REFLECTIONS ON THE A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL- 2014

REFLECTIONS on the A to Z CHALLENGE


When I heard of the A to Z Blog Challenge for April, I said to myself, why not?
I'll see what happens. I was unsure of what all this entailed, but the ideas for the posts...a subject for each letter of the alphabet, each day...turned out to be no problem. I had too many ideas.

It was lots of fun writing the posts, looking up facts, finding pictures to add, and remembering the personal aspects of each post I included. I was hoping I could actually write on here every day, as that is something I wasn't used to. The deadline of the challenge...to post every single day (except Sunday) really helped me. Guess I work better under a bit of pressure! I will certainly try to take part again next year.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to come visit here, to make a comment, to follow, and to say you liked my writing on my blog. At first I was a bit scared to get comments, and to respond, as I'd not had much practice in this area before. However, it turned out that it was not as scary as I thought...it has been wonderful, and a great boost to my confidence. So, thank you everyone. I so appreciate the support.

I made some great connections to fellow bloggers, and enjoyed reading your posts. I do plan on continuing to read, comment and follow as much as possible in the future. You are all such talented writers!

Thanks also, to Arlee Bird, founder of the A to Z Blog Challenge. I appreciate your kind words, and support. Joining in was an amazing experience!

Until we meet again in blogland....congratulations to everyone that participated in the challenge. Yay for us...we did it!


Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 30, 2014...LETTER Z

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is......Z

Thank you for stopping by! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

SCREAMING YELLOW ZONKERS!

Yummy, sweetened popcorn in a box...that's Screaming Yellow Zonkers!

Back in the 1960s and early 1970s, Zonkers were a must have snack among the hippie crowd. The popcorn tasted great when you had the munchies, but the box it came in was special.

You bought the snack as much for the box, as for the popcorn. The box was black, one of the first products to be packaged in a black box. There was lots of writing on the box...some of it absurd, mostly funny, with cartoon characters and witty (so we thought) sayings. That was the main selling point...the snack was just a bonus.

At times Zonkers were hard to find at the store. If someone found a store that was selling them, word was passed around. I remember at least once, driving way out of my way to find them. Down unfamiliar streets, I went, finally finding the little convenience store that reportedly had Zonkers. It was so worth the trip...I had my Zonkers!

Screaming Yellow Zonkers were discontinued in 2007, but as of May 2012, they have been in production again, in limited editions. You can find them at times at Walgreens Drug Stores!

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter Z. Find it at... http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 29, 2014...LETTER Y

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is.....Y

Thank you for visiting! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

THE SACRED YEW

Tree of life...tree of death...the Yew tree has been revered as both for centuries. Due to it's longevity, of over 600 years, it has been called the tree of life. Because of it's deadly poision, it has been called the tree of death.

Taxus baccata, the Yew, is an evergreen, that produces red berries (arils) that are sweet. However, the seeds, leaves, and all other parts of the tree are highly toxic. The Yew is a native of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and is also grown in North America. It is mostly a small to medium shrub, but can grow to great heights. It lends itself to being easy to trim as a hedge, and formed into topiary designs, and mazes.

The wood of the Yew, is valued as pliable enough to be shaped into bows, and strong enough to be used as a weapon, such as a spear. It has been used to make musical instruments, also.

In hot weather, the leaves emit gaseous toxins, said to cause hallucinations. Many religions, revere the Yew as sacred, and plant them around churchyards. Some say it's long life was suggestive of eternity. It is believed to be a potent protection against evil, a symbol of magic, and is used to summon the spirits of the dead. Mystical and magical, the Yew is found close to cemeteries, to help ward off evil spirits.

In the book "Lost Souls" by Poppy Z. Brite, the local club, where the band Lost Souls play, is named the "Sacred Yew". This is the book I write my fan fiction story about.

