Mystery Questions!

I would like to extend a big thanks to the very funny and lovely Beckie for giving me this award. Thank you! There’s so much to enjoy at her blog ~ quotes, poetry, insights, cute birdie pics, etc. I hope you’ll check it out if you haven’t yet.

Like many bloggers, I’m happy to get noms and awards, and I’ll answer questions as I have time, but I don’t create new questions or tag others. Thanks for understanding!

“The Mystery Blogger Award is an award for amazing bloggers with ingenious posts. Their blog not only captivates; it inspires and motivates. They are one of the best out there, and they deserve every recognition they get. This award is also for bloggers who find fun and inspiration in blogging, and they do it with so much love and passion.”

Wow! 😻 And these are Beckie’s questions.

1. What are your aspirations in life?

– To continue working as much as I can, writing as much as I can, spending time with family as time permits, taking care of health and home, and doing good things.

2. If you had $5000, what charity would you donate it to?

– The SPCA.

3. What is your favorite kind of music to chill out to?

– Oldies rock.

4. How would you rate your experience on WordPress?  1 being lowest, 10 being highest.

– 7

5. Have you gained real friendships through blogging?

– Real meaning in person, no. Real meaning people I chat with via email outside of blogging about other things, yes.

Okay, now I’m going to include questions from Di that she opened up to all. I thought they were good ones, and that’s no surprise as Di is another blogger whose posts I enjoy daily. I hope you’ll go visit if you haven’t already.

1. Are you an only child? If so, do you wish you had siblings? If not, do you wish you were?

– I am the only child of my parents. But I did find out when I was 25 that my mother had another baby, a girl, when she was 20 that she gave up for adoption. I always wished for a sibling, particularly a sister. My mother did not want any contact with her though, so I respected this, until she and my father passed on. Since then, I’ve been trying to find my half-sister, with no luck. It makes me sad because she did reach out to my mother first, and was rebuffed, and now I have no way of finding her, assuming she’s alive.

2. Do you do your main shopping on the internet?

– Everything but groceries.

3. What kind of vehicle do you drive?

– Toyota Corolla.

4. If you were a colour, what would that be?

– Ultraviolet 💜

5. How many awards has your blog been nominated for?

– I haven’t kept count!

~*~

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

Newbie No More

I was such a newbie, pinning my hopes for lurve on the crazy world of dating sites. What did I know? Pffft! It seemed like a good idea at the time. Make a profile, enter some wishy washy characteristics of my dream dude… and then sit back and wait for the magical messages to arrive dinging at my desktop.

Or not. It was like searching for a lost green button in a field of grass… and trying to avoid stepping on any venomous snakes in the process. You’d think after a few years of doing this, my technique would improve to the point where I could just cruise onto a site, disregard the scammers and psychos, and easily find a cool guy to chat with and meet.

Alas no. In fact, the news now is that the sites are so filled with con artists and bad guys that it’s too scary to even contemplate clicking on one at all! It’s harder than ever to figure out who’s legit, and if you start out being suspicious of everyone, how can you act fun and flirtatious? Blerghhhhh.

I think it’s good to check in every once in a while and decide yet again to continue my hiatus from the madness. Naturally, I share this with my readers, especially when I can shovel in all the prompt words. 😀

~*~

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

An Award! 🌸

Lovely Linda has lavished me with a Liebster! Thank you so much, Linda! 💖

First, I’m to present 11 facts about myself. Yes, the dreaded 11… why 11? I don’t know. But there’s nothing to be done about it. Off we go.

1. I’m a single mom of two fabulous adult daughters, and I do take a lot of credit for the fact that they’re both wonderful people.

2. I’ve worked for the same company for 18 years.

3. I’ve been married and divorced twice.

4. I was born in Sleepy Hollow, NY, but I never saw the Headless Horseman.

5. I lived in Chicago, IL for several years, and it was freezing. 🥶

6. I tried to find my soul mate after my last divorce, but nothing worked out, so now I just write all the time.

7. I’ve self-published 6 books of poetry and fiction as Paula Light. 😀

8. One of them will be available in audio shortly.

9. I’ve also self-published 2 romance novels and several short erotica stories as Anna Fondant. 🔥

10. Someone is narrating my first romance novel right now, so it should be available as an audiobook soon.

11. I have a bazillion more novels, novellas, short stories, and collections planned out to write, edit, and self-publish before I die. 🙃

Okay then. Now I’m supposed to answer some specific questions. Guess how many there are? Eleven again. Yeppers.

1. How important is Wi-Fi for you? Is warm running water or wireless internet more important?

This looks suspiciously like two questions to me. Can I get a ruling? Wi-Fi is very important, but obviously warm running water is more important. I don’t want to be boiling pots of water on the stove to wash my hair in the sink. Annoying! 😠

2. Name your favourite blogger (any genre).

Whoever gives me compliments is my fave.

