Sunday Stealing

 

When You Can't Think of Anything to Blog About ...

1) Describe your typical weekend and tell us how this weekend has been different.

A. My typical weekend involves changing the bed linens and washing them, doing laundry, maybe a dinner out, watching TV, and regular chores. I can't think of anything different that's happened.

2) What food hits your bliss spot?

A. Chocolate. But good chocolate. Lindt has good chocolate these days.

 

3) Where did you stay on your last vacation (hotel, Airbnb/Vrbo, friends/family)?

A. I haven't been on a vacation in 7 years. I stayed in a condo.

4) If you had a personality eraser, what part of yours would you erase?

A. I might not be so blunt about things. I can be pretty straightforward when it comes to saying what I think.

 

5) Think of your friends. Tell us about the first one who popped into your head.

A. I'll tell you about an old friend I saw this past week. I hadn't seen her in I bet 20 years. She's a retired journalist and editor. She has a lovely smile and a twinkle in her eye. She's got a dog, and she has brilliant white hair (not gray). She is almost 80 and still works. She's lost her husband and a son, and she told me she's had two knee replacements and a shoulder replacement, so she's almost bionic! It was nice to see her again.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Sugar, Sugar

 

Saturday 9: Sugar, Sugar (1969)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title.

*Here is where I confess I still have this album.*

1) This week's song is credited to The Archies, a band that never actually existed. The song is performed by singer Ron Dante and studio musicians and backup singers hired on behalf of the five members of the popular Saturday morning Archie Show. Were you a fan of this animated series?

A. I would have been in 1st grade when this show was on, so I barely remember it, but I do remember it. I think, however, I could only watch it when I spent the night at my grandmother's house. At my house, we could only get one or two channels. She could get all three plus PBS!

2) Archie was Archibald Andrews, a character first introduced in the 1941 comic strip. Archie was the linchpin, the leader of the band, and the center of his social group. Tell us about one of the popular kids from your school days.

A. I stayed away from the popular kids in school, as I wasn't one of them. I was a nerd who made straight As. But let me think. Ah, I know! Jodi E. He was always funny. Kind of short, red hair, made everyone laugh all the time. I wonder what he's doing these days. 

3) The Archies' drummer was Jughead Jones. He was smart, funny, and had a fondness for headwear. Do you often wear hats or caps?

A. Not anymore. I used to wear hats back in my younger days, especially in high school, and I was married in a hat with a veil behind it, I refused to cover my face with a veil.

4) Reggie was the lead singer and bass player. He was a gifted athlete who liked to come in first. If he couldn't win with his natural talents, he was not above cheating. Have you ever cheated in a friendly game?

A. I imagine I have but I can't think of anything right off. Does turning on the God-Mode so you can get through a level in a video game count?

5) Blonde Betty Cooper was on the tambourine. Her hobbies include playing baseball, caring for her cat, and helping Archie work on his car. Tell us three of your favorite pastimes.

A. My favorite three pastimes include writing, playing or listening to music, and reading.

6) Raven-haired Veronica Lodge was the keyboardist and joined Betty for backup vocals. She was a fashion plate, known and loved by Riverdale store owners because of her willingness to spend big bucks to stay on trend. What's the latest thing you've added to your wardrobe?

A. I bought some tops and a single pair of pants a while back. When I came home and washed the pants and went to wear them, I realized that one leg is about an inch longer than the other. I didn't notice it when I tried them on in the store, but it is certainly noticeable at home. They will have to be wear-around-the-house pants unless I decide to rehem them.

7) The biggest news story of 1969 was one of the biggest stories in history. On July 21, man first stepped onto the moon. Without looking it up, do you remember the astronaut's name?

A. Neal Armstrong.

8) Also in 1969, Triple H was born and today he's in the WWE Hall of Fame. Do you follow professional wrestling?

A. I do not follow professional wrestling. In my younger days, my grandfather would stop whatever he was doing on Saturdays to sit down and watch wrestling, though, and I would watch it with him sometimes. I remember some loud dude named Rick Flair.

