Gatsby & Me

Beckie’s theme this week for her “Working on Us” series is emotional support/therapy animals.

Prompt #1 Questions:

1. Do you own a pet for emotional support and/or service/therapy?

– Gatsby allows me to live here as long as I feed him and buy him treats.

2. Is your pet a certified therapy animal?

– No.

3. What kind of pet do you own?

– A scary little beast! ❤️

4. Do you believe that support animals truly assist those in need? 

– I do, but except for certain types of trained dogs who actually perform tasks, the others provide emotional assistance only. And when it comes to public safety, I’m a people-first person. So, I am not a fan of untrained animals being in closed public spaces like planes, stores, restaurants, etc. Unfortunately, they can and do get away from their owners.

5. Do you believe that any animal can be a therapy/support pet?

– Yes, or any object, since it’s all in the patient’s mind as to what is making them feel better. Plenty of people carry little good luck beads, charms, or whatever to help them through an event. I don’t think we should judge, except that public safety comes first. If you have a supportive boa, you’ll just have to get her support at home.

Prompt #2 Narrative:  

Describe how your pet is of support to you? EXAMPLE: Helps with anxiety, depression, PTSD, etc… (And, please… Share their name and a photo) if you desire.  

– Gatsby came into my life when I was at a low point after a romantic breakup. That man didn’t like animals, so I’d held off on getting another cat after my sweet Cocoa had passed on. But I did miss having one. My daughter went to the shelter with me, and she was the one who picked Gatsby and also chose his name later (I was going for Ringo). He turned out to be purrfect for me, just the sweetest little cuddler. I talk to him all the time, and he’s a great listener, never judging or criticizing, doesn’t jump in with unwanted advice, just snuggles and purrs. Sometimes he does have his own loud opinions at random times, especially very early in the morning, but he’s entitled. He’s eight years old now, still healthy and active, yay, and I hope we have many more great years together. I doubt I will have another pet after Gatsby because not only is he the best but also… they are a lot of work for an older person who has no help. It’s hard for me to do some of the practical things like take him to the vet… lifting his carrier really hurts my neck and back. So, anyway. I will treasure my days with him. And I do! I look forward to seeing him when I come home from work, and I miss him when I’m away. Sometimes I don’t want to go out because I love hanging at home with him. He’s my boo. 💖💖💖

~*~

© 2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Apple [flash 99]

Witch, they named her, shamed her, and banished her from the kingdom. It was the King’s plot, so he could wed another. From the forest people she learned of the wicked plague that would soon strike down all in the land, servant and noble child alike. The fairies saw the disgraced queen crying and gave her the magic antidote, hidden in an apple. She disguised herself as a beggar and traveled back to the castle, where she enticed her darling daughter to bite. The little healers took the girl away and kept her safe until the plague had passed.

~*~

Written for the Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge

~*~

© 2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Mental Health ~ Social Media

Beckie has been providing a great series of prompts about various topics related to mental health. I haven’t been chiming in, but I made some time for this one. [My bad, I originally credited it to Ashley, and I’ll leave her link below, since it’s where I found the post to use.]

This week’s topic is social media.

Prompt #1 Questions: 

1. Does social media affect your overall mental health?  If so, please describe how it does affect you? 

– Yes, blogging affects my mental health in a positive way because I have control over my blog and can vet the comments (when necessary). Twitter can go both ways. I read good poetry there, which is inspiring; but sometimes I end up reading too much of the political garbage, which is a downer.

2. How does it make you feel when you see family/friends posting pictures of them living their life happily?  

– This is mostly irrelevant to me because I am not on Facebook or Instagram. When I see bloggers posting happy photos, I smile with them.

3. Do the following people make you feel inadequate in any way due to your mental health?    

– Is the question about envy? Am I sad when I see people in couples? No. I know what it would take for me to be in a relationship and am not willing to make those sacrifices (again). As far as family photos, I have lots of those myself, but I don’t post many out of respect for their privacy.

4. What has been your overall experience with social media?  And, what sites do you follow?  

– As I said, blogging has been a wonderful and positive experience. The writing community here on WP is full of kind and supportive people. Twitter is somewhat positive. Facebook was a net negative and I let it go. Instagram too.

5. Have you considered not being on social media?  

– Sometimes, when I feel time-pressured and discouraged by zero book sales. Like, why am I bothering? I could just read and watch TV. But it’s fun regardless.

6. If you have quit social media sites, has it improved your mental health and stability?  

– Quitting Facebook was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Not only did it suck me into the most pointless arguments about the SOS, but it gave me the false impression I had all these “friends,” which of course was bullshit. Most of them couldn’t even be bothered to visit me here after there was no link in their facefeed. Bookmark? Huh?

