellow ones, clear ones with flowers and the traditional black Totes.

I started heading for my car.  Claire spotted me.
"Don't you have an umbrella?"  she asked, as I was passing by her.
"No, I'm okay," I said, trying to hurry along.
"Come on, don't be silly,  get under!" she said as she reached out her umbrella to cover me.
She grabbed my arm to pull me towards her.  As we huddled our gray-haired and blond permed hair heads together under the silky cover of her red, yellow and blue striped umbrella we walked arm and arm to the car.

Personally, I would have been quite happy to pull the hood of my red LLBean slicker up over my head and jump in every puddle along the way.

Tell me, be honest now, how do you really feel about umbrellas?


Saturday, April 23, 2016

The Three Tina’s - A to Z Challenge - The Letter T

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?
Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.


This is a fictional  piece inspired by Bella my twelve-year-old  granddaughter and her two friends Bella B and Bella S.  They are affectionately known as the Bella's.  I wondered what their future might be.  Of course in accordance with the challenge, I did change the names to fit the letter of the day.

The Three Tina's

The three of us met in first grade, forty some years ago.   After the teacher finished roll call she remarked, "Oh my, we have the three Tina's."  We all looked at each other and smiled.
I believe it was at that moment that we became a trio.
The name stuck.   The Three Tina's.
Over time, the group name was shortened and our other friends just referred to us as "The Tina's"
For instance, I was recently having a conversation with my sister.   We were discussing my daughter's upcoming wedding.
"Are you inviting The Tina's?" she asked.
After that first year of school, we were never in the same class again.
But, all throughout our grammar and junior high school years we were inseparable.  At times, though, it seemed that our individuality became blurred.
Things changed dramatically when we entered high school.
We began to head down different paths.
Tina B who was the smartest of the Tina's and a real beauty was on the advanced placement track and quite popular.   She suddenly wanted everyone to call her Christina.  Well, that was her real name.  It didn't seem to bother Tina S but I felt a little hurt.
Tina S was the athlete.  She was short and stocky, but quick and strong.
Me?  I guess you could call me the middle child of the Tina's.  I was an average student, so-so when it came to sports, and a little socially inept.  I was one of the contributors to the high school newspaper, though and always had my journal handy.
We would still get together every once in a while for a beach day or a sleep over.
But even those times became less and less.
One of the things we solemnly swore, back in 6th grade, was that we would all go to prom together.
Surprisingly, Christina remembered our promise and insisted that we stick to it.
I had a steady boyfriend by then.  Christina was trying to decide who she was going to choose to go with.  She had several invitations.
About a month before the prom Tina S still did not have a date, though.
Christina and I kind of talked Christina's cousin Bob into asking Tina S.
And we all did go to the prom together.
I thought about all of those times as I stood in the back of the church.
I watched Chistina and Tina S, their heads together, chatting away.  Christina, recently divorced from husband number two, still thin and beautiful was smartly dressed in a pale blue silk dress.
Tina S, chunky now, in black slacks and a sparkly top, was sitting next to Dawn, her partner of many years.
My son took my arm.
"It's time to go now, Mom.  I believe everyone is seated."
As we slowly walked down the aisle, Christina and Tina S, caught my eye and we smiled at each other.

I always had another Linda in my class.  It was the most popular name the year I was born. My mother decided spelling it with a "y" instead of an "i" would make it a little different.  
I'm kind of glad that she did.
My  granddaughter's name, Isabella, was also the most popular name the year she was born. 

What about you? Are you happy with your name?

Friday, April 22, 2016

Part II of The Story of The Three Wedding Rings - The A to Z Challenge - The Letter S

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?
Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.




St. Anthony

On yesterday's post, I talked about two of the three wedding rings I wear.

Now about ring number three.

On a cold January 29th, 2014, I lost both of the gold bands that I always wore on the ring finger of my left hand.  One was my wedding ring and the other was my great-grandmother's ring.
I never took the rings off, not to wash my hands, not when I went to sleep, never.  

I know the exact date that I lost the rings because I posted about it on FaceBook:

January 29, 2014

"I’m very upset. I lost my great-grandmother’s wedding band along with my own. I wore both of them together. Because it’s been so cold, they were loose on my finger. We’ve looked everywhere in the house...pockets, washer/dryer, clothes hamper, car, closets, stripped the bed, in-between chair cushions. Waiting for the bowling alley to open. That’s the next check."

