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!

~*~

©️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. ❤️❤️

~*~

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

Images mine

SLS ~ Above/Below/Between

Thanks go out to our host Jim Adams for continuing this fun musical prompt. Today I choose 1999’s “She’s So High” by Tal Bachman, a song that includes the line “she’s so high above me,” repeatedly.

Talmage Charles Robert “Tal” Bachman, 52 years old, lives in Victoria, BC, and he is the son of Canadian rocker Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Some good musical genes going on there. Wikipedia has various interesting nuggets about Tal’s life, but the one that appeals to me the most is that he is a huge fan of key lime pie. When his favorite place for the dessert dumped KLP from the menu, Tal began a successful public campaign for the pie’s return. Now this is the kind of activism I can fully support!

“She’s So High” is from Tal’s debut album and the song reached number one in Canada. It was also a top 10 hit in the U.S. BMI gave Tal the song of the year award for this gem. His second album didn’t do as well and he put out a new one in 2019 under the ‘nym Ian Starglow. Here are the lyrics to today’s selection.

She’s So High

She’s blood, flesh, and bone
No tucks or silicone
She’s touch, smell, sight, taste, and soundBut somehow I can’t believe
That anything should happen
I know where I belong
And nothing’s gonna happen
Yeah, yeah’Cause she’s so high
High above me, she’s so lovely
She’s so high
Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
She’s so high, high above meFirst class and fancy free
She’s high society
She’s got the best of everythingWhat could a guy like me
Ever really offer?
She’s perfect as she can be
Why should I even bother?’Cause she’s so high
High above me, she’s so lovely
She’s so high
Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
She’s so high, high above meShe comes to speak to me
I freeze immediately
‘Cause what she says sounds so unreal’Cause somehow I can’t believe
That anything should happen
I know where I belong
And nothing’s gonna happen
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah’Cause she’s so high
High above me, she’s so lovely
She’s so high
Like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite, oh yeah
She’s so high, high above me

~*~

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

Image credit to Jim Adams

A Fruity Dilemma [fiction 248]

“One of my limes is missing,” Lisa said, “and now I don’t have enough for my pie.”

The two other housemates glanced at each other and shrugged. Lauren spoke up. “Lisa, do you mean to insinuate that one of us took your lime?”

“I’m just saying,” Lisa said.

“I have lots of bananas,” Letty said. “You can use them for pie.”

Lisa made a yucky face. “I hate bananas! I can’t believe you need to be reminded of that, Letty.”

“Shh,” Lauren said. “You’ll wake up Logan. We had a late night writing music lyrics.”

Letty crossed her arms. “We have a no-boys sleepover rule! That’s not fair. I made Larry go home on Saturday and pay for a Uber.”

“But it’s raining!” Lauren said. “Surely that changes things.”

Lisa rolled her eyes. “I don’t think weather is a factor in our house rules. Stealing, on the other hand…”

The other women gasped in outrage at this accusation. “That’s it!” Lauren stomped off to her bedroom, yelling, “I’m moving in with Logan! You’re just too mean, Lisa.”

Letty sighed. “Nice going, Lisa. Now the legacy of our childhood friendship has been destroyed over a piece of fruit.”

Lisa stared at her empty pie crust and muttered, “Friends who steal your fruit are no friends at all.”

Behind the sofa, oblivious to the drama in the kitchen, Lucky the cat played with the round green thing he had batted off the counter when Lisa was in the bathroom.

~*~

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

With Apologies to Julie Andrews

My Favorite Foods

Pasta with seafood and butt’ry potatoes;
Pizza with mushrooms, grilled cheese and tomatoes;
Avos all ripened and berries of blue…
These are a few of my favorite foods.
Warm PB cookies and cupcakes with icing;
Nachos and mangoes and pie so enticing;
Brownies so fudgy you have to eat two…
These are a few of my favorite foods.
French toast with cinn’mon and syrup is yummy;
Burgers with pickles get into my tummy;
Ice cream with caramel and choc’late ooh ooh
These are a few of my favorite foods.
When the spam bites,
When the troll spews,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite foods,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

😋😋😋

~*~

Written for Fandango’s Dog Days 10.

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

Photo credited to The Sound of Music

5 Favorite Summer Desserts

This is a continuation of the #5Things series from Dr. Tanya…

Probably my favorite summer dessert is mango 🥭 sorbet from Trader Joe’s. Note that it is gluten free. 🙄 (Pic purloined from Pinterest.)

