As quietly as possible…

Daily writing prompt
Write about your approach to budgeting.

Not only is a good budget impossible to approach in our current society, but whatever that thing is in the image… you don’t want to get close to that thing either.

The art program I’m using was just as frustrating and disappointing as a budget I didn’t agree to, what with offering me a rabid African deer instead of a roaring lion. Typical budget, these days!

I had to give up on budgeting about six years ago, when Covid landed on our country’s shores. When you lose everything you own, fall through every crack in the fabric of society, and wind up homeless at the bottom of the proverbial human pile… a budget no longer helps.

With my husband back in college gaining a new career path, my health has kept me homebound, and alone. Mornings are spent in scripture and prayer, then to my writing… that’s the only budget I’m approaching.

God willing, my book will fall into the hands of a competent publisher, and perhaps then I’ll have need of approaching a budget. One needs to have actual dollars in hand if they’re to do anything, really.

I used to say that you can’t leave home without spending money, but that’s changed since Amazon. Now you can spend money without even getting up out of your bed. Isn’t that a hoot!

That’s what I love about baking virtual cookies… they’re free! No budget needed here.

Want one?

Monday Messages…

It’s amazing what kind of stuff you can find in a dictionary, but what if it’s not amazing stuff… what if it’s inamazing? Apparently, that’s not a real word, and I even checked!

So, what’s with Famous and Infamous? Why didn’t they just say famous or average… famous or unknown… or even, famous or boring? I think these are valid questions.

Before I go judging those who created the English language rules, I’ll make an effort towards some good old google research… that’s what everybody else does.

According to Google,

Famous and infamous both describe someone or something that is widely recognized, but they differ significantly in reputation: famous means well-known for positive, admirable, or neutral reasons, while infamous means famous for bad, evil, or scandalous actions. While a celebrity is famous, a criminal is infamous. 

Sorry, but that’s sort of a silly reason to do that with the word famous. You’re either famous or creepy, so why muck up the language waters?

What stops us from switching up all words and giving them nefarious opposites by adding two letters?

I thought to find out how many words they’ve actually done this to… oh, and they call these words Antonyms, if you were at all wondering.

Google says,

Many English words form opposites (antonyms) by adding the prefix in- (or its variations im-, il-, ir-) to indicate “not” or “opposite of.” Common examples include accurate/inaccurate, complete/incomplete, visible/invisible, formal/informal, and sensitive/insensitive

Ok, in some instances, I guess it actually does make sense, and also saves a good amount of time in explaining a thing… but all of them? I’m still not sold!

In most of these words, adding the in seems more like holding a mirror up to a word, and seeing it’s perfect opposite. But I believe that some words are too broad of a word to simply flip-flop it’s meaning with two simple letters.

Here’s where things get really irritating for me, personally…

Valuable and Invaluable,

Valuable and invaluable are often confused, but they are not antonyms; rather, invaluable is an extreme form of valuable. Valuable means having high worth, importance, or monetary value. Invaluable means something is so extremely precious, useful, or essential that its worth cannot be calculated—it is truly priceless. 

Now, they’ve added a new in word, but with an entirely different definition to remember.

How on earth did any of us learn to read as children, honestly? Grown ups need to make up their minds, I think.

I love making check-lists…

Daily writing prompt
Are there any activities or hobbies you’ve outgrown or lost interest in over time?

Let’s see now… activities or hobbies I’ve either outgrown or lost interest in… hmmmmmm.

Without a check-list we won’t know for sure, will we?

So, what with me being such an accommodating individual, I’ve put forth the effort to ensure that my answer to the prompt is an honest one.

I’ve made a list that will just about cover it all, I think…

Baking – Check!

    Reading books – Check!

    Dreaming – Check!!!!!

    I don’t outgrow things, though I do overcome them…

    I do not lose interest in things that I love, though sometimes I have to let them go…

    What I am is a child at heart, and I probably always will be…

    Here, take a cookie or two…

    I got excited and made too many cookies this morning, so take as many as you like.

    Depends on what’s being lottered…

    Daily writing prompt
    What would you do if you won the lottery?

    While most may assume the lottery to mean cash money, there are a number of other possibilities…

    Such as peanuts! Why can’t there be a lottery for a lifetime supply of peanuts?

    Or flowers, perhaps…

    What about a lifetime supply of all the most beautiful spring blooms? Wouldn’t that be heavenly? Well, at least the fragrance would seem sent from above, in my humble opinion.

    Then there’s babies…

    Ok, so maybe that’s going a bit too far… but you can’t blame a girl for trying!

    Now, books as a lottery?

    SOLD!!!

    Since the likelihood of an All-You-Can-Read book lottery isn’t that high for me, at this moment, how about we settle on a Cookie Lottery…

    Yep! If it ain’t broke, then don’t try to fix it!

    Uh Oh! They want another list…

    Daily writing prompt
    What books do you want to read?

    Honestly, I can come up with a much bigger list of books that I’d like to read again. From what’s currently being published willy nilly, I can’t say that I’ve any list at all!

    Why do they ask these kinds of questions, anyway? Personally, I think it feels like they’re just trolling once more, in search of more information to sell to the highest bidder on the market.

    However, in keeping with my earlier commitment to make honest efforts in my answers to these repeat prompts, I will leave you with a short, and probably repetitive answer…

    Books I’ve read that are worth another go:

    1. Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary
    2. Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman
    3. Hinds Feet on High Places by Hannah Hannard
    4. All of C.S. Lewis’s work
    5. All of the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke
    6. The entire Redwall series by Brian Jacques
    7. The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien

    I’m sure if I thought about it long enough, I could make that list go on for a good while. But, since my tummy is growling for some oatmeal, I shall cut this off, here. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…

    Cookies can be considered a breakfast item, can’t they?