9) Random question – Would you prefer to be: a) super successful in business or b) a politician elected to an influential office or c) a champion athlete?

A. Geez. Is there a D? Of the three I would choose being super successful in business. I could be super successful in the writing business since it doesn't specify what kind of business.

BONUS #10: Mister Linky has become extremely hard to navigate, and no one is home at the Help Desk. How do you feel about leaving your link in the comments?

A. This does seem to have become an issue, doesn't it. I've been looking into it and there doesn't seem to be another option that works like Mr. Linky (and is free). Apparently, there is some way to make Google Docs create a form that you can use that goes to a spreadsheet or something or another, but it was so complicated I didn't try it.

As for leaving the link in the comments, it is probably the easiest thing. If it is all that's available, then I don't have a problem with it.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Thursday Thirteen

 

1. This drought that we're in has been particularly difficult this summer. Our area remained in severe drought even though some parts of the state has received inches of rain. We've received sprinkles.

The green circle is our area of the state. We're in that little red portion of extreme drought.

2. One of the things we do that helps is pasture rotation, which means moving the cattle from one pasture to another, allowing the grass to grow in areas while the cattle eat down the pasture it's in.

3. Two springs on the farm that have never gone dry in the 40+ years I've been here, now are. These springs feed into Rulman Branch, which feeds into Tinker Creek. No springs, lower creek. Lower creek, less water in the cove that is one of the city's main sources of water.

4. The pond beside the original house (built approximately 1808) is the lowest I've ever seen it. The aforementioned springs led into it.

5. The peaches are small this year compared to other years. Not enough water.

6. The berries - blackberries, wine berries, blueberries - didn't have any water so they were mostly seed.

7. Our garden is producing because we're watering it, but the tomatoes have thick skin, as does the squash. Too much heat, not enough rain.

8. This drought has been up and down the eastern seaboard, especially from the Mid-Atlantic to the southern states like Florida, so many food items are affected. Watermelons are expensive, locally grown items are up in price, some things are hard to find.

9. The deer are testing out some of my flowers they've never bothered in the past. I can see their ribs sometimes.

10. The cattle are still fat because we're feeding hay as well as using pasture rotation. We've also started supplementing their feed with grain.

11. Before a recent cough of rain, the grass in the yard had browned so that it crunched under foot. My husband has only mowed the yard 5 times this year, and that was just to knock the weeds down. He usually has to mow every week.

12. Trees are already losing leaves. Some of them have turned yellow and it's just the first week of August. I've stood at the front door and watched the wind blow leaves off trees that shouldn't be shedding yet.

13. The pine tree that stands out above the rest of the trees in the front of the house has died. I don't know if that was drought or pine beetles, though.

How are things in your part of the world? Too wet? Too dry? On fire? Flooding?

What a weird weather year we're having.

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 971st time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Truth in Advertising

I remember a time when “truth in advertising” actually meant something. Ads weren't lies, claims had to be provable, and the fine print couldn’t contradict the big print. The FTC even chased violators. It wasn’t perfect, but there was at least a cultural expectation that ads had to resemble reality.

Somewhere along the way, that expectation evaporated.

Ads are just lies now.

I play a city‑building game called Elvenar. I enjoy it. It’s strategic, cooperative, and visually polished. But the ads for it are nothing like the game.

The ads show tiny villagers you can drag around, little elves picking up lumber, and chests that drop out of the sky. None of that exists in the real game. Not one pixel of it.

All I do in Elvenar is build structures, manage resources, and work with my fellowship. We have a weekly tournament that isn't against one another but against the game itself, and you can auto-fight that if you want to and never see a movement of a bow. There are no wandering villagers to interact with. No puzzles. Just city planning, resource checks, and "events" that are simply doing the things one needs to do play the game anyway.

My biggest city in Elvenar. Mostly all you do is move buildings around. No people to play
with. No chests dropping from the sky. Just a city-building game.

