I made a list…

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Daily writing prompt
Where can you reduce clutter in your life?
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If one wants to answer this prompt adequately, we must first come to a clear understanding of what we consider clutter.

Essentially, the word clutter refers to a bunch of things laying about in a mess. That means that it’s going to look different, depending on whose looking, and in my opinion, isn’t limited to one or two categories.

Since the word clutter is classed as a noun, it has the potential to represent anything from a person, a place, OR a thing! Bearing this in mind, I considered what my tidying up checklist might look like…

Clutter Clean-up Checklist!

  • Too many people cluttering my doorway… nope… Check!
  • An overfilled laundry room, with no available working machines… nope… Check!
  • A library of unread books… nope… check!
  • A closet full of unused dirty clothes… nope… check!
  • Cupboards full of old, unused household items, outdated cleaning supplies, and moldy hamburger buns from behind the cabinet… nope… check!
  • Expired food in the back of the refrigerator… nope… check!
  • Shelves filled with trinkets, toys, bits and bobs from over the years… nope… check!

    The only clutter I’m really dealing with is that of the mind. Stacks of broken dreams, and painful memories, lay strewn along the roadside of the mind. That’s where the real clutter is for most, and it’s far more destructive that a pile of dirty old boots, or an overflowing Tupperware drawer in ones kitchen.

     Whether one is referring to physical clutter, or that of the mind, I think that the bible speaks of both…

    “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

    Oddly enough, sometimes Google’s AI does a fairly decent job of explaining a thing, and today was one of those times…

    “Store up treasures in heaven” means to focus on eternal, spiritual values rather than temporary earthly wealth, investing your life, resources, and heart in acts of generosity, faith, and love that have lasting significance, as taught by Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21. It involves shifting your priorities from material accumulation to spiritual riches, knowing that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”.  

    I’ll leave you with that. Well, that and cookies…

    Wednesday Words…

    Wiwohka2 Comments

    Eustace came home on a major health kick, so buckle up buttercups, as we’re all about to enter the Vegetable Zone…

    Why the silly camel had to give us a play-by-play visual display of his shopping trip, I’m not sure. But hey, maybe there’s method to his madness.

    Let’s see where things go when he tries to fit into the kitchen, while doing all this healthy cooking stuff…

    (2024)My Fingers…

    Wiwohka5 Comments

    I’m a writer, and as a writer I tend to write… with my fingers. My fingers are attached to my hands, which are attached to my arms, which are connected to my body at the shoulders. And, my body holds my noggin, which tries with all it’s might to oversee what the fingers do… that is, write!

    Bloganuary writing prompt
    In what ways do you communicate online?
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    My writings are how I communicate with others, within in an online setting. My phone rings from only 4 sources… hubby… my chica… my longtime friend Christine… and the Doctor’s office! For the entire rest of the world out there, my fingers are the only form of communication, giving more light to the cause of why I right so darn much, these days.

    In fact, the tougher life gets on me, the more I write! Did you know that while freezing my toenails off, I wrote another children’s book?! Go figure!

    Online communications has actually been a Godsend for this ole girl… I used to have to write all this stuff down with a pen and paper, and quite frankly, my hands were really suffering for it. The keyboard has actually allowed me to write at a rate that seems unprecedented, compared to what I was capable of writing before modern technology intervened!

    The only downside comes from mankind’s inability to create an autocorrect that functions properly… as many have seen from some of the text massages we’ve all been subjected two. See how I did that… hehe!

    One of my favorite things about all this online communication stuff… virtual cookies! 

    Here is a cookie with zero calories… all the fun without any guilt or unhealthy side effects… perfection! I do love technology when it works in my fingers… I mean favor!

    Tuesday Tinkering…

    Wiwohka6 Comments

    Norbert is in a timeout!

    I’m already having to do his job, so it’s best he be in timeout, rather than scrapping the whole project out of frustration. At this point in the game, the ai simply cannot comprehend how to create an image with more than one subject character.

    Without paying to upgrade both characters, or paying to rebuild two entirely different characters with the new upgraded features, I’m still left with an editing board to copy, cut, paste, and/or delete any given image.

    If nothing else, I’m stubborn, so there’s that!

    I refuse to allow Tilly, nor any of my other characters, to be swapped out for differing other ai generated pictures… I’ll not stand for it!