Whether you think of the Yew as the tree of life, or the tree of death, depends on your point of view. In either case, it is a very interesting tree to read about. If you'd like to read more, you can find it here... http://whitedragon.org.uk/articles/yew.htm

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter Y...http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com


Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 28, 2014...LETTER X

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is.....X

Thanks for visiting! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

XENA, WARRIOR PRINCESS

Xena: Warrior Princess, starring Lucy Lawless, was a television show, created in 1995. The character of Xena, helped the innocents, those that needed defending.

Sorry to say, I never watched that show. I have seen Lucy Lawless on several talk shows, telling about her role. The way she told about it, made it seem like a very exciting, and fun show to watch.

I did watch the Wonder Woman tv series, back in 1975-1979, starring Lynda Carter. She was a superheroine, first in comic books, and later in the tv series.

She also was Warrior Princess of the Amazons. She was fighting for justice, love, peace and sexual equality. She also had a cool metal bracelet that warded off her enemies!

It would be interesting to have a tv show with both of these susperheroines working together to fight against the bad guys. They would rule the world, and maybe bring about world peace!

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter X. It is at ... http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 26, 2014...LETTER W

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is.....W

Thanks for visiting! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

GETTING WORDY WITH IT

Well, being a writer, I love words. Word games are a favorite way to work with words. One of the first word games I learned to play was Anagrams. You would draw from a pile of letter tiles, and try to make as many words from them as you could. You'd take turns with other players, drawing tiles until all the tiles were used. The person with the most formed words, won the game.

From that, I went on to crossword puzzles, and skeleton puzzles. Next up, I think, was word search games, then Scrabble and Boggle. Other games that make use of words, are Scattergories, Scrutinize, and the old favorites...Password, and Mad Libs.

Television game shows make use of words for the contestants to play the game. These are fun to watch and play along to at home. Some of these include, Jeopardy, $100,000 Pyramid, and Wheel of Fortune.

I still like to play all of these games, and now have fun on-line, playing Words With Friends. So, to someone who likes word games, there are plenty to choose from.

Have fun being 'wordy'!


Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter W. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com

Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 25, 2014...LETTER V

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is.....V

Thanks for stopping by! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

THE BURNT ORANGE VAN

Quite a few years ago, we owned a big, burnt-orange van. What I remember most about it was that when it rained, you almost needed an umbrella on the inside! The front window leaked. We'd had it replaced, but evidently the seal was not good.  We also had to hook it up to a battery charger every night, so it would start the next morning.

It was a fun vehicle, that van. It was a big conversion van, with captain seats, two other chairs, and a bench seat in back. I think you could unfold the bench into a bed. Then in the way back area was a storage type closet. It also had tinted windows on the side.

I drove that van all over town, hauling kids to and from school and activities. When we'd travel, the dogs loved riding in it, too.

Sometimes, the kids would have camp-outs/sleep-overs out there in the van...right out there in the driveway. They'd gather up snacks, have their friends over, pile in the blankets and pillows, and have a fun night.

Once, I had to pick up an order of pizzas for my daughter's class at school. There were lots of pizza boxes stacked up high in the van.

We eventually traded the van in for a regular sized car. We'd had enough of being dripped on every time it rained. I kind of miss that old van.

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter V. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com


Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 24, 2014...LETTER U

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is.......U

Thank you for visiting! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

UNION STATION, KANSAS CITY - IS IT HAUNTED?

Is the Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri haunted? As your footsteps echo on the highly polished floors, your eyes are drawn upward. The vast ceiling is awe inspiring. Beautiful and intricate artwork, and huge chandeliers make you catch your breath. Voices are hushed, as you feel the history emanating from the walls.

You think of all the souls that have passed through this train station throughout the years..soldiers travelling to their next duty stations during WWII, regular travellers, and even fugitives from the law.

Built in 1914, Union Station operated for many years, until a slow decline in business forced it to close in 1985. After a renovation, in 1996, it was opened as a museum. By 2002, it was again being used as a train station, when Amtrak began service. There are many attractions, besides train travel to be seen here now. There is the museum's history and displays, kid friendly, hands on learning areas, restaurants, and gift shops.