Elvenar is run by InnoGames, the same company behind Forge of Empires, and they use the same advertising strategy for both: show a completely fictional version of the game because it gets more clicks. Real gameplay footage doesn’t convert well. City builders look slow and thoughtful, which is great for players like me, but terrible for marketing. So, the ads show a fantasy instead of the product.

Legally, companies defend this as “creative representation.” Regulators treat game ads as harmless exaggeration. As long as the ad doesn’t promise a specific feature you pay extra for, they get away with it. The fine print says “not actual gameplay,” and that’s apparently enough.

The irony is that Elvenar and Forge of Empires are actually good games. Deep, strategic, and well‑designed. But I wonder how many people sign up only to be disappointed when the games are nothing like the advertisements.

So what happened? Why can't cigarette companies still not advertise on TV but video game promoters can flat-out lie about their product? 

I think a few things happened:

• The internet blew the doors off regulation. The FTC was built for TV, radio, and print. It was not built for millions of micro‑ads, influencers, sponsored posts, and algorithmic targeting.

• “Puffery” became a legal shield. Companies can now say things like “best,” “fastest,” “most trusted,” “America’s favorite,” without proving a thing. Courts treat it as harmless exaggeration.

• Influencers blurred the line between opinion and advertising. Half the time you don’t even know you’re looking at an ad.

• Fine print became microscopic. Legally, the disclosure is there. Practically, nobody can read it.

• Enforcement budgets shrank. The FTC can’t chase every misleading claim across social media, YouTube, TikTok, and a thousand ad networks.

• Algorithms reward exaggeration. The more dramatic the claim, the more clicks. The more clicks, the more money. Honesty doesn’t trend.

So “truth in advertising” technically still exists. The laws are still on the books. But in practice, the guardrails have rusted. Companies learned how to skirt the rules, regulators haven’t kept up, and the internet rewards exaggeration far more than honesty.

And that’s how we ended up with Elvenar ads that advertise a game nobody can actually play.

A Fawn

 

This little one was by the driveway when we came home the other evening. Its momma was not far away. They don't run far when they see the car. The deer are used to us driving in and out. Sometimes we come home and they are resting in the yard. We open the garage and pull in and they never move.

We don't feed them or anything. We are simply part of their lives now.

Sunday Stealing

 

Bold the Ones You've Done

Have you ever ...

1. Slept under the stars


2. Played in a band


3. Visited Hawaii 


4. Visited Easter Island 

5. Watched a meteor shower


6. Seen the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. (I haven't seen this in person but I've watched in online. Does that count?)


7. Been to Disneyland or Disney World. (We went to the one in Florida in 1993 to celebrate my college graduation. It was SO hot.) 


8. Climbed a mountain 


9. Held a praying mantis

10. Been to the Louvre 

11. Had food poisoning


12. Eaten vegetables you grew yourself


13. Slept overnight on a train. (This happened on a trip from Spain to France. We had to take the passenger trains that stopped constantly because we needed to get out of Spain because there was something political going on. I was in high school and there with a group of students.)


14. Built a snow fort


15. Held a lamb


16. Gone skinny dipping


17. Been on a cruise (day cruises and dinner cruises count)

18. Seen Niagara Falls 


19. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors


20. Sung karaoke


21. Sat for a portrait

22. Walked on a beach by moonlight


23. Been transported in an ambulance


24. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 


25. Kissed in the rain


26. Played in the mud


27. Gone to a drive-in theater

28. Changed your vehicle's oil yourself

29. Taken a martial arts class 


30. Visited the Vatican


31. Volunteered at a soup kitchen or food pantry


32. Sold Girl Scout cookies

33. Bought a used car

34. Sat on a jury

35. Ridden an elephant

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Coconut

 

Saturday 9: Coconut (1971)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

This month Saturday 9 will be tasty, featuring songs with food in the title. (This song makes me think of the movie Practical Magic.)

1) This song is about a woman who complains of a belly ache. How's your tummy this morning?

