(2023)Tuesday Thoughts n Things…

Doesn’t Fall always give birth to nostalgia, or am I the only one who thinks this way? Every year, just as the weather begins cooling, I find myself digging through the archives, and pulling out some of my old articles to read. Though I realize this site has an archive page, but many readers don’t have hours of free time to go digging through all that stuff.

That’s why you’ll occasionally see them re-posted, because the more recent readers might not have read them, yet.

From now on, if you see (20__) on an article, those will all be called Tuesday Thoughts and Things, like this one. I will be pulling up some of my favorite goodies from the archives, going all the way back to when Journey With Me began, in 2016. Yes, you get to see all my typos, commas,,,,,,,,,,,, and poor sentence structure, but hey, I’m still learning. If nothing else, we can all see how my writing skills, and style, have changed over the years.

So let’s do this!

This came from October 24, 2023…

I was going to post a picture of my plant today, but found this while searching my photo files… I figure that the plant can wait a few days. Have you ever been in a place where you see something you yourself have done, written or said… but it seemed as if someone else did the writing or saying, though you know it was you?

I guess I write so much, I occasionally find myself surprised at things I myself wrote. It is not a disappointment, nor something to be proud of necessarily, but it makes me happy inside for some reason. Perhaps I am able to see my true reflection in the words written for others…

I think all too often in life, we do and say mostly what the world will accept of us, or what we perceive the world might accept from us.

I think I like the way I write better, when I don’t care what the world thinks, but more so what I think or even better yet, what God thinks… in my opinion.

Maybe reading old writings of my work, encourages me, because it reflects a spirit of healing, growth and faith, which had not been there for so much of my life. Our human propensity to overcome, rise above and walk on, always amazes me… that comes from God folks, not us, but the one whom we were designed after. We are all made in His image, and therefore by design, are fully capable of tapping into this part of our spirit.

It comes down to Freedom… freedom of choice! God has given us all we need to get this life done, we need only accept the tools given and get it done! Will it be easy? Is it ever? Life interruptus happens for everyone.

Choices, choices, choices… what we do with what we have is what makes us who we are… Period!

When I look back over the things I have written over time, I clearly have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of my choices, as well as the lasting scars of the choices made by my predecessors. I have also witnessed a resilience within myself, that has apparently always been there, but had been obscured by my attempts to just survive!

Perhaps I have simply arrived finally, at the cross roads of Too Damn Tired and Suck It Up Buttercup! Whatever it is, I like it! When someone came up with the phrase, “What don’t kill you makes you stronger”, I now have a full understanding of what they meant.

When I read that poem I wrote a ways back, it resonated with me, as if a stranger had written it for me to read, and not the other way around.

That folks, is growth! As I heal and grow in my walk with God, the words that begin flowing onto the page are actually quite beautiful, and I can say that without pride, as I think they fully come from God… maybe not for you, but rather, for me…

(Archive 2023)Tales from a Parking Lot…

Photo by Yura Forrat on Pexels.com

Daily writing prompt
When was the first time you really felt like a grown up (if ever)?

The woman behind the counter smiled gently at me, as she cleaned her ear piercing tools. My heart was in my throat, it seemed. Getting my ears pierced was the most grown up thing I had ever done by my own choice.

My Nana had bought me a pair of earrings in the shape of bright red apples, but this time the jewelry wasn’t clip on… they were the real thing in the eyes of a 6 year old. My mother told me that I could get my ears done if I chose on my own… no hand holding or cajoling would be forthcoming.

I lay in bed awake the entire night before we embarked on this grown up lady stuff I wanted to take part in. I was terrified, of what I am not sure… but if they could poke me with a vaccination needle whenever they felt like it, and trade me a stupid sucker for my time, then I must be grown up enough to take the needle for a pair of gloriously beautiful red apple earrings. My mind was made up on the matter, so I just lay there and waited for the sun to come up.

