5 Fall Faves

Dr. Tanya continues her #5Things prompt series with fall favorites. Here are mine…

1. A break from oppressive heat. While I love summer days, by October I’m ready for cooler nights. Since I’m in Southern California, we’re not talking freezing temps (usually), just a civilized dip into the 50s or so.

2. The opportunity to wear boots!

3. Going north for Thanksgiving to visit my eldest and her hubby. Yay!

4. Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin candy. (These are peanut butter/chocolate cups in a pumpkin shape, which are even more delicious than regular ones because of the ratio or some other magic.)

5. Pumpkin pie!

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©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Images credited to Happy Color and Google.

Summer Summer Summer!

Fandango’s Dog Days prompt today is asking for our favorite season. Well… here is a pic of me from the beach yesterday. I had so much fun! But first let’s talk about the other seasons because each has good qualities.

I used to love autumn best, mainly because of Halloween. But I’m not so into it now. It’s hard for me to get excited about costumes when my eyes are too sensitive for wearing makeup. There are other good things about fall, of course… I am a fan of pumpkin. Pie, coffee, muffins, etc. Noms. Thanksgiving with my family… great! My daughter’s birthday. 💝 Hurtling toward the end of yet another year though… meh. I think about all the stuff I haven’t done, books unwritten, fitness plans abandoned, and my big failure to find a life partner. Not so great.

Winter is yuck. Cold dark depressing days. Wearing layers of sweaters and scarves and boots and corduroys and still freezing everywhere. Yes, in Southern California. There’s just nothing good about it. Except cute sweaters and boots, okay. And the fun NYE party I generally attend (dunno about this year). One bright spot is my youngest daughter’s birthday in March. But I have to deal with Valentine’s Day, which didn’t use to bother me, but kinda does now… 🥶

Spring seems like yayness… flowers, pretty sunsets, Reese’s peanut butter eggs. But it’s also a time of bad memories. My mother died in April. I have to pass through the ghost anniversary of my last marriage. My ex left us in the spring too. Then there’s the crash and burn of my last “relationship,” which shouldn’t bother me because it was so short and stupid, but yet I still find the memories upsetting. He dumped me on Thanksgiving (boo fall). Then I was super down for months (boo winter). And he popped back up in the spring to further torment me via text and email. 💔

But summer? Wheee wonderful! ☀️ Both my grandchildren were born in summer. 💖💙 Long warm days, lovely produce, ice cream, the beach, light clothing, sandals, super fun times with friends. All good! Well, except for the onslaught of migraines at the end. September is my worst month with them. But whatever, summer wins!

Both daughters got married in the summer too. This is from my eldest’s venue. ❤️❤️

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©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Images mine

Switcharoo

This week in Truthful Tuesday, PCGuyIV asks the following:

Is there something that you like or love now that you used to dislike, hate, or at the very least, have no opinion of before? Or perhaps there is something you now dislike, hate, or maybe even loathe that before you liked, loved, adored, or at least had no opinion of? In either case, or both cases if you so choose, what changed your mind?

Ooh interesting to ponder! Okay, so for the first part, here are some things I used to hate and now love…

1. Peanut butter! Yes, I hated PB as a little kid and refused to eat it. I had lunchmeat sandwiches at school. Around age 12, my tastes simply changed and PB is now one of my favorite foods. Lunchmeat on the other hand… 🤮

2. I used to dislike the fantasy genre of books and movies ~ though paradoxically I always enjoyed the original Star Trek and things like The Twilight Zone. But dragons and magic and stuff? No! Game of Thrones changed my mind about that. 🐉

3. Rituals/occasions. It used to annoy me to feel obligated to celebrate holidays the same way every year. Like if I’ve seen great fireworks once, why do I need to go again? The gluttony of Thanksgiving annoyed the crap out of me. Why must we do this? Etc. But I’ve totally mellowed about this and now look forward to certain ritualistic type occasions. I think part of my problem was having to deal with my parents’ constant arguing ~ it simply made everything sad and stressful for me (though it didn’t affect THEM much!). As I aged, I saw that some holidays could actually be enjoyable when people weren’t all mad at each other.