    Let me show you what the (now in timeout) ai sought to produce for my requests, and that way you cans see why I refuse to compromise with Norbert.

    This is what Henry should look like,

    … see what I mean? Now, this is our Henry!

    And, this is our Tilly,

    In my opinion, she is unmistakable, with her soft doe-like eyes, those adorable ears, and the gentleness that always shows on her face, as well as the way she carries herself. Tilly is just Tilly, ya know? I can’t think of any other way to explain it.

    Now, watch what happened when I prompted Norbert to put them in the same image:

    As adorable as this young couple may be, while exchanging their vows… they aren’t anything like Henry or Tilly. The ai recognizes the two characters as themselves in any given individual query I ask of it. But the moment that I ask it to combine the two, Norbert goes on some random field trip to two entirely different characters, of which I do not recognize in any fashion!

    The new upgraded video creation, is still far off from being any good, unless I simply allow the ai to take over… and that AIN’T gonna happen!

    Until further notice, all my tinkering will be strictly my tweaks and adjustments… NOT Norbert’s!

    It may take me more effort, along with extra time at the editing board, but I’ll do whatever I must to honor each individual character’s true self, that is their visual integrity…

    It’s still far from perfect, but it’s workable. We’ll get there…

    (2024)I’m Still On The Road…

    Wiwohka1 Comment
    Bloganuary writing prompt
    Think back on your most memorable road trip.
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    I can hardly believe that it’s been two years since I wrote this! Though we’re no longer in that beat up old R.V., this road trip is far from over. With that in mind, it seemed appropriate to re-use this old prompt response… hugs.

    I don’t have to think back too far, as we are still living in an RV, living like nomads wherever we go, and for however long we stay. We don’t really have any home left, here on actual earth, so we rumble along on this road trip, taking safe harbor wherever it can be found. 

    If you think about it, everyone is on a road trip of sorts, and I would imagine that we all feel like it’s quite memorable. I appreciate the prompts use of the word most, while referring to the road trip, as they could have used best, worst, happiest or saddest… but they chose most memorable. Life IS most memorable, wouldn’t you say?! 

    Don’t we always say things like, it’s a wild ride, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride, it’s a crazy ride, or Baby, what a ride? So I don’t need to think hard on why my thoughts drifted this way, once I began reading the prompt question.

    Life is most definitely a journey, or road trip if you will!

    It would take us all a very long time, to write down all of what we’ve seen, felt and experienced, along each of our personal highways… oh wait… that’s what I’ve already been doing, right here on WordPress… you’re welcome!

    Here, have a cookie…

    Copy that, or do I pass…

    Wiwohka8 Comments

    A word caught my eye this morning, as I was reading. When I first saw the word duplicity, my word rolodex spun up, and then shuddered to a stop.

    Whenever I read a word that makes me pause, I find it’s a good idea to look it up, just in case I’ve misunderstood a thing. It happens to everyone, I’m sure, what with the English language having so many words, meanings, innuendos, and side rules for certain words and letters. Why they had to make things so darn hard, I’ll never understand.

    But, I didn’t make the rules, so there’s no point in griping about them, right?!

    Well, when I thought on what was bothering me about the word, it’s meaning fit in the context of the sentence I was reading, but I kept wanting to read it as duplicate, even though that word isn’t necessarily a negative one.

    So, yes, I googled it!

    First things first, I looked up the actual definition for duplicity…

    Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more

    du·plic·i·ty /do͞oˈplisədē/ noun: duplicity

    1. 1. deceitfulness; double-dealing.”he was accused of duplicity and branded a traitor”. Opposite: honesty

    archaic doubleness.

    So, in the light of what I was reading, duplicity certainly fit, but why did my mind go to duplicate? Look just above this sentence, at the bottom of the definition. I guess my mind was triggered by the old form, which apparently was called doubleness. What does doubleness mean? Well, I checked…

    doubleness /ˈdəb(ə)lnəs/ noun: doubleness

    1. the quality or state of having two parts; duality.”the focus is on puns that reveal the doubleness of the poet’s meaning”

    I get what doubleness means, and in a negative light such as duplicity reflects, I agree with the words usage.

    Why then, did I get stuck on that silly word, duplicate, when I knew it was not the right word? Most likely, it was simply the similar spelling of both words. I deduced that part in the first five minutes, but went down a tiny rabbit hole, provided by none other than Google.