7. Has social media ever triggered you in a negative way?  Explain how?  

– Yes. There is a problem with some of the sites in that they are relentless in showing you people (“suggestions”) you would rather never see again. Forex, I can’t log on to LinkedIn without them suggesting I connect with the man who broke my heart. There’s no way to block him or whatever. It’s been long enough now, and my heart has been smashed up worse, for his face not to matter to me any longer. But there were a few years I could not touch the site.

*

Prompt #2  We are all familiar with “Selfies”  Describe for us, what is the first thing you think of when you see your family/friends keep sending and/or posting selfies?

– This is no longer an issue for me, since I’m off FB. I love seeing any/all pics of my family, and my friends aren’t into selfies. I’ve never perfected the art of the selfie. Back on FB, there were some women who took a lot of selfies and it always appeared like a desperate attention-seeking ploy.

Then again, aren’t we all on social media to get attention of one kind or another?

~*~

© 2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

It Could Have Been Worse

“It could have been raining.” (Young Frankenstein)

That would have definitely been worse! Let me explain… and hopefully you’ll smile. I know I had to or else.

Ten days ago I smashed my toe on the wheel of my bed. It still hurts a lot, and the top of my foot is so bruised and swollen I can’t wear closed shoes without limping, but luckily I have two pairs of old lady Naturalizer sandals (one black, one beige), so I’m okay until it’s cold. I guess it doesn’t matter if my toe is broken or not, since it’s straight (not that there’s anything wrong with gay toes or bi toes or whatever… I don’t remember all the things). It’ll heal when it heals.

Continuing with the “most accidents occur in the home” theme, last Saturday I stabbed myself while cutting an avocado. I don’t mean I sliced my finger; I mean I literally stabbed myself in the left palm. I couldn’t believe it happened. Bad things happen so quickly ~ have you noticed? I’m like wait, no, I didn’t mean to be so stupid! Welp, too late. So much blood. Probably because of all the Advil I’ve been taking for my foot… but the stab had to clot sooner or later, was my theory. I’m a logical person. I did not want to go to an ER full of germs. 😷

Happily, I had a handy dandy first aid kit in my bathroom, yay! It expired in 2003, wtf? Seriously, how did that happen? But the gauze and bandages were still good. I fixed up my hand and went to CVS. Wow, there are so many fancy bandages out now! It’s really hard to choose. I bought a few different ones, tape, some medical gloves (to keep my hand dry while washing my hair, you pervs), etc. Now I have a splendid pile of supplies and feel ready for the next disaster.

Okay then. Last night, I came home from work, thought everything was going as well as could be expected. Foot was the same, but at least I had comfy sandals. Hand was healing nicely. I got out of my car and saw a window screen on the ground. That’s funny, I thought, how would a window screen…

Omg…

BAD KITTY!!!!! 🐱

I grabbed the screen (with my good hand) and ran hobbled upstairs. Oh, thank God, Gatsby was still in the apartment! All these years, I’ve made sure to leave the main windows open only two inches when I’m not there because I can’t trust him not to go crazy at a bird, but this last year he’s been much calmer and I’ve been leaving them open 24/7 when it’s hot.

Obviously, his mellowness at the windows has all been a ruse. His intent all along has been to attack one of the screens and knock it out. Luckily, he forgot to escape… or if he did, he returned. How would I know? 😳

By far my largest fear is losing my kitty; he’d be an orphan all alone out there with speeding cars and hungry coyotes ~ how long would my sweetie last? 😢 But what if something had come in that wide open window? A big scary bird… a flying elephant on laxatives … a horde of killer bees… a sharknado? Gahhh!

Hence the Young Frankenstein quote.

~*~

© 2019 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Update on the Thing

I don’t want to keep naming THEM, in case new people don’t know what’s what and go visit, thus generating more traffic to the Bad Place. Those who know will know. You know?

So, the thieves are now linking back to me at the end of each of my posts with my blog name and Paula Light, naming me as the source of the post. It’s like a reblog in that way, except still hostile because generally reblogs are occasional when something is of particular interest, not lifting every post.

I think I’m going to be done with this mess. I’m so stressed out as it is I can’t allow these jerkfaces to dominate my mind any longer. I have three audiobooks in production right now! My throat hurts, my head aches, my toe throbs, work awaits, chores languish, writing beckons, events glare… it’s ridonkulous.

I suggest you do what I did though, if you are not being credited as the source of your own posts and given a clickable link back at the Bad Place. Contact Digital Ocean and fill out their DCMA form via the front page menu.

Then try to put it out of your mind forever.

PFF9 ~ Road Trippin’

Welcome to my Friday Flashback! This post originally appeared here on August 2, 2018, a mere year ago.