I was so terrified of backing down and not being able to wear my new gift… it was in truth, the only thing that kept me on that swinging stool, there in that Bon Marche Department Store. I tucked my feet behind the bar beneath the seat, grabbed the sides of the stool with both hands in a military vice grip and tried to find my happy place.

I apparently had nothing to worry about, because it was over before it had begun! That fast… bang bang… All Done! They were kind enough to do both ears at the same moment, probably in case I backed out half way through the deal. I was so happy and proud of myself that I burst into tears, making the grown ups think I was in pain or shock. Not so!

I WAS A LADY!

So now I will explain the hilarious fall out from my Grown Up Anxiety Filled Sleepless Night… the reality of how most adults handle stress.

As exhausted as I was from no sleep and worry, over my piercing adventure, I never had a moment to catch some zzzzzz’s until that night after we got home. I was so tired that I could barely touch my dinner, and vaguely remember my mom walking me down the hallway to my bedroom……..

…. The rain fell steadily in the darkness, only illuminated by the distant street lamps, flickering occasionally. I was sitting in the passenger seat of our station wagon, while my parents were in a Parent/Teacher Conference up the street. As I waited for them to return, I saw movement not too far down the block, barely visible through the sheets of rain falling across the hood of the car.

I heard her before I saw her… this scary Witch that looked suspiciously like the lady off of the Wizard of Oz, if I am being completely honest. I could hear her laughing wickedly as she slowly materialized out of the darkness. Yup! It had to be that horrible woman who took Toto away from Dorothy. Don’t judge… I have a bucket list of different childhood memories that are triggered by different movies I had in my tiny mind.

Anyway, as the witch steadily approached my car, I frantically checked all the door locks and glanced up at the entrance of the School, hoping I would see my parents walking down the steps toward our car. Nope! As Jack Sparrow says, I was “all by me onesies”!

I crawled down under the dash where I could be hidden from view for the most part, except my feet could still be seen from the passenger door. I heard her approach the car, walk all the way around it dragging her super long witchy fingernails across the metal doors… witches always have super long curvy red nails if you needed a visual.

Then the witch stopped directly in front of the passenger side door where I was crouched down on the floor. All I could see was the tip of her hat, but I could hear what she was doing… she was picking the lock on my door with those awful fingernails. I watched in horror as the little metal door lock popped!

The next thing I knew, I was strapped onto a torture table, in the parking lot underneath the Sprouse Ritz Department Store, and that witch began to tickle me with those long fingernails…

It was torture! I began to laugh and could not stop! I fought to get away, but was strapped down so there was no escape for me… no way out! Except to wake up, but I had been so tired from the night before that it was like crawling through thick Jello to do anything. Never fear though, laughter is here… I laughed so hard that I rolled myself out of the top of our bunkbed and landed with a thump on the floor below. That did the trick!

Isn’t it funny the way we handle stress… often bottling our fears, stuffing them down and hiding them away from judging eyes. I realize that I was just a child and that the dream was probably just a way to release the tension I had been holding for several days over a perceived painful event. There was no real danger or trauma involved in ear piercing, but to a child trying to be a grown up, it most assuredly seemed like there might.

My take away from the whole affair was this… I would for sure think long and hard the next time I wanted to be a grown up!

From then to now, I still often find myself thinking long and hard every time I have to do grown up stuff… I know I should be fine with getting tickled all night in a parking lot, but this girl would rather leave the Witch back at Sprouse Reitz…

Tuesday Tinkering…

As most of you already know, I’ve a new granddaughter arriving in late November. Can you believe that she’s almost here? As my mind, my heart, and my soul are wrapped all around this little bundle of blessings, I can’t help but want to include her in this part of my life, so that you might be a part of our journey.

With this in mind, I’ve been toying with differing ideas in regards to creating an Avatar just for my little Sugar Plum! As far as a real baby name, her mamma says they’re torn between Maize Anne, or Laney Grace, but they won’t make their pick until after she arrives. So, for now we stick with her nickname… that’s the Sugar Plum part.