    If I’m to share the definitions for duplicity, as well as, doubleness, we have to look at duplicate… just to be fair.

    du·pli·cate adjective: duplicate /ˈdo͞opləkət/

    1. 1. exactly like something else, especially through having been copied.”a duplicate license is issued to replace a valid license which has been lost” Opposite: different

    noun: duplicate; plural noun: duplicates /ˈdo͞opləkət/

    1. 1. one of two or more identical things.”books may be disposed of if they are duplicates”
      • a copy of an original. “locksmiths can make duplicates of most keys” Opposite: original

    verb: duplicate; 3rd person present: duplicates; past tense: duplicated; past participle: duplicated; gerund or present participle: duplicating

    Did you know that duplicate is considered an adjective, a noun, AND a verb, depending on it’s usage? Call me crazy, but I didn’t realize this, til I looked it up this morning. I also discovered that I’m not the only one who has come upon this little conundrum. It’s true! There’s already an explanation out there for the difference between duplicity and duplicate… go figure!

    Check this out, and then I’ll leave you alone.

    The word duplicate is derived from the Latin word duplicare, which means to double. Duplicity means deceitfulness, treacherousness, underhandedness, fraud or dishonesty. Duplicity is a noun, a related word is duplicitous.

    This made more sense than all three of the other definitions. I wish I had have read this at the beginning of my research… sheesh!

    Fair food, of course…

    Wiwohka4 Comments
    Daily writing prompt
    What snack would you eat right now?
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    If I could eat anything I wanted, without any penalties, it would definitely be something from the fair!

    While I could regale you with all of my favorite snacks, I think that Templeton should take over from here…

    I couldn’t have said it better, myself!

    Now that I’ve probably gone and made you hungry, I thought it prudent to offer up some worthy fair food substitutes. And what would be worthy, you ask?

    Well, I knew that you knew that I would know to offer you cookies…

    Funny, isn’t it?

    Saturday Sweet Talk…

    Wiwohka3 Comments

    Though I’m somewhat at a disadvantage when it comes to baking, what with only using ingredients that won’t hurt my stomach, I refuse to let it stop me from doing what I love.

    Fortunately for me (and Squagon), one of the few things my stomach agrees with, are nuts. Did you know that nuts are classified as a fruit? Who knew? Not all, but most nuts have been a life saver to me, as they’re a great source of protein, as well as, healthy fats. My two favorites are almonds and peanuts, though I’ll not be able to pass up a handful of cashews, here and there.

    Back in my early baking days, I created a recipe for Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies that were to die for, so to speak. I’ve never given the recipe out, only because it made the cookies more valuable, lol.

    Unfortunately, I currently have a severe aversion to anything chocolate. I miss baking cookies, and my husband’s been starved of his favorite treats, so where does it leave me?

    This is where our Squagon comes in handy, as this little guy knows peanuts like no other! Between the two of us, we’ll soon come up with an all new secret cookie recipe… it’ll just be healthy, that’s all.

    So far, I’ve found that Reese’s Pieces work for a good replacement for the chocolate morsels. I don’t want to attempt any chocolate alternatives, at least until I’ve mastered the rest of the ingredients. The cookies need to have the right consistency, first.

    I will be attempting a re-write of my original cookie recipe, only replacing or removing what might offend my stomach. I’ve been able to bake with eggs, though only as a small ingredient, but that should be alright. I already know that the flour is the 1:1 gluten free flour from Red Mills. They say that you can simply swap it with the normal flour, without any problems. I tested this by baking those muffins, remember? It worked then, so I’m willing to trust it in this case.

    What could be the problem, you ask? The liquids are the problem. Specifically, the milk and butter. The butter can be experimented with, what with finding one that browns the cookies to my liking. The milk, however, has had both successes and failures. I’m fairly certain that it has something to do with being too watery, or too creamy. My suspicions tell me that it has more to do with adjusting my dry ingredients, rather than changing up the Oat Milk, which is one that my stomach can tolerate.

    If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them, as it’s always good to troubleshoot a thing, when you have help. My goal is to have ingredients in hand next Saturday, along with a group effort sort of recipe, and I’ll post my step-by-step experiment, as I bake.

    Who knows, we might get lucky, right?!

    Hugs

    (2024)Things of the Past…

    Wiwohka3 Comments

    As a girl of only eleven, I’d already discovered the item I was most fond of… my survival, or my physical life, if I’m to label it as an actual thing. No, it’s probably not what one might call an item, but sure felt like it. 