Travel Musings

In theory, I’d love to travel to a bunch of cool places ~ England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, etc. ~ but practicalities always quench my wanderlust. First, the cost. Second, the time. Third, my migraines. It’s not only long plane flights that mess with my head, but everything about changes in my environment ~ food, sleep, weather, etc. ~ are pain triggers as well. I also don’t like to leave my furbaby. Right now, it’s an emotional challenge for me to go away for more than two nights in a row, but luckily I have a trusted friend to come over and take care of Gatsby.

I thought I had blogged about my idea for a post-retirement (and post-kitty) epic U.S. trip, but apparently I only discussed it on Facebook. My previous plan was to take train rides from the Pacific Northwest across the country. I’d see Idaho, Montana, Minnesota, etc.; then onto Chicago, Philly, and NYC; up to Boston, Vermont, NH, and Maine; down to DC, Nashville, Atlanta, and New Orleans; over to New Mexico and Utah; smoosh Yellowstone in there somewhere… basically see lots of new places, plus old friends (and meet friends in person with whom I’ve been corresponding for decades). But I’m not sure this is a good plan any longer, given the state of railroads these days. Dunno if I want to drive thousands and thousands of miles alone when I’m old, but…

I have this fantasy that after I retire (and after my kitty has rainbow-bridged), I could get rid of most of my stuff and do this epic trip in a comfy vehicle. But still… so much driving! Oww, my neck hurts just thinking about it. After the trip is over (three-four months, who knows?), I could figure out where to resettle in California, in a less expensive area away from the coast.

Be nice to visit Canada at some point too. That reminds me: I still haven’t bothered to get a passport after all that fuss to finally obtain my birth certificate. Yes, I am legal! I know, it was iffy there for a while, lol. But all this road-trippin’ is only a fantasy. It’s not like this crazy vacay would be cheap ~ I’d need to stay in a lot of motels and buy a lot of snadwiches. Not to mention gas!

The furthest I ever go these days is the Bay Area, which luckily is fabulous, and not only because my awesome daughter lives there with her awesome fiance and their awesome puppy. But mostly because of that.😍

Happy August

I’m really discouraged right now. After a great weekend with my family mid-July, everything seems to be falling apart.

First, I got socked with the most outrageous rent increase. Yes, I’ve been overdue for one, but it’s not my fault they were behind. I still like my apartment, but now I have to worry about the next increase, and the one after that. At a certain point, I’ll have to leave. 😢

Second, I returned from my NorCal trip with some sort of virus I’ve been unable to shake. I thought it was gone, but I woke up with a sore throat again today. 😷

Third, I smashed my toe into the metal wheel of my bed Sunday night, and while I don’t think it’s broken, my whole foot is bruised and aching. It’s slowly improving since Monday, when I could hardly walk, but who needs this? I have enough excuses not to exercise already. 😨

Fourth, I thought I would promote some of my writing by turning my books into audio, but it’s the most grueling process and takes forever. The first book I submitted is only 36 pages and we began in June. It’s still not done! I approved the completed narration, but it was rejected by ACX for having some “noise” issue. Idk what. It sounds perfect to me. The second book is still in production and I have to listen to all 200 pages when she’s done, ack. The third one has just begun ~ another shortie, but I expect it at Christmas. Plus, I love this narrator and already screwed up a communication with her. I hope she doesn’t dump me. 🙁

Fifth, this fucking fuckery of that asshole site which is stealing all our posts is just making me so mad I can’t even. I sent the DMCA request to GoDaddy last night and it’s been rejected because apparently the assholes do not use GoDaddy to host. I just sent a new request to their server DigitalOcean.com, and I had to give them all my contact info. Who are these people? Idk! They could be self-hosted, in which case they will just tear up my notice like Queen Cersei. 😡

Anyway. It’s mostly the SOS. I spend so much time on my writing… writing, blogging, blogging about writing, writing about blogging, talking and texting about writing and blogging and poetry, making lists of what I’ve written and what to write next… and now my time is sucked up by this audiobook BS.

And you know what urgent message ACX has the goddamn nerve to send me? “We need to confirm your tax and bank account information.” Right! Because I’ve already made piles and piles of money there just like I have with my Kindle books and naturally Uncle Sam wants his cut! Sure, I’d be happy to give Uncle…

Oh wait. I’ve made nothing! How about you people approve my first book so it can go on the shelf? Then maybe I can make some money to share with Uncle! How about that?!? Hopefully it will be more than the eleven fucking dollars I made last year at Amazon. Yes, eleven.

Don’t worry. I shared with Uncle. 🙄

Can’t wait for that stupid asshole site to steal this post. Hey jerks! 😛😛😛

FPQ34: Priorities

Fandango provocatively asks…

“What are the three biggest challenges your country (or, if you prefer, the world) is facing right now?”