They weren't at the bowling alley.   I searched for days.  I felt horrible.  

A couple of people advised me to pray to St. Anthony.

"Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around:
Something is lost and needs to be found!!"

I have to admit, I'm not much of a prayer person.  But to be honest, in the past, I have recited that prayer and it seemed to work.

Before I lost them,  I would touch the rings all of the time, twisting them around on my finger.  
After they were gone, I would absentmindedly clasp my two hands together, my right hand cupped over my left, and then automatically reach for my left-hand ring finger, pressing it between the thumb and middle finger of my right hand, expecting to feel the cool touch of gold between my fingers. 
But when all I felt was the flesh of my finger, I would feel a jolt of loss. I could describe the feeling  almost as one of grief, I guess. 

After a month, Ross said we should buy a new ring to replace the one I lost.  The one he placed on my finger at our wedding.    
I didn't want a new one.  
"It wouldn't be the same, would it?" I said. 
Every few weeks, though, Ross tried to coax me.
He'd say, "You know, I stopped by Tony's.  He's got a couple of nice rings.  Why don't we just look."
Ross was trying his best to make me feel better about losing the rings.
I wasn't ready to give up, though.  
"What if I find my rings?" I'd ask.  
And then I would silently say the prayer.

After nearly six months, I gave in and we went to our local jeweler, Tony. 
To tell you truth, I had to force myself to muster up a bit of enthusiasm when Tony was showing me the rings he had for sale. 

But I picked out a ring and Tony ordered it.  He told us he would call us when it came in.
"It should be here in a week to ten days," he said.
About a week later, Tony called us to come pick up the ring.
I liked the ring.  It was nice, but it just wasn't the same, you know?
In the car on the way home, I said my prayer. 

You probably have already guessed what happened next.
On June 16, 2014, two days after I got my new ring, I found my other two precious rings.  
I know the exact date because I posted about it on Facebook.

June 16, 2014
"Wow, I found my rings today!

It was weird the way I found them.
Okay, so I wanted to store the seat cushions for our outside Adirondack chairs in our hall closet. But before I could put them away, I had to make room. Well, that turned into a clean out the closet project. One of the things in the closet was a big shopping bag filled with other shopping bags. I took all of the bags out of the big bag to see which ones I was going to keep and which ones could be discarded.  When the big bag was empty I saw a glint of gold in the bottom of the bag." 

And now you know the rest of the story of why I wear three wedding rings. 

Have you ever heard of the St. Anthony prayer?  Have you lost something precious and then found it a long time afterwards?   

Thursday, April 21, 2016

The Story of The Three Wedding Rings - The A to Z Challenge - The Letter R

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?


Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.


Rings
I wear three wedding rings. Each one is a plain thin gold band.  I tease Ross that I wear three rings because I am his third wife.  What can I say, that's my sense of humor.
Ross and I exchanged matching bands at our wedding.  For the first eight years of our marriage, it was the only wedding ring I wore.
In 2008, my mom got sick with the evil that is cancer.
At first, we were hopeful that radiation would be effective enough to allow her to still have a good amount of quality life.  But having gone through the experience of my father's cancer, I knew what a roller coaster ride it could be.
The radiation took its toll on her,  and we, her children, made the decision that it would be better for her to stay with one of us.
It took a little while before she accepted that she would not be going back to her own place.
I have vivid snippet memories of the days we all got together to pack up her apartment.  It was a hard few days.
At that point, she was quite depressed and no longer wanted many of the things that she seemed to treasure, like her favorite pasta pot.
I can still see her face, her cheeks reddened and her glasses foggy from the steam of the boiling pasta water as she drained the spaghetti in the dented aluminum colander.
She urged each of us to take what we wanted.   One sister took the bedroom set. Another took the rocker my mom always sat in.   My niece wanted the hope chest that my father had refinished.  I took the dented aluminum colander.
When she moved in with my sister, she brought her clothes, a few cardboard boxes filled with sentimental items, a couple of photo albums, her knitting needles and yarn and her jewelry box.
After her course of radiation treatments was completed, she had the required tests to determine if the radiation had worked.
I remember the visit with the oncologist when he told us that the treatments had not been effective and that we should make arrangements for my mother to have in-home hospice care.
At that point, we all decided that mom would come to spend the last months of her life with Ross and I.  We were retired and were thankfully able to care for her.
So once again we packed up her few belongings and moved her into our spare room.
Even though she was very ill when she came to stay with us she was still able to interact with us. She and I spent many hours together in the sunroom.
One day she asked me to bring her jewelry box to her.  There wasn't a lot of jewelry.  As she sorted through the box, she would pick up a piece, tell me the story of it and who it should go to.
One of the items was a thin gold band.
She told me it belonged to my father's grandmother, my great-grandmother.  She said I should have it.
I put it on my finger, next to my own wedding ring, and have not taken it off since.
So, that's ring number two.
Ring number three?  That's for tomorrow's post.


Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Quick Question - A to Z Challenge - The Letter Q

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?

Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.



Quick Question

Rico, our fifteen-year-old dog, was restless all during the night.  He started whining loudly at 4:00 a.m.   I was hoping he would settle down, but no such luck.   I finally had to get up to let him out.
But, then I couldn't get back to sleep.
Having spent many hours on the letter "P", filming and editing the podcast and then writing a post about the whole process, I was already overtired from the day before.
As I tossed and turned,  visions of "Q" words pranced around in my head.
I didn't want to think about the A to Z challenge, or what I could possibly come up with for the letter Q.
I just wanted to go back to sleep.
That's when I decided.  My “Q" word would be Quick.

So it came to be, a Quick post.

And then to the beach, I went for much-needed rejuvenation.

Don't quit yet, find the quick question.  It's here somewhere.


Oh, there it is!
Quick Question:

Where do you go to get a breath of freshness?


Tuesday, April 19, 2016

On The Patio With Lynda & Ross - A to Z Challenge The Letter P

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?

Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.


Podcast

A few months ago I stumbled across a knitting video podcast.  One podcast led to another and then another.
For some reason, I couldn't stop watching, even though each podcast is about an hour long.
My curiosity was piqued.
The hosts seem to be ordinary people, like me.
I noticed that the format of these particular crafting type podcasts is pretty much the same.
First is the intro.  That would include a welcome, introducing themselves, saying what the name of the podcast is and which episode number it is.
The host(s) is usually holding a mug with the string and tag of a tea bag hanging over the side.
After the intro, they will then describe what they have in the mug.  Without fail, they will take a sip and say "ahh, that's good."
Next, they will launch into a "show and tell" of what they have been knitting.
There are WIPs (works in progress), what they have completed, FO's (finished objects), or HO's (half-finished objects, such as one of a pair of socks or mittens).
Their handiworks are always stored in a neat looking, zippered project bag.
They make a big fuss over the bag, saying how much they love (drawing out the word love) the bag.  They acknowledge the maker of the bag and include a link to the website.
Next, they will slowly unzip the bag and then even more slowly pull the FO, WIP or HO out of the bag.  They will hold the object close to the camera so that the viewer "can get a better look."
I've learned that these podcasters are a community.  They seem to all know of each other and they will give shout outs to each other during the video.
They also send gifts to each other.  Showing the viewers what they have received is another part of the standard format that they all seem to follow.
There is a segment dedicated to acquisitions.  That would be new yarn, knitting needles, accessories, they have recently bought or received.
Of course, there is personal chit chat during the podcast.  They'll talk about marriage, kids, partners, where they live, etc.
Perhaps that's the hook.  It's just them and you, friends having a cup of tea together.
I do subscribe to several.  If you're interested, go to YouTube and search for Knitting Podcasts.
My absolute favorite hosts are Arne & Carlos.  They are amazing artisans and fun to watch.
Anyway, I wondered what goes into making a video podcast.
I found a couple of "how to" sites and videos.
Apparently it is not as easy as the podcasters make it seem.
It soon became apparent to me that some of the podcasts I was watching, particularly the ones with thousands of subscribers, were professionally produced.  They had special cameras, microphones, lighting and someone behind the camera producing the video.
Even so, I wanted to try to do one.
I approached Ross with the idea.   He said yes right away.
I must say, I wasn't surprised.  He is a bit of a ham.
I decided that I didn't want to do a crafty podcast.  It would be a Seinfeld type podcast, instead.   You know a podcast about nothing.
Just Ross and I talking like we do every day.
Filming the piece was easy.  It took a great deal of effort for me to learn how to use iMovie to edit, add titles, music and sound effects,  but, I did it.
If you like to take a peek, click here.