    Daily writing prompt
    Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it?
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    Sometimes, life has a way of getting reduced into nothing more than a thing… an item to be played with, bartered, or thrown out when it’s usefulness has been expended.

    For some souls, it can take an entire lifetime to figure this out. They don’t feel the harsh bite of reality pop up, for a good long while. Who knows, maybe everyone begins to take notice of being less valuable to society, once the body begins to slow, and they lose the ability to carry on at the pace they once held.

    Then there’s souls like mine. We discovered, early on, how little value we held, how we weren’t valuable enough protect, to care about… never worthy enough to be saved! This was my dark alleyway of existence, wandering through the night until I found a place to sleep… doing whatever I had to do to secure food, warmth, and sleep… never safety… just sleep! This life was not much but it was mine, and I valued it above everything else!

    I’m 55 now and nearing the age when most are preparing for retirement and their golden years… not this runaway!

    I strive to prepare and strengthen myself for something bigger, better and still yet to come.

     It has taken some considerably long years to get my life to this moment, and I couldn’t have done it without God. And, I didn’t care for the item I was so attached to, nor cherish it, as I did when I was a child. None the less, I’m grateful to say that it’s still in tact, for the most part.

    If you’ve any curiosity about what has become of the item I was so attached to as a youth, you need only read the letters I have written over the years, here on WordPress. 

    As this site is really all I have to show for explaining things, it will have to suffice as my best answer! 

    I don’t know about all you, but I need a cookie…

    Gimme a smile…

    Wiwohka9 Comments

    Smiles are magical, I think. And, they’re contagious, too…

    When someone smiles at you, don’t you just automatically want to smile back?

    A smile can soften a heart, lift a person’s spirit, and/or trigger some actual good will toward our fellow man.

    Take a baby’s smile, for instance. Don’t we get all mushy inside, and feel the sudden urge to speak babyeese… was dat a smile, awwww, you widdle fuzzy wuzzy bundle of bootiful awesomesauceness… hey, don’t judge me! I can’t help it!

    The world is filled with all differing types of magical smiles, babies obviously being the best and most effective in brightening ones day. But, one must appreciate the value and magic of all the other differing smiles out there, as well…

    Smiles are actually pretty important, as studies have shown how smiling affects ones health, and state of mind. It’s a real scientific thingie, I swear. I even googled it, to make sure that I did not mislead you in any way.

    I typed in “what is the science behind a smile”, and this was googles reply:

    The science behind smiling involves a positive feedback loop between facial muscles and brain chemistry, where contracting muscles (like the zygomatic major for mouth corners and orbicularis oculi for eye crinkles) trigger the release of mood-boosting neurotransmitters like dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin, reducing stress and enhancing happiness. This “fake it ’til you make it” effect means even a forced smile can make you feel better, while genuine smiles (Duchenne smiles) signal authentic joy and foster connection, improving well-being and perceived attractiveness.  

    How it works: The Muscle-Brain Connection

    • Sensory Input: Emotional data from experiences (seeing a friend, hearing good news) travels to the brain. 

    Muscle Activation: Specific facial muscles contract: the zygomatic major pulls lips up, and the orbicularis oculi creates crow’s feet around the eyes. 

    Brain Response: These muscle contractions send signals back to the brain, activating the reward system. 

    Neurotransmitter Release: The brain releases feel-good chemicals:

    • Dopamine: Boosts pleasure and motivation. 

    Endorphins: Act as natural pain relievers and mood elevators. Serotonin: Functions as a natural antidepressant, lifting mood. 

    Types of Smiles

    • Social Smile: Involves only the mouth muscles (zygomatic major) and is used for politeness or social cues.
    • Genuine Smile (Duchenne Smile): Involves both mouth muscles and the orbicularis oculi, creating eye crinkles, signaling authentic happiness. 

    Benefits of Smiling

    Increases Attractiveness & Trust: Smiling people are often seen as more reliable, sincere, and attractive, enhancing social interactions. 

    I challenge you to count your smiles this weekend. It’s merely an exercise, meant to show how many times you do smile, as well as, how many opportunities you’re given to intentionally smile at someone… remember, this is only an experiment. You don’t even have to tell anyone you’re doing it. Call it an exercise for health and wellness.

    Whatever you do this weekend, remember how loved you are… that should help with the smile thing.