People are people, and, newsflash, we all live on the same planet. Americans, Russians, Indians, tigers, whales, apples, wheat, bees, etc. Everything that affects one of us eventually affects us all, no matter how much money you have.

There was a scene in Game of Thrones where a lord (Ramsay) had a slave (Theon) so mind-controlled that the lord gave the slave a razor to shave the lord’s face and neck with. That’s where we are now. The powerful in the US are so convinced they have nothing to fear from the poor that they’re happy to have them armed to the teeth. We’ll see…

1. Poverty. It is unnecessary. We could help everyone do better. Don’t freak out ~ I’m not talking about “freebies.” The horror! But people want to do meaningful things. They want to work and live productive lives; it’s human nature. Why shouldn’t everyone who wants to work have a job and a decent place to live? I mean, duh. Not talking about kids, the disabled, and the elderly ~ they get a pass. The otherwise lazy should be killed, of course. 😂

2. The environment. Stop destroying it before every place is uninhabitable. I note the hypocrisy of celeb types who fly off in private jets to have confabs about this topic and generate mountains of waste in the process. Can’t they have a teleconference? We need to quit ruining our oceans! Idk what is wrong with people who don’t care about this. Just greedy, I guess. “I’m gonna own the libs by using plastic straws, ha ha.” Good job, idiots. You’ve just owned future generations out of sea life. The current libs you despise will all be dead, along with you. 🙄

3. Health care. What a freaking mess, at least in the US. It’s just ridiculous that we can’t take care of people. But it is important to control waste and corruption, and I don’t know how you do that, when all systems rely wholly on doctors to be ethical. I just remember when my frail 82 year old dad was scheduled for a totally unnecessary colonoscopy until I stopped them. But normally you have to depend on a doctor, on the spot; it’s not like you have time to scout around as if you were redoing your kitchen. Oh, hang on there, triple bypass surgeon guy, I need to get a couple more estimates… 😨

Okay, so these are my opinions. If you disagree, that’s fine, but be cordial about it. If you have intense, complex arguments to make against mine, then do your own post for this question. Don’t forget to link back to Fandango! 😀

Sunny Side Nom

The sunny Sadje has nominated me for a Sunshine Award. Thank you!

I’m going to answer Sadje’s questions and stop there. No additional questions or tags from me. But I’m sure Sadje would not object if you wished to copypasta her questions and have a go at them too. Okay!

1.Who is your hero/ role model?

My children are pretty darn awesome, if I do say so myself. Hardworking, kind, loving, and smart ~ why shouldn’t I admire them? My finest creations. I also admire RGB and Jennifer Crusie.

2. If today was the first time that you have seen a rainbow, describe your emotions.

Ooh pretty! Let’s put that on a cake! 🌈

3. What is the most commonly used object in your home?

Gatsby is home more than I am, so let’s ask him… he says he watches kitty purrn on my laptop all day.

4. What is one thing that you cannot leave your house without?

Keys.

5. What sort of music you like to listen to?

Rock & pop oldies. 🎶

6. If you had a chance to start a new blog where all your followers were guaranteed to follow you, will you do it?

Why not just stay here with them?

7. What is more important in life: having health or money?

Everyone is going to say health, but at a certain level of poverty, health and money become much more entangled. How are you supposed to be healthy if you are too poor to obtain clean water and decent food?

8. Would you stop your car for a lone hitch hacker?

Maybe… if he looked like Brad Pitt.

9. If egg yolk was black instead of yellow, would you still eat it?

That makes it sound like it’s full of blood, which is totally gross. So, no. 🤮

10. What is in your pocket?

I don’t have any pockets.

11. Which planet in our solar system is most likely to support life, other than Earth?

Mars, I guess. 👽

Just Breathe [socs]

Instructions for optimal health, according to the experts. 😀

1. “Throw out this vegetable now!” Which one? You’ll have to watch a 47-hour video to discover the answer.

2. Eat like a caveman: meat, berries, nuts, roots, etc. 🍇

3. Remember that cavemen died at age 27, max, so don’t eat like a caveman. 💀

4. Eat only one meal a day, so your liver has time to detox between feedings.

5. No, what you need to do is graze all day long like a cow, mooooooo. 🐄

6. Speaking of, give up dairy, unless you’re a baby cow. 🍼

7. No, dairy is fine, as long as it’s nonfat.

8. Wrong! Fat is fine; sugar is the new evil.

9. Sugar and carbs, honey. You should be getting all your nutrients from the air. 🌈

10. Btw, you’re breathing all wrong. Send us money and we’ll show you why… 💰