Next up is cherry pie, which honestly can be nommed at anytime, but I think of it as a summer dessert. (Pinterest pic.)

Starbucks’ iced mocha frappuccino with whipped cream is one of my sweet summer indulgences. (My own photo.)

Frozen lemonade is something delicious I associate with summer, but the caveat is it only tastes yummy at a fair. I don’t want it at home ~ I want to overpay for it while wandering around the games and rides. (Pic from Amazon.)

Finally, vanilla frozen yogurt with peanut butter cup pieces is one of my top faves. I’ve tried a bunch, and Golden Spoon is the best. I failed to find the exact photo I need, so I’m using this Yelp one, but it shows PB froyo, which I wouldn’t get. VANILLA with PB cup pieces is the way to go. It appears I will have to visit Golden Spoon myself, order the proper dessert, and take a pic. Gosh, what a burden…

~*~

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

5 Things [Fave Food Combos]

Yaaay! Hooray! 😀 Dr. Tanya is bringing back the #5Things prompt. Here are my 5 fave food combos with my very own photos…

1. Seafood & Pasta

2. Peanut Butter & Blackberry Preserves

3. Lox & Bagel

4. Sweet Potato & Broccoli

5. Grilled Cheese & Tomato

I know you were expecting me to have cake or cupcakes, or maybe cookies or pie, and here I go posting normal food, so like what’s up with that? Welp… There’s no combo with cake. Cake stands alone. Same with the others. Sorry, but I’m not a fan of ruining my desserts by glopping ice cream over them. Nothing against ice cream! Love ice cream. But it’s also a stand-alone.

That’s just how it is.

~*~

Images are mine.

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

20 Questions

These are from Melanie, who got them from Fandango, in two separate posts, but she reworded some, and then added more to make a better number, as you do, so are they her questions or his questions?

Let me know what you decide, okay? In the meantime, imma answer the questions…

1. Okay, you write a blog, so do you also play word games of any kind?

Yes, all of them. Not at the same time, of course, but if it’s a word game, I’ve likely tried it, or some variation. Right now, on my phone, I have Wordscapes, which has pretty backgrounds and relaxing sounds. It’s too easy though.

2. Do you have any other type of creative outlet besides writing? Art, sewing, photography, jewelry making, etc.?

I’ve done all of that. I used to love baking and cake decorating. I also did lots of needlework pictures and pillows. I tried to start a tee shirt painting biz but got a hurty wrist and had to stop. My hands are achy lately, so I haven’t been doing any crafts at all. 😢

3. Do you listen to anything while you write or does it need to be quiet?

I prefer quiet.

4. Are you an avid book reader?

I go in phases. This year I’ve only read 19 books so far.

5. Name a country you would love to visit if the world wasn’t shut down because of the virus.

England.

6. Have you ever written a poem about someone and gave it to them?

Yes, as jokes and seriously. I’ve also written loads of poems about people that I haven’t shown them. Here’s my favorite one.

7. Is there an author (living or dead) that you would love to sit down and talk to for an hour?

Margaret Atwood.

8. Have you ever met a fellow blogger or interacted off WordPress?

I’ve met a few.

9. Cake or pie?

Yes, please… coconut cake / cherry pie.

10. Coffee or tea?

Coffee in the morning / tea the rest of the day.

11. What is the strangest movie you have ever seen?

When I was 11, my parents took me to see Greaser’s Palace in NYC, which traumatized me. I still think about it occasionally.

12.  What lessons have you learnt from C-19?

Nothing, except to double down on what I was already inclined to do.

13. What values do you live by?

Family first. Prioritize work and my peace of mind. Try to tune out the negativity and craziness of other people.

14. What is your favorite movie?

Doctor Zhivago.

15. Whom have you loved unconditionally?

Only my children.

16. Your dreams in life?

Happy, healthy children. Being financially secure. Writing a lot!

17.   Do you like citrus flavoring?

Yes to lemon and lime. Not a fan of orange usually. Pineapple is good with coconut.

18.   What is your remedy for the hiccups?

Holding my breath.

19.   Are you lucky?

I think “luck” happens when I’m careful to avoid doing stupid things. So, it depends on the day… 🤣🍀

20.   Barefoot or wearing something on your feet?

I like socks!

