What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend?

Most weekends are usually crammed with stuff. We are busy all the time but lately, just having some down time is more important than anything when we can both (hubby and I) concentrate on school and not have to worry about working as hard through the week. 

Who do you admire most in the world?

This is a hard question right now because there aren’t really any celebrities or people out in the world that impress me or that I “admire” (I’m very cynical at the moment). I have several people I think are pretty special and I envy their moxie and drive. One in particular is my bloggy friend Michelle who totally rocks! I need half of her energy! 

 What do you regret not doing?

I regret A LOT of things!! I absolutely WOULD go back in time and change several things, make different decisions, finish school the first time around… the list is LONG!! BUT I would probably still make mistakes, they would just be different ones. LOL! 

If you see a puddle on the ground, do you walk around it or over/in it?

Ew… I walk around it because I don’t like to get dirty. I am a Leo after all… cat’s like to stay clean 😉

Are you thin or thick skinned?   Are you easily offended or tend to let it just roll off your back like a duck does with water?

I would say I am thick skinned to some degree. It depends on WHO is saying what to me as to whether or not I allow it to get under my skin. Sometimes I need to don the duck suit though, otherwise my feelings will get hurt. But I have been blindsided a few times by someone I love and those hurt the worse and take me the longest to get over. I will usually throw up a pretty stout wall after that and not let that person back in. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice? Not anymore… my second chances are in low supply these days. I am tired of being the one who always gives with no reciprocation. Life is too short so I will give my time to those who appreciate it. (there are very few exceptions to this) 

When Do you feel you are not enough?

I was just telling a friend of mine yesterday that I have learned that N O word and I use it… not as often as I should, but I am getting there. I have often said, I have a lot on my plate. But it is MY plate and I get to decide what is on it and how much of it I can consume and what I need to throw away but I try not to waste space. I still do though and it is usually retrospect when I see it. Using the plate analogy, we also need to recognize that just because there is space on our plate does not mean we need to fill it up just to make our plate look good to other people. It is YOUR plate… not theirs. Let them take a look at what is on theirs before they start telling you what you should do with yours.

How important are morals in a healthy society? What are the most important morals for citizens to have? 

I’d say morals are critical to a healthy society. It is unfortunate that morals are having a tendency to be lower and lower in general.

Morals, like integrity, generosity, compassion, perseverance, and belief in the power of compromise can keep the peace when things are falling apart. (I agreed with this statement from Laura so I kept it) 😏

What will your epitaph be?

French toast, pancakes or waffles?

Hmm… love all three if made correctly. But if I have to choose, it would be my hubby’s wonderful French Toast.

What were you grateful for this past week?

I have a lot to be grateful for but especially over the weekend when my sweet hubby gave me the support I needed when I was having not one, but three different meltdowns over a stupid online class that I ended up dropping. Neither of us was going to survive that class!! LOL!! 💜

“Lord child would you sit still!” Those the words ring in my head from several people, but one who made an impact on me was my first grade teacher Mrs. Bolin.

Back in the day, there was no such thing as ADD/ADHD. I can only imagine what my life in school would have been like had there been such a diagnosis back in the 60s or 70s or even the early 80s. I struggled through school and learned, on my own, to put some tools in place that really helped me over the years…..still do, like making lists. But I didn’t do as well as I could have if I had known what was “wrong” with me instead of being told all my life I couldn’t sit still! Or worse, that I was lazy and hyper.

But getting back to Mrs. Bolin, apparently I frustrated that poor woman to the end of her last nerve. I was always done with my work first and instead of sitting in my seat quietly or finding something to amuse myself until everyone else was done, I got up and walked around the room and talked to my friends. This was first grade after all, not college. I was not a bad kid. I did mind (mostly) and I would go sit back down when she told me to. I never talked back and I was not mean or disruptive, I was just “busy” ALL THE TIME! So, (almost) every day…not even exaggerating… she sent me to the principal’s office. Not because I was in trouble but because it was the only thing she could think to do with me. Sitting me out in the hall was not going to work either. I just got up and walked up and down the hall.

Mrs Powell (the principal who was as old as Methuselah and chain smoked) would shake her head and tell me to go sit in “my chair”. Yep! I had my own personal chair. And I would sit there. Sometimes she would give me a book to look at or we would talk. But mostly I just sat there and swung my legs until Mrs Bolin would come fetch me and take me back to class; apologizing the entire time for sending me to see the principal. She would tell me she loved me but just didn’t know what else to do with me. It was the only way she could get anything done in class. I also loved Mrs Bolin. My second grade teacher was not near as patient, but I was also more scared of her and did as I was told (mostly) 😉

I have had a problem being “still” my entire life. I can’t even sit on the couch for any length of time without changing positions 17 times. I can’t watch TV without doing something with my hands. I am crocheting, playing solitaire on my phone or fidgeting with my nails. I always take something to do while I have to wait somewhere. There is no telling how many games of Solitaire, Tetris or Bejewled I have played on my cell. But I can sit for hours and put a jigsaw puzzle together or play one on my computer… go figure. Something mindless I think. It keeps my brain from whirling about.