A. My tummy is about like it always is. Thanks for asking.

2) She responds to this malady by calling the doctor. What if you chose to address the problem yourself? Are there currently any OTC digestive aids in your medicine chest? 

A. I take medicine for my stomach every day. I have acid reflux. Sometimes I have to supplement that with a little OTC medicine. I have also found apple cider vinegar gummies helpful.

3) Coconut was once a popular ice cream flavor, but no more. It's not on the list of top sellers at Baskin Robbins or Cold Stone. When you last had ice cream, what flavor was it?

A. I don't eat ice cream.

4) Coconut remains popular in baking. It's easy to find recipes for coconut pie, coconut cheesecake, coconut cookies . . . . you get the idea. Have you recently tried a new recipe? If yes, how did it turn out?

A. The last recipe I made was a squash casserole. It wasn't exactly a new recipe to me, but I was using yellow zucchini instead of yellow summer squash. It was ok.

5) This week's featured artist, Harry Nilsson, was a well-known free spirit. He liked to party and had a reputation for not adhering to a schedule. Therefore, it's a little surprising that one of his first jobs was in the conservative atmosphere of a small bank. Do you prefer a more structured workplace?

A. I always did well with deadlines when I worked for the newspaper. I like a little structure, but I need a little freedom, too.

6) Harry met Micky Dolenz when The Monkees recorded his song, "Cuddly Toy" and they became fast and life-long friends. Can you think of someone you met and quickly "clicked" with?

A. Yes, one of my dearest friends today is someone I met and "clicked" with almost immediately.

7) In 1971, when this song was on the radio, detective shows were popular on TV. Mannix, Ironside and Cannon were all in the Top 20. Do you think you'd make a good private investigator?

A. I think I probably would make a good PI. Old, overweight dowdy housewife? Who'd think she was taking pictures of infidelity or insurance fraud?

8) England's Princess Anne turned 21 in 1971, and the occasion was commemorated with an official portrait taken by fashion photographer Norman Parkinson. Who took the most recent photo of you?

A. I have no idea. It was a probably a selfie with my husband.

9) Random question: You can redecorate any one room in your home, money is no object. But only one room. Which room do you pick?

A. I would pick the great room, which is really three rooms in one. That way I would get a new kitchen, a new dining area, and a new living room, because all three are in one large room. I think they call this open space living now but it was a great room 38 years ago. 

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Gratitude: Days 29 & 30

Prompts: Self-care & Myself

I’m grateful for the quiet of a cool morning light,

For fields that awaken after the darkness of night.

For root beer, for pages, and time to reflect,

For giving my weary heart some respect.

I’m thankful for moments I don’t have to race,

For slowing my steps and reclaiming my space.

For books on the table, a song in my heart,

For walking through life at my own chosen start.

I’m grateful for hands that have planted and grown,

For stories and histories I’ve gathered and sewn.

For voices I’ve carried, for truths I have told,

For memories treasured and tales yet untold.

I’m grateful for me, for the road I have walked,

For the courage to write and the courage to talk.

For every small kindness, each lesson I’ve learned,

For bridges I built and the pages I’ve turned.

I’m thankful I’m still here, still dreaming, still free,

Still becoming the person I’m meant to be.

Through seasons of sorrow and storms I have known,

I’m thankful for me, this woman who has grown.

_____

Last month, The Gal did a 30-day gratitude challenge. I've swiped it to do for July. Only I'm going to try to do it in rhyme, just because.

Thursday Thirteen #970

 

Thirteen Things I Noticed This Week

1. A rainbow came out Tuesday evening when we were on our way home. It was low on the horizon. Because of the way our house is positioned, I cannot usually see evening rainbows, only morning ones, and those are rather rare.

2. My physical therapist gives the best hugs. Some people just have that grounding energy.

3. Trying to get custom orthotics made right apparently is the equivalent of running a space program without any funding.