Now, beings that I love making an Avatar that truly reflects the personality behind the image, I’ve been working toward some ideas that I think might be really adorable.

Ok, so my daughter and her husband are the equivalent of urban homesteaders. Within the humble space of a typical city dwelling family, they’ve a passel of chickens that lay the most wonderful eggs, and a glorious garden, overflowing with delicious fresh produce. My son-in-law loves to garden, as well as, raising chickens… and both of them work full-time! Honestly, I don’t know how they do it… but, I sure couldn’t be prouder!

Lets look at what we have to work with for our adorable Avatar? They’ve a boatload of pets, including four dogs, and two cats. The picture above is one of a baby with features of a kitten, but let me show you some of the other initial images Norbert (My AI) offered…

If I want to make a new creature with the features of animals and humans combined, Norbert throws a fit. Honestly, I think ai programs can easily mimic something already created, but when you ask it to come up with something new and unusual… they fall flat! Well, at least they do for this writer, because I don’t want the Norbert to lead my ideas. I am the content creator, the one who sees, imagines, and writes out what she sees. All I desire the image program to do, is to follow my descriptions. I don’t want someone else’s stock photo. I want an image of what I imagine… not Norbert!

Before I move further into the creation process, I must ask your opinions on several possible directions to follow, here.

The biggest decision to make before proceeding, is to either accept or reject the idea of using a human feature, at all! I don’t think I’ll be able to successfully add more than one animal feature to the image, without it greatly distorting the avatar’s features. Rather than an image with three differing species types, I end up with something warped and mutilated, with extra appendages and glaring flaws.

I did really enjoy the baby combo with kitten ears.

But, then again, I really like the tiny white kitten, even if it’s not photorealistic.

See my dilemma?

I have the same problems with most of my creature avatars. The program really tries to keep them all animated and plastic, unless I get lucky. There have been those images that really hit perfect on the first run, but most often not, when it comes to mixing image types. Hey, I never said I was an expert at this stuff. Personally, I just want to write… but, it is what it is!

Oh well, it’s not like I have to be in any hurry, right?!

Slow and steady wins the race, as they say, so I’ll just keep working at it, for now. If you would, could you simply leave an answer in the comment section, as to whether we should continue with the baby idea, or one of the others?

If you really want to go hog wild, you can help me create our virtual Sugar Plum. You can do that by giving additional creative ideas, and/or suggestions. Then we can really make something special!

Bridges (2024)…

Made of Iron, made of wood

Some have fallen, while others withstood

Some can be burned, or break free from their moorings

While others hold strong, given plenty of shoring

Bridges offer travel, from one side to the other

providing a way, helping one reach his brother

These connections need work, in putting them together

They provide safe passage, even if there’s foul weather

If a bridge is destroyed in the depth of a storm

The gap that it leaves, is where heartache is born

We must tend our bridges, making sure they stay standing

holding firm to the ground, over waves life keeps handing

If your bridge falls apart, breaking away from the dirt

Get down on your knees, and confess all your hurt

Even if your bridge broke free in the storm

God can build a new bridge, fully shaped in His form…

Monday Messages…

Can you believe that we’re already halfway through September? Summer is rapidly dwindling, as the cooling winds of the fall season begin transforming the lush green foliage to all those differing shades of glorious reds, yellows and golds.

I think that it should be a law that the moment the fall arrives, everybody has to put their Christmas lights up! Well, think about it for a moment! There’s far less lighting in the fall and winter months, so it would make things far brighter.

I think Halloween and Thanksgiving can still do their own thing, but just work around the lights, that’s all.

I mean, come on. All the stores put all their holiday products on the shelves at least two months before the actual holiday, so I say we fight back!

From the moment the stores start piling up candy and pumpkins all over the place, we should all put up our Christmas lights as an act of defiant solidarity!