Monday, April 18, 2016

My Only Choice - The A to Z Challenge - The Letter O

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?

Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.

This first part is a fictional piece.

"It's my only choice," he said.  
I closed my eyes and shook my head.
Ugh!  I wanted to scream at him, "Do you know what the word choice means?"
But I didn't scream.
I took a deep breath and counted to ten, as I slowly exhaled the air out of my O-shaped lips. 
"Sweetie, are you saying that you've made a decision?  Is that what you're telling me?"
He looked at me, his brow furrowed, puzzled I suppose, wondering why I would be asking that question.
"Ma, like I said it's my only choice."
Trying to maintain my composure, I said, "Honey, I thought after our talk last night you were going to be giving each of your options more serious consideration. 
"Ma, come on don't give me a hard time about this, okay?"  he said softly. 
I could feel the heat of a flush as it crept up from my neck, then to my face, warming my cheeks.   
I pushed my fingers up under my glasses and pressed them into my eyes.  I turned away. I didn't want him to see me cry. 

When I was trying to think of a post for the letter O I thought of the word oxymoron.  The results of my google search led me to a website of Oxymorons

I know this isn't necessary but just in case:

"An Oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words, such as 'Cruel Kindness' or 'Jumbo Shrimp' (Jumbo means 'large' while Shrimp means 'small').
An oxymoron term is a literary figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory words, phrases, terms or ideas are combined to create a rhetorical effect by paradoxical means." 

The Web site has many different lists including an alphabetical one.  

Because today's letter is O, I selected the O list.  From that list, I chose "only choice". 

I've found the website to be an awful good resource for writing prompts.

Do you ever speak oxymoronically?

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Come Take A Look At My Little Nook - A to Z Challenge - The Letter N

Blogging from A to Z Challenge
April 2016
This month I will be participating in the “Blogging from A-Z Challenge” 
What is it?


Blogging every day.  It begins on April First with a topic themed on something with the letter A, then on April second another topic with the letter B as the theme, and so on until I finish on April thirtieth with the theme based on the letter Z.   The theme of the day is the letter scheduled for that day.



My Nook



There is a corner in my living room that I claim as my own.
An easy chair upholstered in a faded pattern of muted red and white roses sits in my corner.  We acquired the chair a dozen years ago at an auction.  The items included in that auction came from a group of model homes.
In the front of the chair is an ottoman with a fleur de lis pattern which matches the colors in the fabric of the chair. We bought that piece at a different auction, on a different day.
The view from my nook depends on which way my head is turned.
If I'm looking straight ahead, I see the TV.
If I turn my head slightly to the right, my gaze slips along the foyer and then follows through the door of the den where my eyes finally rest on the ceiling to floor front windows.  I can easily get lost in my thoughts watching the finches flying in and out of the red tipped photinia shrub.
Turning my head further to the right, I have a view of the front door skylight windows and I can see the top branches of our front yard tree.
To my left is the gas fireplace.  At eye level, I see the glass enclosed pit, stacked with phony logs.
If I tilt my head up slightly, I see the mantle.  I like the way I decorated the mantle.  It has several unusual and meaningful items.
Placed on either side of the mantle is a pair of large vintage brass swans.  They are probably circa 1960.  We got those at yet another auction.  I think we paid about $25 for both.  I recently saw the identical ones online. They were priced at $650 for the pair.
Hanging above the mantle is an oval mirror.  Carved into the walnut frame of the mirror is a pair of  swan heads.
In addition to randomly placed odd shaped pieces of coral, there is a glass jar filled with river and beach rocks picked up by Ross over many years.
Craning my neck to look over my shoulder to my right I see the shards of light filtering through the blinds.  I like sitting in my nook later in the afternoon because that’s when the sun shines there.


My nook is where I settle for writing, with my knees bent, my feet propped up on the ottoman and my laptop on, well where else, my lap of course. 


Do you have a special writing place?