4. The drought continues even though we've had a little rain. The rain has made the grass grow a bit, but the pastures are thin and the hayfields sparse.

5. I love the taste of an A&W Root Beer. I hadn't had one for several years but recently broke down and drank one. Ah, the joy of the first taste! It was like memory washed up in a soda.

6. When people show you who they really are, believe them, and make decisions from there. Wishes are for beggars, suckers, and dreamers. And while I'm a dreamer, most days my feet are firmly on the ground.

7. Speaking of dreams, a Florida person won $800 million in the Mega Millions drawing Tuesday night. Can you imagine suddenly having that kind of money?

8. My husband planted yellow zucchini in the garden this year. I don't quite know what to do with it. It is like a yellow summer squash but not, and it's not zucchini, either. So far it's found its way into a squash casserole and been sauteed in butter, but I would rather have the regular ol' green zucchini.

9. Someone used my email to sign up for various things such as Warner Brothers Games and Sportsman Warehouse. They aren't accessing my account, just using my email. I guess they didn't want the spam. Interestingly, this means I can access their account by changing the password and sometimes that even means I could order something because they've left their charge card in there. But I am honest and don't do that.

10. My pharmacist calls to tell me my prescription is ready. They have a new automated message now that says, "Please move this to the top of your to-do list." I resent being told what "To do" by some company, and I will be out to pick up my medicine when it is convenient for me. They called 8 times before I picked it up.

11. The last pair of pants I bought has one leg shorter than the other. I didn't realize this until I brought them home and washed them in vinegar and then in baking soda to try to get the perfume stench off of them. They will have to be wear-around-the-house pants.

12. When I play Wordle, a majority of times when I see what the "Wordlebot" thinks of my play, it tells me, "No one in our system of 1,587,000 players had this scenario." I am apparently an outlier in the Wordle world.

13. I bought a cheaply made copy of a Rubrik's Cube, I immediately remembered how to get one side completed, but I've forgotten how to go from there. It has instructions but I've not read them. I want to see if I can remember. If I can remember, maybe I'll get a real Rubrik's Cube, because this thing is really poorly made.

_________________

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 970th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

A Rainbow

 

Gratitude: Day 27

Prompt: Kindness

I am grateful for the kindness

my people show to me.

The type of love that softly sighs

like a quiet harmony.

Someone who brings an apple pie,

someone who calls to say

I'm thinking of you at this time

You're on my mind today.

The folks who remember I exist

that I'm not theirs to use

The ones who ask me how I am 

and listen to my truth.

_____

Last month, The Gal did a 30-day gratitude challenge. I've swiped it to do for July. Only I'm going to try to do it in rhyme, just because.

Gratitude: Days 25 & 26

Prompts: Movement & Stillness

I move with purpose in my pace,

A quiet stride, a grounded grace;

I follow truth where it resides,

And walk with clarity as guide.

Yet stillness settles in my mind,

The calm where sharper thoughts unwind;

A pause that lets the dust descend,

So what is real can stand again.

I shift, I stop, I weigh, I choose;

Not rushed by noise I didn’t use;

My motion starts where calm begins,

A balance held beneath my skin.

For both are how I stay aligned.

The steps I take, the peace I find;

Two halves that keep my truth supplied:

My stillness is my center, movement is my stride.

_____

Last month, The Gal did a 30-day gratitude challenge. I've swiped it to do for July. Only I'm going to try to do it in rhyme, just because.

Sunday Stealing

 

The $80,000 Meme

Premise: A philanthropist awards you $80,000 with the stipulation that you must spend half on yourself and half for the benefit of others. 

1. Of the $40,000 you must spend on yourself: 

a. First you throw yourself a lavish birthday party. Tell us about it.

A. My lavish birthday party would include a complete takeover of The Hotel Roanoke, and I'd invite all the Saturday 9ers and Sunday Stealers to come, because you know, why not, and I'd pay their expenses to get to me. I'd also invite all of my friends. We'd have a flowing chocolate bar and lots of cake. 

b. Then you take off on a cruise. Where are you headed?