Maybe I want to celebrate Valentine’s Day in December on my birthday, I don’t know. That way I might get an actual gift. Honestly, I feel sorry for anyone who is born on or near a holiday. Everyone just figures they can do a twofer… no fun! I am praying my granddaughter is born on or near my daughter’s birthday in November, because her due date is the day after Thanksgiving.

Also, why can’t we just combine Mother’s day with Father’s day and just call it Parent’s Day. You know, I asked Google how many holidays there were. First of all, it has to break them down into categories. That should be our first clue that we humans have far too many holidays, memorials, tributes, Month long celebrations for nearly every nationality out there, and special events commemorating this or that! Seriously, we should really think about extending our 365 day cycles to like 600 or so, just to really have recovery time in between parties!

Remember watching Little House on the Prairie, when they would celebrate Christmas? They gave each other handmade gifts and items needed for survival, and they didn’t have cars to drive to and from their festivities… they had to risk life and limb to travel through the wilderness in six feet of snow, just to bring gifts!

I don’t know, in a world where time waits for no man, as they say, we sure do have a lot of time to waste on all these “pat yourself on the back” parties. Now, I’m not saying that everyone behaves this way, so don’t go there! I’m simply basing my findings on what I see, hear, and experience from where I’m sitting. You wouldn’t believe the immense pressure that is put on folks living in poverty. It was so humbling for me to attend my daughter’s baby shower on Saturday, with no gift to offer… nothing.

Of all the things I’ve ever done wrong in my life, the people I’ve hurt, and the pain I’ve caused others, namely my children, God tells me I did something right. You know how? In the character of my children. My youngest daughter, who turned 30 this year, pulled me aside, and produced a gift for me to give her sister. Maybe it was for my sake, or perhaps it was her sister she was thinking about, but I don’t suppose it really matters.

Why am I rambling on about all this silly nonsense about too many holidays and celebrations? First of all, everyone is already seeing the stores gear up for cavity night, so I know you are feeling the beginning birth pains from your wallets… and the parties haven’t even started, yet. And, secondly, because I am fairly confident in saying that many of you already purchased holiday items for this year, but at the close-out after holiday sales from last year. Don’t panic, nobody will call you out on it, most of all myself. I get it! A bargain is a bargain, am I right?!

I suppose that I wanted use this mid-September Monday Messages just to start prepping you for what’s inbound for these upcoming months, so nobody can say they DIDN’T HAVE ENOUGH NOTICE to get me their virtual Christmas list, which seems to be very difficult. This will be our third Virtual Christmas, and I have plans! So suck it up, Buttercups, and get it together!

I mean it!

If you don’t, it may spoil the whole thing. I know I’ve probably said this in the past, but this time, I’m being fully serious! I have some major surprises, not to mention my third installment of Tilly and Santa’s adventures. Oh, and there’s so much more, but I can’t say a thing, yet. So, now do you see why it’s so important that I get your lists ahead of time. I need time to put everything together.

So, your jobs… virtual Christmas lists mailed before Thanksgiving, and, show up for the party on Christmas morning. Last years idea of a bag of puppies was exhausting! I had to hand deliver most of them, since there were too many absentee guests… holes in the corners of my couches, poo doo on the floor, and somebody peed on the Christmas tree, shorting out the lights!

So, if a puppy is on your list… you better show up this time, or it won’t be charcoal that Santa leaves in your stocking! Tilly has quite a bit of influence with ole Saint Nick, seriously. If I were you, I wouldn’t risk it!

Thursday Thoughts…

Thought #1 – Why did we ever stop writing letters to one another?

Thought #2 – Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, during the winter months, families regularly met to read and share stories from when they were young?

Thought #3 – If a bag of chocolate chips spill all over the kitchen floor, but there’s nobody in the room, does it make a sound? I know my kids could hear a candy bar wrapper being opened from the neighbor’s house across the street.

Thought #4 – I hope it doesn’t rain on Saturday. At least, not until after my daughter’s baby shower.

Thought #5 – Whatever happened to that Samaritan woman, after Christ left her village? I wonder how differently her life was, after the fact?