My friends who know me very well will tell you I am always busy. The busier I am, the more I get done. If I have too much time on my hands, I get bored and depressed and I get nothing accomplished. I know… I am an enigma. But they say if you want to get something done, give it to a busy person. That’s me!

But we should always take time to be “still”. It is when God can talk to us. I do make much more effort these days and I have quiet time and really try to listen. There is so much noise in my head though.

Is there noise in your head? Maybe you should take time to be “still” also….

Love my friend Michelle for prompting me to write about this one! ❤

How did 2018 go by so quickly? I’m joining Dawn Landau’s positive affirmation challenge via Rochelle Wisofff. You can find the directions here on Dawn’s post. Do set your timer. I did and was surprised that in 15 minutes I exceeded 50 things I was thankful for and when the timer went off I really wasn’t finished. I could have written so many more. The number order has nothing to do with importance. This is totally stream of consciousness. 

I dare you to join the fun. I double dare you!!! 

CLICK HERE TO LINK 

Thank you, Dawn for doing this again. 😀 

1. God
2. My kids
3. My husband
4. My family (especially nieces and nephews)
5. Clean air
6. Clean water
7. Warm bed
8. Good food to eat and fruit!
9. School/all education
10. Ability to pay bills
11. My love of reading
12. Both parents still alive
13. My health
14. My husband’s health
15. My computer
16. Ability to read and write
17. My blog
18. My blog friends
19. ALL my friends
20. My toaster (inside joke)
21. My waffle maker
22. Warm sox
23. My awesome dogs Pookie and Grace
24. My heart for animals
25. My neighborhood
26. My Church
27. My pastor
28. My church family and small group
29. Brita water pitcher 
30. COFFEE
31. Stove and all appliances
32. Ability to cook
33. A husband who cooks, cleans and picks up his dirty clothes! 
34. My car
35. Phones/ability to communicate
36. Technology in general
37. Internet! Wow what did we do before Google?
38. Freedom in the US
39. Places I have traveled
40. Stationary 
41. Clean house
42. Safe town
43. Morning newspaper
44. Good restaurants
45. Movies
46. Good TV-especially “This is Us”
47. My beautiful china
48. Warm weather in Dec
49. Ability to drive
50. Grocery stores
51. My glasses
52. Art museums and art on my wall
53. My quilts
54. Ability to analyze and think critically
55. Teachers I have had
56. WINE!!!! Oh and uhm.. Chocolate!! Because it goes with WINE!! ❤
57. Theater
58. Bookclubs
59. MUSIC! All music! Opera, jazz, rock-n-roll, symphony
60. Dancing! ALL Dancing!!
61. Having a published poem in a real book
62. Living near (NOT IN) a large city
63. Green grass in December
64. Flowers on trees in December
65. The Great state of Texas!!
66. Vacations with family
67. Calendars
68. Calculators
69. Hairdressers and color!!
70. Nail salon
71. Popcorn
72. Sunsets, sunrise and the moon! 
73. Birds!
74. Shoes and clothes to wear
75. Jigsaw and word find puzzles ………………………

It’s only a poem, but still. I am in a book that has been published with my real name (Kim Templin) and my bio. It is in a collection of poems from Z Publishing House. The name of the book is “America’s Emerging Poets 2018: Southeast Region” and you can purchase it here on Amazon.

I am as surprised as anyone. Along with my blog posts, I write these fun 100 word Flash Fiction stories based on photographs provided by a blog friend Rochelle Wisoff-Fields . She has a weekly prompt called Friday Fictioneers. I have written many and they are usually stories but a few have been poems. The prompt I used was this photo

Copyright – Dawn M. Miller

and it is called The Absolute Auction. You can visit that blog post here.

I have written several poems over the years and when I found out about this publication, I submitted 3 of them. Never in a million years did I expect to be chosen. But chosen I was…

If you decide to buy the book please look me up on page 145. I do not get any proceeds from this book but I do get bragging rights I suppose. Although it has taken some courage and a bit of nail biting to put this in my blog and share with you guys. There are many wonderful poems in there from people all over the Southeast region of the US and it is fun to read.

That is all… ❤

PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

“You need to find a shelter tonight” John’s friend.

“Why? It feels fine to me.” said John.

“I just know and you are going to have to trust me.”

“But I hate those places! They smell!”

“You can get a hot meal and a warm bed tonight if we go now.”

“Why don’t YOU need a hot meal and a blanket?” John asked with a smile.

“You know why” his friend said softly.

“No one ever believes me” John sighed.

“That’s ok. You know I’m here.”

“Thank you.”

As his wings closed around John, he said “You’re welcome my friend.”

This is my entry for Friday Fictioneers November 16, 2018 hosted by our lovely Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. It is a wonderful challenge. Please follow the link to give it a try!! 🙂