Now, for the second half of the switcharoo, here are some things I used to love and now hate…

1. DRIVING. I was so happy when I first got my license, and I loved to drive hour after hour. We were carless in Chicago for 4 years, and then I got a car when we moved to SoCal. I still enjoyed it, but less and less over the years until it became something I actively despise. It’s effing scary to be on the roads. I guess being older and knowing how many crazy and reckless people are out there, plus all the annoying traffic and construction detours here, spoiled it for me. 🚙

2. Being in a romantic relationship. How I used to love and crave this. It was partly due to my steady diet of romance novels; I thought that romantic love was the only thing that really mattered in life. Now I find it all too stressful and irritating to contemplate. I’ve been happier these last several years without dating AT ALL. I never would have predicted this. 💔

3. Going on rides. Omg, I loved rides at the fair or at an amusement park. My friends and I regularly went on the craziest ones. Now they make me ill and terrified, plus with my neck issues I can’t deal with them at all. Not to mention the fact that people get hurt on them ALL THE TIME. Again, the data on injuries changed my mind, along with not feeling well physically.

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©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Images from Bitmoji

Night Makes Right

Today’s prompt from City Sonnet is night.

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©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Images are from Google and me.

Let There Be Light & Lox

Today’s prompt from City Sonnet is L…

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©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Images are mine.

Uh Oh It’s Magic!

Questions from Melanie/Sparks…

In your opinion, what’s the closest thing to real magic?

Love ❤️

Where is the worst smelling place you’ve been?

Anywhere they’re doing tar (roofs or roads). The noxious fumes give me an instant migraine and make me sick to my stomach.

What are some things that you’ve heard in your own life, which sounded like compliments but were actually insults?

“You’re fairly intelligent.” (But)

“You’re an attractive woman.” (But)

What incredibly common thing have you never done?

Camping, skiing, surfing (all common in California).

Please feel free to share some gratitude that you experienced during the past week!  🙂

Grateful the 4th is over and hoping the selfish people will quit setting off booms for a while.

~*~

©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Images from Melanie and Bitmoji.

The Monday Peeve 43

Smiles and positive posts are all well and good, but sometimes I need to vent a bit. How about you? That’s what The Monday Peeve is all about, a chance to blow off a little steam at the beginning of the week, so then we can go merrily on our way once again (hah). I’ll pick a topic that’s on my mind, but you can vent about whatever you please, here in comments or on your own blog. Grab the photo, use the TMP tag, link back to me (or not), and Bob’s yer uncle. I do reserve the right to delete any links that offend my delicate sensibilities. So far, none have, but it could happen. I have feelings!

So… fireworks. I love to watch a professional display of fireworks, though I haven’t for a few years now. They’re gorgeous and dramatic, and it’s fun to hang with family/friends as they’re going off spectacularly. Unfortunately, socializing is pretty much on hold right now, or should be, so I stayed home alone this past 4th. But I got to hear fireworks, from around 7pm until past midnight… and that’s not counting all the random “test” fireworks people have been shooting off the last couple weeks. Saturday night’s craziness was unlike any 4th I’ve experienced before: an unrelenting solid block of rolling thunder punctuated by occasional huge blasts. Periodically sirens shrieked down the street and car alarms activated. Hour after hour. BECAUSE FREEDUMB!

That’s what it’s all about here in the USA: do what you want, and f*ck any consideration for neighbors and the community at large. Gotta blast off my rockets, don’t care if people have infants, don’t care if it terrifies dogs and horses. ME ME ME. That’s what matters. Me! My pleasures. My whims. My fun. That’s why some people won’t wear masks. It’s slightly unpleasant and that’s just too much to ask in aMErica. Don’t care if it helps others. Why should people care about each other anyway?

Now, I can’t stand our current WH occupant just as much as anyone, but this isn’t his fault. We’ve always been selfish and horrible. Remember the fuss people made when airlines did away with peanuts? Why should I care about someone suffocating from anaphylactic shock when I want to chomp on some salted nuts in the skies? People got angry about the installation of ramps and special doors to accommodate wheelchairs. And god forbid we print things in multiple languages to help others understand directions or whatever. That’s such an imposition on ME ME ME. I might have to unfold an extra piece of paper, omg, the agony!

Selfishness is at the root of all this. I don’t pretend to have any idea how to fix it, but we are just people here same as anywhere. Why do folks in other countries have fewer issues with being kind and considerate? Or so I read. I haven’t actually been anywhere.

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©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Memorial Day Sharing

Melanie asks some topical questions for today’s SYW…

1. In your opinion, does patriotism require the belief that one’s country is the greatest on earth?

Absolutely not. That’s jingoism. Patriotism is supporting your country to help all of its citizens live good lives with quality education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. It also means helping to protect your country’s natural resources and wildlife. You can love something without denigrating everything else. You can also love something despite its flaws, while hoping they will be repaired.