Outside, you can go on an elevated walkway above the huge trains. You can feel the vibrations of the great engines, and look down at the tops of them. There are many photo opportunities in and around Crown Point, inside and out. The architecture is amazing.

We learned, too of the Union Station Massacre. It took place right outside, in 1933. The shooting took place, as FBI agents were transferring a fugitive back to Leavenworth prison. Gang members tried to free him from the agents, and a gun battle resulted in the fugitive being killed...his head blown off. You can still see bullet holes in the building's exterior walls.

I've heard it said that the headless fugitive's ghost roams around the station, now. Employees, during after hours, have seen and heard this, as well as other paranormal entities. There are reports of a lady, dressed in black, that walks up and down the stairs at night, and phantom travellers with suitcases roam around. Eerie train whistles can be heard, when no trains are there.

Union Station is a very interesting place to visit, even if you are not travelling. I would definitely urge you to go, if you are in the area.

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter U. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com


Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 22, 2014...LETTER T

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is......T

Thank you for stopping by! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

F-5 TORNADO

May 11, 1970, I experienced what an F-5 tornado can do.

It was the strongest tornado recorded in Texas history at the time. Twenty-six people died, and hundreds more were injured. The city was devastated.

I was just out of high school, attending evening classes at a business college downtown. Thunderstorms had developed, and we were dismissed early, around 9 p.m. or so. I had to wait for my dad to come pick me up.

As we drove through the downtown area, on our way home, there was an underpass we had to go under, but the wind, rain, and hail, was so bad, we instead, pulled in under a gas station awning, to wait it out.

We had no idea a tornado was bearing down on us.

As we watched in horror, things began flying through the air...all kinds of debris. Then, bricks from the gas station began to crash into the car windows, shattering glass all over us. We felt the front end of the car being lifted into the air, by the strong winds. We dove into the back seat, to take cover, where my knees were cut by the glass.

As it eased up a bit, we got out, hoping to make it to the next block where we knew there was a basement in the courthouse. It was a miracle we didn't get electrocuted from the downed power lines, as they snaked through the air and into the calf deep water in the road. Still, trying to stand and walk down the street, we finally made it to the courthouse, where lots of other people had taken shelter. We did finally go through a tunnel that led to the police station and emergency center.

It was chaos in there, with frightened people, dispatchers on their radios, policemen running around, and no one knowing just what to do. Eventually, we did go back up to the street. As my car was ruined, we found a person to give us a ride home. That was treacherous, also, considering all the debris in the streets, sparking power lines, and flooding.

We did make it home that night...around one o'clock in the morning. My mom and sister had gone to the cellar, and had no idea what had happened to us. The next day, we managed to go find my car to be towed home. We couldn't believe how lucky we'd been. The gas station building we'd been by, was completely destroyed...only a few standing bricks of the front wall remained. We'd come that close to being blown away. And beyond the underpass that we almost went through...complete devastation...everything leveled.

So, now 44 years later, when the anniversary of the May 11 tornado comes, I still have horrible tornado dreams. I never want to go through a tornado again, but living here in Tornado Alley, it is always a possiblility.

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter T. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com


Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 22, 2014...LETTER S

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today' letter is.......S

Thank you for visiting! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

PASS THE SALT & PEPPER, PLEASE

Do you like to collect things? How about salt and pepper shakers? I have quite a few sets that I've collected over the years. I find them at yard sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. Some were given to me as a gift, as friends and family members are always on the lookout for them.

Most of mine fall into the catagory of collectibles, antique, vintage, and novelty. Salt and pepper shakers come in all manner of materials. I have wooden, metal, plastic, and glass ones.

The novelty S & Ps are the cute ones, even though they can certainly be used at the table as their intended purpose. There are so many catagories to choose from to collect, as it suits your interests. You can pick one theme, or just randomly create your collection.