3. If you have to pick a place to settle down forever, where would it be and why?

I’d like to be, under the sea, in an octopus’s garden, in the shade… 🐙

4. What is one silly moment you’ve had that you’d like to share?

I went to CVS yesterday for eyedrops and saw they were having a greeting card sale. I got so excited by the cute cards I forgot my vow to quit buying cards because they’re a waste and I picked out three. Then I forgot to notice if the cashier gave me the third one for free like the sale said. This morning I checked my receipt and of course she charged me for all of them.

5. What is your favourite trait about yourself?

I’m so good at sticking to resolutions. 😜

6. What is your favourite time of day?

Lunch!

7. Tell us your favourite food/cuisine.

Seafood with pasta. I guess that’s Italian.

8. Name three destinations you would like to visit once in your lifetime.

Yellowstone, Taos, Boston. 🚊

9. If you could change something in the world, what would it be?

Get rid of parasites. So gross.

10. What are you most passionate about?

Writing.

11. What is so special about your blog?

It reflects my creativity and my life; it’s not a regurgitation of headlines or clichés. I try to offer fresh and interesting content to keep readers amused. I hope I succeed, at least sometimes.

And… that’s all she wrote! 🙃

Rockumentaries & Things

I love musical movies… Hair, Chicago, Walk the Line, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Across the Universe, Mamma Mia (1 & 2), The Lion King, Grease, Fiddler on the Roof, etc. There are lots I haven’t seen and still want to ~ Meet Me in St. Louis, for heaven’s sake!

But that’s not what I came here to talk about today. Lately I’ve seen a bunch of rockumentaries, which is a class of movie I’ve avoided in the past because it seemed eh boring, like something from the History Channel. But first I watched one on Joan Jett and it was interesting! Last summer I saw The King in Long Beach and enjoyed that too. It was more an overview of the times than a laser-focus on Elvis, but even so. Good stuff, despite the history content.

Then I meant to see Bohemian Rhapsody on my Movie Pass, but it died so I didn’t. I watched it on Prime for $6 last month though, and it was great! I’ve always loved Queen’s music. RIP Freddie.

Next I went to see Rocketman. Wow. It was incredible. Taron Egerton did such a fab job portraying Elton John. The music. The costumes. All spectacular. And Elton as a little boy was just heartbreaking too.

Last weekend I saw Yesterday, which isn’t in the same category because it’s a romcom with a fantasy element, but regardless it’s entirely themed on The Beatles, so I say it goes in this post. I dare you to disagree! I loved it, btw. Super fun and adorable. Lots of Beatles’ songs throughout to keep a fan happy.

Yesterday I saw Echo in the Canyon, which is about the California music biz in the 1960s. Jakob Dylan interviews a bunch of old-timey musicians and plays clips of their songs, and he also recreates some of their tunes himself. He’s super talented… wonder where he gets that from? I’ve loved him since the first Wallflowers album, so I may be biased there. I highly recommend this movie to all music fans. Honestly, Jakob needs to do a sequel because there’s just so much more!

During the previews to Echo, we saw that there’s a new movie coming out in August sort of like Yesterday but without a fantasy element and themed on Bruce Springsteen. Guess who is gonna put Blinded by the Light on her must-see list?

🎶😀🎶💖🎶

Kitty Spirit

Mindlovemisery prompts us to choose a spirit animal.

“The cat, as a symbol, carries double meanings mostly. It balances two opposite things always – for instance, light and dark, rest and action, outer and inner, up and down, good or bad, etc.” ~ Spiritual Unite

That’s how I am, a balance of extremes, struggling to reconcile opposing desires and philosophies, and hovering in the middle. People think they understand me, but they don’t; like a cat, I’m predictable until I’m suddenly not.

Continuing the prompt, now we are to pick a destination. I choose home sweet home. Like a kitty, I’m fond of warmth and small, cozy spaces. I don’t enjoy loud crowds and bright lights. I crave my familiar foods and comforts, my soft blankets and white noise fans. If I play music or a television show, the volume is low. I don’t mind guests, but only a few at a time, not a giant party.

Now I’m to pick an activity. I would love to curl up with a good book on my Kindle tonight and maybe a few delicious cookies (how did my phone know to say cookies?!), but I suspect that, much like my spirit cat, I will soon be off in the Land of Nod because I didn’t get a good night’s sleep last night.

Next I’m to include an obstacle (physical or psychological) that must be overcome. One of my goals in progress is to actually learn to trust my “animal instincts” in regards to boundaries that other people transgress. I am doing better, but I still have a way to go, especially with reaction time. A cat has a lightning-fast reactions, and when I have that uncomfortable psychological feeling, I need to know it’s time to physically move away/leave a situation, not dawdle because of fears of hurting someone else’s feelings.

“Eff this” ~ is what a cat says, basically. And it’s what I need to say too.