2. Why is patriotism considered by some to be the highest of virtues? What is so important about love of country? Shouldn’t we be more concerned about humankind, or the planet as a whole, rather than a single country?

I don’t know why some people think that. I’m not gonna get into the weeds with a big lecture on what other people should do. Personally, my values are to first support my family and myself, pay my bills, take care of my pets, and just generally not be a jerk or a burden to others.

3. What is the relationship between decisions and consequences?

It depends on the context. Bad decisions often have bad consequences, but good decisions don’t always show good results, at least not immediately. For example, I could spend the weekend overeating and see an immediate gain of three pounds on my scale, plus feel bloated and gross on Tuesday. Bad decision = bad result. But I might spend the weekend eating only nutritious foods and taking walks, yet three days later nothing changes because good results take so long to show up. Bleh!

4. What is social justice?

Well, my knee-jerk response was to say that this is a term used on social media to mock people who earnestly stand up for things such as gay rights by calling out those who violate the earnest peeps’ principles. But apparently there is an actual definition, or a few variations thereof, which is the movement toward a society where the distribution of resources is more equitable and all people have the the right to live in physical and psychological safety. Sounds nice, in theory…

5. What’s one body part you wouldn’t mind losing? (told you.  Silly).

I don’t need my uterus any longer, lol…

6. What is something that made you smile during the past week?

Pictures of my adorable granddaughter! 💖

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Images from Bitmoji.

©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

FUNQ’s 😍

Melanie suggested some fun questions for me! Thanks, M!

1. What’s your favorite holiday/celebration?

I enjoy any low key holiday when I can wear a cute kitty tee shirt and possible sparkly hat plus either go out to dinner or have a themed potluck. Not a fan of big complicated holidays that involve a lot of work.

2. Do you enjoy snow, if you have it in your area?

We do not get snow near the beach in Orange County, California (that I know of), but I enjoy looking at pics of winter scenes elsewhere. I wouldn’t mind visiting some snow again someday. Oh hi! Brrrr! Bye!

3. What do you think of the current news (generally, not today specifically)?

4. Dog or cat or guinea pig/ferret/fish/bird?

Love kitties! Doggies are nice too. If I were wealthy, I’d want a gorgeous aquarium full of beautiful fishies. Pets are a lot of work though, even cats, when they’re inside as they should be. 🐱

5. Do you like bacon?

I confess I do, but only super duper crispy bacon, almost burnt. Most places don’t make it crispy enough for me. I don’t make it at home because I don’t like my place to smell of meat. I’m fine never having it.

6. If you’re more vegan or vegetarian (someone please explain the difference.  Briefly.  I get confused! 😛 ) what’s your favorite veggie?

Vegans don’t eat or use any products from animals; vegetarians just don’t eat meat. I don’t eat much meat these days, but I’m not vegetarian. I might go a few weeks with no meat, but then I’ll have an Egg McMuffin. My favorite veggies are mushrooms, beets (roasted), zucchini, and spinach!

7. Sunshine or rain/snow?

I like sunny days, but rain is good for us, so I don’t mind it. Mostly I enjoy overcast days without blindingly bright light.

8. Frozen treat on a hot day?

I love an iced mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks with whipped cream. Yummy! Frozen lemonade is fab too, but it has to be at the fair. My friend told me a few years ago you can buy them at the grocery store and they don’t cost $6.00 per little cup, but I want to overpay AT THE FAIR! 🤣

9. Do you have a favorite type of tree?

Yes, a weeping willow. We had one in our backyard in New Jersey and it was awesome.

10. What generational nomenclature do you use?  (explanation:  which generation’s lingo do you most identify with?  Or are you a linguist who embraces ALL the words from every generation? )

I love words, but I was a teenager in the 1970s, so I probably use lingo from that era the most, including a lot of swearing (I try not to here). It’s all good, and I like to keep up even if I don’t use whatever is current.

Great questions! 😻

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Image from Bitmoji.

©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.

Earth 🌎 Day

Today I went to get the mail and saw our mama duck again with her ducklings. They were very close to the busy road and I was scared, but they stayed in the grass and then waddled back to the moat. Wished I had my camera. Instead, I’ll post a few pics from when I was out and about in other times, celebrating our wonderful Earth. It’s a celebration of all of us too…

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Images mine.

©️2020 Paula Light and Light Motifs II. No unauthorized use permitted. Please check out Paula’s books for sale on Amazon.