Thought #6 – Then there’s Simon of Cyrene, the man forced to carry Jesus cross. What must his life have become, after encountering the Son of God on the day of his crucifixion?

Thought #7 – I miss watching Little House on the Prairie!

Thought #8 – Well that last thought did it! Now I’m thinking how much I miss shows like Grizzly Adams, Land of the Lost, J.P. Patches, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Leave it to Beaver, Fantasia, the early Sesame Street episodes, The Electric Company, and so many others that filled my childhood with imagination… aaaaahhhhhhhh, the good ole days of television.

Thought #9 – If I were traveling for years, on foot, in the desert, and with nearly a million other tired, frightened, and grumpy fellow walkers… how long would it take before I, myself, began to whine about eating only manna and quail?

Thought #10 – Why can’t my cup of Peppermint tea stay hot longer than 10 minutes?

Thought #11 – If I were given a bag that could only hold 10 items for survival, just before being dumped in the middle of nowhere, what would I choose… and could I survive? When I say nowhere, I mean no cell service, no electricity, and no other people. Ewwww!

Thought #12 – How old is too old for one to skinny dip?

Thought #13 – Why is it that I can sing to the skies when I’m in a church, or alone on a walking path, but the thought of doing it in front of a Karaoke machine fills me with dread? There’s other people in both places, so what’s the difference?

Thought #14 – I used to wish that God would make me smell like cookies, whenever children passed by, but I also really love the smell of Cotton Candy, so now I’m not so sure which I like better.

Thought #15 –

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  Psalm 119:105

Lazy Saturdays…

This is how we should all be spending our Saturdays. Cats have perfected this behavior, leading me to try it out, myself… minus the belly rubs, that is!

Have a purrrrrrfect Saturday, all!

P.S. If you want to include the belly rubs in your Saturday routine, it’s all right. I won’t say anything, I promise!

Actually, this behavior also aids in relaxing your canine’s, as well…

… five minute’s later…

See? It really does work!

From the Archives (2023) Answers From the Past…

Daily writing prompt
Share a story about the furthest you’ve ever traveled from home.

I found an old post from last spring that I thought rather fitting, if you twist the daily prompt’s meaning just a smidge…

This was one of my ‘Investigating Truths’ episodes, but it seemed fitting, somehow.

For as long as I can remember, I have made sense of myself and this world in two realms of thought.  One realm of thought is in the actual and physical sense.  What we see, do, talk about, eat and feel are things in the here and now. The second realm of thought is what I think of as my storybook, or cartoon version, if you will.  Let’s call this part the “Behind the Scenes of My Truths,” the adventure version. 

What follows is written in storybook version…….

I am wild from the top of my head all the way down to my toes!  It is all that I can seem to remember of myself.  My journeying, or running if I am being truthful, has always found me far out in the desert.  For as long as I can remember, there has been a path worn, from one hidden oasis to another, by my very own feet.  I have hidden them well, though, so most that wander by are unaware of my presence. 

As the years of my life rolled forward, I found that there was One who had been following my footprints, always leaving little packages of love for me.  On one of my journeys along the outskirts of the Cities of Souls, I came to realize that the One whom I had sensed, was in fact my True Father!  It was both joyful and difficult to become aware of Him. 

I stayed…

Before I knew it, time seemed to have sped forward in my journey, by a great many years!  I discovered that I had settled down right inside the walls … building relationships with others, and trying to live and do things the way all of the others thought was right. 

My Father showed me the gifts given to me, but instead of being at peace, I became fearful…

I believed that I was losing myself, and would simply become a nothing, moving along by habit!

So this wild child ran!!!

I fled into the desert with as much speed as possible, for my feet had become softened over the years spent within the walls built by man.  Many times I fell, stumbling over rocks and debris that had been left on my paths.  Had it really been that long?  I was not sure if the way had become obstructed or if I had simply forgotten my exact path.  Many seasons were spent wandering, clearing out my old and unused paths. 