~*~

Images from Bitmoji.

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

A Bunch Of Nonsense

To distract myself from myself, I’m going to answer these super intrusive questions about myself from Melanie…

1. Tell us how you met your partner. Please be specific in telling your tale.

I don’t have a “partner.” I’ve been divorced since 2011 and all my attempts at dating were documented disasters. Right now, it might be nice to have someone to be cooped up with though. Or maybe not.

2. What is your most romantic experience, again with details?

I have a post in drafts called Skyloft. It’s about the best first date I ever had ~ my last first date. I had a couple more first meetings since, but they don’t count as first dates. This man was also a disaster, like the others, but worse because I’d finally begun to trust again, and after him everything was impossibly shattered. The date itself was incredible. It was the hottest day of the year, and I was sick, had been sick for a month, which made the whole experience surreal. I felt I was in a painting, with all the colors and sounds and tastes and smells so exquisitely bright. When he touched me, I felt transported to another plane. Nothing was the same again… it still isn’t. He kissed me at the beach, with the turquoise waves crashing in, just like a dream. I will never forget this, no matter what he did later.

3. What is the most extravagant purchase you’ve ever made, and why did you buy it?

I have not bought anything extravagant for a really long time. I’m super careful. I’ve spent money, sometimes a lot, but on stuff that’s necessary, such as a car (a sensible one). I simply can’t think of anything. Oh! I know. My daughter went to Costa Rica several years ago and brought me some very cool artwork. I spent $400 to have it framed. But I love it. ❤️

4. What is your favorite swear word or expression, and when are you most likely to use it?

I’m an equal opportunity swearer. I try to give all the bad words a good workout daily, but I must admit that since I haven’t been driving they’ve been sitting in a sad heap on the sofa watching reruns of Gilligan’s Island and munching potato chips. 😢

5. What is your favorite kind of pie? With or without ice cream?

Ooh pie! I had the best pie up in Northern California ~ key lime with whipped cream and a thick graham cracker crust. That is my fave, followed closely by lemon cream and then cherry. No ice cream necessary.

6. While we’re on the subject, what is your favorite ice cream, and where did you last eat it?

Cookie dough! I don’t remember when or where I ate it last. I don’t eat ice cream often because I’m always freezing. 🥶

7. Who is your most unique friend and why? (May be someone from the past.)

My daughters are both brilliant and hilarious and totally unique. I love them to bits! My besties! 💖💖 (Why? Because I raised them! Duh.)

8. What is your most irritating habit?

Yelling at my cat to quit yelling. 🐱

9. Who was your favorite teacher and why?

I loved many of my philosophy and writing professors at CSUN.

10. Do you like being alone and if so, what would you probably be doing?

I enjoy choosing to be alone; I don’t enjoy this forced isolation and not being allowed to go to work. It’s super depressing. When alone, I read, write, play phone games, chat with peeps online, etc.

11. What is the most outlandish thing you’ve ever done?

Probably picked up hitchhikers and taken rides from strange men back in Illinois. Nothing bad ever happened even though this is a terribly stupid thing to do.

12. What superstition do you always follow?

I count things a lot, which isn’t really a superstition, but more an OCD, except not that much since I don’t do it consistently. I just feel things will work out better when there’s the right number of ’em.

13. What famous person or animal have you met? Tell us about the meeting.

Not really. I’ve seen various celebs in the Los Angeles area, but haven’t hung out with any. I don’t think celebs or royals are better than anyone else, and people ought to quit making such a fuss over them. 😛

~*~

Image credit to Bitmoji.

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

Pi Day [socs]

The Wire is a show I haven’t watched… I’ve heard it’s fabulous. Lots of great shows I’ve passed by due to a lack of time. Well, that’s not true… I have the same amount of time as everyone else, but I choose to spend it reading, writing, and playing board games, over watching TV, mostly. I’ve seen a few good shows, but usually when peeps begin discussing one I’m out of the loop. Big Bang Theory is another I’ve never watched. How I Met Your Mother. Oh, and all the reality shows! Don’t get me started on that mess. Dancing, dating, cooking, and this new thing where Sarah Palin dresses up like a pastel bear to sing “Baby Got Back.” Wha?

Ya know… maybe it is time for a Biblical style purge. Jk! Stay safe everyone. Don’t forget the pi. ❤️

~*~

Image credit to Shelley Krupa.

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