A. My cruise would be to Alaska.

2. Of the $40,000 you must spend for the benefit of others: 

a. Who would be on your gift list? What would buy them?

A. I would give a little something to all of the Saturday 9 and Sunday Stealing players, I'd get my husband something nice, I'd buy something pretty for my friends. Maybe some local art.

b. Which charities would you support?

A. My alma mater, the local fire department, and the local food pantry. I've about given up on national charities, I swear they spend more money than I donate trying to get me to give them more money.

Thank you for playing! Please come back next week.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Special Day

Saturday 9: This Is a Very Special Day (1953)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Peggy sings that she feels good enough to climb a hill. Will you be doing anything athletic today?

A. I am not very athletic. I suspect stripping the bed and changing the linens might be the extent of my athletic prowess on this Saturday.

2) However, she was also tempted to climb back in bed. Is a nap in your plans for today?

A. I very seldom nap. My husband says I should nap, it would make me feel better. 

3) She tells us that she looked in the mirror and told herself it was time to "lose the blues." Do you ever speak out loud to yourself?

A. I talk to myself all the time and always have. Only now I might utter something like "seriously" under my breath and have my cell phone perk up and go "Hmm?"

4) Peggy wrote this song for the 1953 remake of The Jazz Singer. She performs it in the movie, too. In the 1950s, female singer-songwriters were unusual, but not so today. Can you think of another woman who not only sings but writes her own material?

A. Melissa Etheridge, Sheryl Crow, Carole King.

5) Her co-star in the film was Danny Thomas. Today he is best remembered as a philanthropist and founder of St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, but he was quite a star in his day. He appeared in nightclubs and movie musicals and, from 1954 to 1963, had his own sitcom. Do you know the show?

A. I think it was called The Danny Thomas Show, wasn't it? But I don't recall watching it. And I'm not sure if that's right.

6) When Peggy Lee was trying to break into show business, she supported herself as a short order cook. She was required to turn orders around quickly. Are you fast and efficient in the kitchen?

A. I dislike cooking, but I can get a meal on the table in a hurry if I have to.

7) Just when her career started to take off, Peggy had to take a break when she had her tonsils removed. Do you still have your tonsils?

A. I had my tonsils removed in 1994, when I was 31 years old, and it was incredibly painful and a difficult recovery.

8) In 1953, when this record was released, Matchbox Cars were introduced and they remain popular today. Did you ever play with Matchbox Cars?

A. Yes, I played with Matchbox Cars, along with Hot Wheels.

9) Random question: You're walking past a filthy puddle. Floating on top you see a dead bug, a cigarette butt, and a $1 bill. Would you bend over and rescue the dollar?

A. If I can flip it out of the puddle with my foot and I have a tissue in my purse with which to pick it up, maybe.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however. 

Gratitude: Day 24

Prompt: Intentions

I seek the truth in every thread,

To name the thoughts that go unsaid;

I gather meaning, piece and part,

And turn the scattered into art.

I hold the world in clearer view,

Make chaos small and insight new;

My purpose lives in what I find.

A quiet order, cleanly lined.

_____

Last month, The Gal did a 30-day gratitude challenge. I've swiped it to do for July. Only I'm going to try to do it in rhyme, just because.

Gratitude: Day 23

Prompt: Peace

Peace is the moment where I don’t have to brace,

No chaos arriving to crowd out my space;

No printer rebellion, no tech going rogue,

No nonsense that forces my patience to go.

It’s clarity landing in clean, steady lines.

No riddles to parse, no hidden designs;

Just itemized truth in a world that behaves,

where competence smooths out the everyday waves.

It’s safety from hazards that lurk in the grass.

No snakes in the shadows, no ticks as I pass;

No poison‑oak worries, no wildfire sky,

No high wind that howls as it barrels on by.

It’s freedom from people who drain or demand,

No emotional storms I must bravely withstand;

No heart‑shaped weight pressing hard on my chest.