Time rolled on…

Oh, I would come near the outskirts, just close enough to remember what I left behind.  The intensity of my pain and fear, along with the guilt over my failure, drove me away again and again…

My last act of running into the desert, or defiance as I see it, nearly cost me my very life, but that is for another time.  For now, I leave you with this thought…I am still that wild child inside, but my Father has been revealing to me the graceful Phoenix that He is rising up from the ashes of her truths…

You didn’t think I would forget your cookies, did you?

Tuesday Tinkering…

This week’s tinkering session has brought to light several glaringly obvious problems. One has to do with the whole ship naming idea, and the other has to do with how Norbert (AI) and I get along.

Go ahead and take a seat, as I fully intend to expound on both problems, quite extensively!

After wasting more hours than I care to admit, in an attempt at designing a show stopping, Emmy award winning, and downright flawless signage for our homecoming boat naming ceremony… I discovered a huge flaw in my plans!

Did you know that most pirate ship’s didn’t bear any name on them at all? Something to do with how many times a pirate ship was stolen from the pirates… by other pirates. Who knew? Well, at least I didn’t! Not til after I went looking for pictures of nameplates that might be helpful in creating my own design. I wasn’t finding much, so I asked google why.

This was the answer given by Google’s AI:

There are no good pictures of pirate ships with names carved on them because pirate ships were not built to be displayed or documented, and detailed records or images rarely survived. Unlike naval or large merchant vessels, pirate ships were not formally commissioned, and their identity was often temporary. The notion of a famous, custom-built pirate ship with a beautifully carved name comes more from modern fiction than from historical reality. 

Here are the main reasons why no such pictures exist:

1. Absence of official records

  • No formal documentation: Navies and legitimate trading companies kept detailed archives of their vessels, including plans, commissions, and portraits. Since pirates were criminals, they did not create or keep such records.
  • Informal ownership: Pirates typically didn’t build their ships but rather captured and repurposed existing merchant or naval vessels. They often “traded up” for a better ship when they had the chance, meaning a famous pirate’s association with a single ship was often short-lived. 

2. Lack of artistic and photographic documentation

  • Photography did not exist: During the Golden Age of Piracy (roughly 1650s–1730s), photography had not yet been invented. All depictions would have been through drawings, paintings, or engravings, which were rare and often inaccurate.
  • Inaccurate depictions: The few engravings of pirates and their ships that existed during the era were often made by artists who had never seen the real thing. For example, some engravings from A General History of the Pyrates depict pirates in the style of high-class Europeans rather than in the authentic fashion of colonial sailors. 

3. Practical considerations of a pirate’s life

  • Anonymity was a virtue: Pirates often sought to avoid recognition. Publicly displaying a distinctive, named ship would have made them an easy target for naval forces actively hunting them.
  • Names were not permanent: If a pirate did name a captured ship, it would be a makeshift name that could be quickly changed if needed. Carving a permanent name would have been pointless and risky.
  • Low-budget, functional appearance: Pirate ships were functional tools for crime, not display pieces. A pirate’s priority was speed, maneuverability, and firepower, not fancy ornamentation. Any cosmetic additions would have been minimal, temporary, and focused on intimidation rather than elegant craftsmanship. 

The short version is, there were simply too few records, and too many pirates stealing each other’s ship!

So, it’s back to the drawing board on signage… but, I’ve an idea for making a placard for my office desk, at least. Maybe there’s a fitting image that we can stitch onto our sails. That might work, but I’ll need some suggestions for image ideas, and details. If it’s not too much to ask, perhaps you wouldn’t mind helping a girl out. Toss me a short description in the comments, if you’re feeling creative.

Now, as for the second problem that I encountered, this one has more to do with me being an overthinking perfectionist, than it does with the quality of Norbert’s work. I must confess that my technical skills get fully bulldozed by my Chatty Cathy style descriptions. Basically, I make the mistake of thinking that my AI has a brain, any real depth of understanding, nor can it relate to what I’m typing… Norbert is merely an advanced series of algorithms, meant to match words and written concepts with visual imagery. There will never be a computer that can recreate what is in my minds eye, with any certainty. We humans are far too complex for that to ever occur, in my opinion.