Now, to finish up, I include a lesson learned on my journey. I’ve learned that I do really well alone! Cats are independent, though some can be cuddly and affectionate with humans, and some do pal around together, but they don’t need a pack leader the way dogs do… and neither do I. It took me a long time to understand that not only am I perfectly capable of living alone, but in fact I thrive alone. Being partnered was stifling to me in so many ways. I suppose it’s not out of the realm of possibility that I might find a partner someday who celebrates my unique spirit (and vice versa) without smothering it in the process, but the hour is getting late. In the meantime, I’m doing quite well, TYVM.

Cat photos all from Pixabay.

“Thou art a worry to thy friends” [SOCS]

Linda told us to grab the closest book, open it, and put our finger on a page ~ this would be our Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. Mine is the quote in the title, which is on page 64 of Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck, a used paperback I picked up at an exchange a while back but haven’t read yet.

Honestly, I’m not really inclined to read the book now, given the annoying dialog on this page, and the names of the characters (Pilon and Pirate). I feel it well within my rights to make such an arbitrary and snap judgment because I have an enormous pile of books to read, and more come in all the time. I’ll never get through them all before I die, so why not cull them in any manner whatsoever?

May sucked as far as reading. I began a few books and lost interest, played games on my phone, read a lot of blogs and news, and was basically a scatterbrain. I need to get more focused now. Today I deleted my phone solitaire games that I play when I can’t sleep, and which probably keep me from sleeping too. Duh. I could spend that time reading. It’s less stimulating as far as keeping me awake like a game. But to be fair, I have dozed off in the middle of a card game, though not often. Maybe once.

I don’t think I’m a worry to my friends. I’m very sensible and predictable, at least that’s how I’m perceived. Reliable. Dependable. I can be counted on to do a thing if I say… which is also a curse, you know? Because unreliable people always get a break. Hey, no biggie if Joe didn’t show up… we know how he is. And oh there goes Janet again, such a wild and crazy gal! But me? If I mess up or don’t show, everyone is all but you said!!!

Eff that. Why can’t I be the wild one once in a while? But it’s not me, I know. I like plans. I schedule everything. I’m on time, or early. I reply. I’m considerate. Bla bla bla. Boring! I’ve even tried to plan my own funeral. I want one of those I Dream of Jeannie urns. I want to have coconut cupcakes and a song list. Hotel California, of course. New Kid in Town. Those Shoes. Tequila Sunrise. End of the Innocence. And a lot of Neil Diamond. Jimmy Buffett. Fleetwood Mac. Supremes. Sheryl Crow. Gordon Lightfoot. Johnny Cash and Rosanne Cash. But that’s a bit too planny.

Maybe.

One-Liner Wednesday

I’ve been neglecting my reading. May has been a zero-book month. How sad. I’ve been super busy with projects outside of work, including my own writing, and I’ve simply been exhausted at night. I need to make reading a priority again. Writers should read more than blogs and twitter. I miss books!

The great thing is that they’re all still there waiting for me.📚✨

~*~

One-Liner Wednesday

Prompts Gone Mad!

These are just for today!

My God.

And every one of them is great, of course. I want to do them all. I realize they don’t all have to be done today, but my own “rain” inspirational thingie is already 4 days old and goes well with blustery fog during the fervent breakup over the kitchen remodel, or whatever.

Ack. Wasting time! Off to search my photos for a colorful square circle…

Gloomily Yours

Sadly, I haven’t been very creative this week. Every time a prompt appears in my feed, I diligently save it in my folder with the intention to write something later. But night after night, later has faded into sleep. Also, I’ve been stressed about some stuff, but I gently remind myself… it’s not that important. Family (including Mr. Gatsby), health, work: those are hugely important. Everything else? Less so. Much less. The news can get me feeling hopeless about the future too, but I at least I only read it and don’t watch it obsessively on TV like many do. That would drive me more nuts. Doubly depressing this week was the weather, turning cold and rainy again, triggering a bunch of migraines. Or one long migraine rather, broken up with meds. Hopefully I’ll get back on schedule soon and be able to tackle the items on my writing to-to list. 😐

One-Line Wednesday

This is one of those dumb sayings we should mock relentlessly. I find worrying to be a very relaxing hobby actually. Allow me to explain.

Most terrible things are shocks. Just like in a movie, they come sailing in out of the blue. You slip and fall in flat shoes while walking to the elevator. A boyfriend breaks up with you because you didn’t bake him some goddamn cookies. An earthquake hits while you’re in the shower. A wacko debt collector pops up to harass you about your ex. A rattlesnake decides to take a nap in your car.

Who can predict these things, amirite? But the stuff you spent hours stressing over didn’t happen, did it? Nope. Tests came back negative. Plane landed smoothly. Boss didn’t freak out about the mistake. Etc.

So, here’s my theory. Bad things enjoy shock value. Deprive them of it! Spend time imagining bad things and pop their balloon of surprise one by one. It’s like a game. You won’t have time to get them all, so try to attack the worst ones first.

And if one happens anyway? Well then, you can just shrug and say you knew it would.

Win win! 😀

~*~

One-Liner Wednesday