Just distance that finally feels like a rest.

It’s room for my writing to spark and to play,

For dragons and heroes to wander my day;

For blogging, for poems, for my journalist mind

to shape the small truths that others don’t find.

It’s my home as a buffer, a boundary, a keep,

where the outer world’s noise stays politely asleep;

No dogs in the aisles, no knocks at the door,

Just quiet that settles and asks nothing more.

Peace is skill, clarity, safe release;

Autonomy wrapped in a soft kind of ease;

It’s the life where my shoulders can finally drop down,

Where the ordinary shines and the chaos leaves town.

It’s the rare, gentle moment where I fully exhale,

a world without friction, a day without scale;

a space built of calm where my energy’s free

That’s peace in the shape that is perfect for me.

_____

Last month, The Gal did a 30-day gratitude challenge. I've swiped it to do for July. Only I'm going to try to do it in rhyme, just because.

Thursday Thirteen

Thursday 13: Songs I Loved (But Now Maybe Not So Much)

1. Muskrat Love, by Captain & Tennille. I once thought it was charming. Now I wonder what was in the water. Rats in love? Who sings about that? Besides Captain & Tennille, I mean.

2. You Light Up My Life, by Debby Boone. This was mandatory listening in the 70s. Like jury duty, but with strings. And it was also the first song I ever sang in public while accompanying myself on guitar. I was a freshman in high school.

3. Afternoon Delight, by Starland Vocal Band. In the 1970s, I sang along cheerfully. Then I learned what it meant. Then I discovered Sunday afternoons. ::: wink wink :::

4. Escape (The Piña Colada Song), by Rupert Holmes. A catchy tune about two people cheating on each other … with each other. It was kind of fun, but I do wonder if that couple would have made it.

5. Seasons in the Sun, by Terry Jacks. All the young girls cried over this song when I was in . . . I think elementary school?  We thought it was profound. When I listen to it now, it's terribly depressing.

6. Honey, by Bobby Goldsboro. I remember my father singing this song. I once found it touching. Now I find it emotionally manipulative.

7. Feelings, by Morris Albert. Feelings… nothing more than . . .  melodrama. My husband hates this song.

8. Sometimes When We Touch, by Dan Hill. The honesty was too much. And also somehow not enough. I loved the line about being "just another writer, still trapped within my truth," though.

9. You’re Having My Baby, by Paul Anka. I didn’t realize how cringe this was until I heard Howard Wolowitz sing it on The Big Bang Theory, aimed at Bernadette's tummy. Then it was like, oh yuck. I will never be able to hear this song again without seeing Howard's face.

10. The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia, by Vicki Lawrence. I loved the drama. I loved the story. Now I hear it as a soap opera, but I confess I still like the song. I just don't love it like I once did.

11. Delta Dawn, by Helen Reddy. Still catchy, but the storyline feels different when you’re old enough to read between the lines. I mean, 40 years old and her daddy still called her Baby? What's up with that? However, this song hasn't anything on Reddy's Angie Baby for total weirdness. That's some freaky stuff right there.

12. Billy, Don’t Be a Hero, by Bo Donaldson & The Heywoods. I thought it was sad. I still think it's a sad song, but I also think it should be an anti-war song. Nobody should come home in a coffin.

13. Brand New Key, by Melanie. Cute, yes. But also . . . what exactly was happening here? I remember singing this song with my mother, who apparently did not make a connection between roller skates and keys and, well, sex. Because surely that's what they're talking about right? Right?

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Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 969th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Gratitude: Day 22

Prompt: Purpose

I gather scattered bits of days,

Then shape them into steady phrase.

I'm a keeper of the small and true,

who turns the world to something new.

I sift, interpret, make things clear,

give fleeting moments form and gear.

My purpose lives in what I write

as I try to make the ordinary bright.

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Last month, The Gal did a 30-day gratitude challenge. I've swiped it to do for July. Only I'm going to try to do it in rhyme, just because.