As far as Norbert and I are concerned, there is still much to be done in terms of operator error (my part), as well as, better listening skills on Norbert’s part.

I’ve noticed that when I ask the program to place a human into art or cartoon, it responds successfully, for the most part. Like putting my image into a scene on the ship…

I have to insert the images of my characters, in order to keep the realism in the actual image. But watch what happens when I ask the AI for one of the artificial characters in a scene without any human aspects…

Notice how the AI has begun to change the scene toward a cartoon feel. The bowl and utensils now look plastic, and the cookies look like they could be made of playdough. Now, I don’t mind this effect if the image is meant for a child.

I also noticed that the computer handles outdoor better than indoor, when the image is fully imaginary. That means, when the model is neither human nor animal, but fictional. If I ask for an image of Eustace, Tilly, or Bailey, the images are almost always photorealistic. But the conflict begins when I try to put them together in the same image. The AI will either turn my image into a cartoon or completely mutilate the other character’s features…

And, NO, this is NOT one of those images where folks remark at how an owner and their dog look alike!

For now, there will not be any forthcoming group photos.

I know that I worked on Peanut’s images last week, but without much success, as you know. I think that if I want a more realistic Peanut, I must first create him with an outdoor background. Then, I can simply pull his outdoor image into an indoor scene; one with realistic features and furnishings. The same should work for an indoor image being pulled to an outdoor background. It may be successful if I can nail the correct lighting for both images.

We shall see…

Thursday Thoughts…

Thought #1 – What would the world become, if whenever one says or does something hurtful to another, they experienced the exact emotional pain that their victim felt?

Thought #2 – What’s a baby dreaming of when they smile, or even laugh out loud while sleeping?

Thought #3 – My oldest daughter was a sleep laugher, a sleep talker, and a sleep walker. Nothing scarier than waking up in the middle of the night, with a five year old child standing beside your bed, staring at you in the darkness… it’s creepy!

Thought #4 – I shall truly miss you, Bacon, but if you won’t go on a diet and become less salty… well, it’s not me, it’s you!

Thought #5 – I miss pizza!

Thought #6 – Maybe I should visit an actual tea shop in search of something other than peppermint. I’ve tried peach tea, which was gross tasting after the first or second sip. Many years ago, someone invited me to a full tea service lunch, and they served this tropical sort of coconut flavored tea that was divine! Maybe this flavor should be investigated further.

Thought #7 – I wonder if my granddaughter will have light or dark hair?

Thought #8 – It’s settled! I am truly loving my self-crafted pixie haircut!

Thought #9 – Good Grief! How is it that we can look so old on the outside, when we still feel young on the inside?

Thought #10 – I miss that kitty so much! Gidget was her name, if I recall, and she was the loveliest long-haired Calico I’d ever set eyes on!

Thought #11 – It’s funny how I can’t remember things like my favorite grade school teacher’s name, or much of my childhood years, but I can remember the names of every pet that entered my life… from the beginning. My mother’s poodle Buttons, my first cat, Leroy Brown, my first pony, Candy, and our old Mule, Jack. Then there was my dog Rags, an Old English sheep dog, and our twin white cats named Nip and Tuck. One had a black tip on his tail and the other a black tip on one of his ears, but otherwise they were identical.

Thought #12 – Wow! This is a rabbit hole that could consume the whole day, and I simply don’t have time. The list, so far, has only been in the first 8 years of my life.

Thought #13 – Maybe I should write a short story for each of my Furbies, one at a time, just to relive those joyful memories.

Thought #14 – I don’t think that money changes people… maybe it just brings out who they really are on the inside. I’m fairly good at being poor, but will I be as honorable of a person if given better finances?

Thought #15 – My thoughts lead me back to scripture…

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11