Some themes include animals of all types, holidays, kitchen wares, letters, clowns, souvenirs, lettters, advertising, and many more. Some can be very rare to find, very costly and valuable; others can just be fun to add to your collection.

I entered one of my salt and pepper shakers in the fair one time. It was a kangaroo, with the baby joey sitting in a pouch. I won a ribbon for it. The picture is similar to the one I have. What I need now, is a display case for all my sets.

For very little cost, you can start your own collections of salt and pepper shakers. It is a fun hobby and a great topic of conversation.



Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter S. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com



Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 21, 2014...LETTER R

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is........R

Thank you for stoppping by! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

RAIN ON ME!

It actually rained here on Saturday evening. I even heard a bit of thunder. Here in the semi-arid region of west Texas, rain, or the lack of it, is a main topic of conversation, everywhere you go. Everyone comments on us needing it, and will it ever rain again.

Some groups have prayer vigils for rain, others perform rain dances, and there has been times when the clouds were seeded with silver iodide or dry ice, to help bring the rain. We just never have enough.

At those times we do get a good rain, it causes flash flooding. A couple of those a year will be all we get. Our average rainfall for a year is only about 19 inches. That's on a good year!

You can actually feel the relief people have when even a small amount of rain falls. People begin smiling more, and are animated and energetic again. Lots of times we run outside, just to feel the rain on us, after being without for so long. Then the next day, everyone will ask "Did it rain at your house?", because sometimes it is hit or miss.

Rain clears the air of all the dusty, sandstorms, and seems to clear everyone's head from the monotonous dryness of this area.

So, I've been thinking of songs that mention rain. Here are a few. Can you think of others? Rain is a very popular topic in all genres of songs.

• "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" by B.J. Thomas
• "Rhythm of the Rain" by the Cascades
• "November Rain" by Guns 'n Roses
• "Fire and Rain" by James Taylor
• "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "A Hard Rain's a'Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan
• "Rainy Night in Georgia" by Brooks Benton
• "Purple Rain" by Prince
• "Rainy Days and Mondays" by the Carpenters
• "Rain on the Roof" by the Lovin' Spoonful
• "Kentucky Rain" by Elvis Presley

   Hope you've enjoyed reading about the rain! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter R. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 19, 2014...LETTER Q

A to Z CHALLENGE
Today's letter is......Q

Thank you for stopping by. Comments welcome. Happy reading!

20 Q (the game)

Based on a parlor game called Twenty Questions, Robin Burgener, in 1988, invented a hand held electronic game he called 20Q. He was experimenting with using AI - Artificial Intellegence.

When you turn this game on, it will ask you to think of something for it to guess. It has a display screen that you can read it's questions, and buttons you can push, to log in your answer, either yes, no, sometimes, or unknown.

This 'toy' will ask you a series of 20 simple questions. As you keep answering the questions posed, the device will build on them, to ultimately guess what you were thinking about.

In between the questions, it will make funny comments to you. On the package it comes in it states that it can read your mind. One of the comments it makes, is that it is spooky how it knows what you are thinking. 

It is not programmed. It somehow 'learns' from every answer you give, and every time turns out different. Most of the time it guesses right!

I have two of these 20Q games, and have been amazed at how it can even do this. It occasionally does miss the answer, and will make a funny comment about how you can't win them all. 

I think it is a bit weird to be holding a sort of 'mini brain' right there in my hand. Like it says...it's spooky!

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com



Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 18, 2014...LETTER P

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
Today's letter is.................P

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POISON POTATOES?

Are your potatoes poison? They could be. The potato is in the family of the deadly nightshade plant. All  green parts of the potato is highly toxic, including leaves, stems, sprouts (eyes), and even any green parts on the peeled potato.

If eaten, it will cause, at the very least, an upset stomach...and at the worst...death!

In the past, this alkeloid toxin was used as a remedy for ailments such as, pain relief, an anti-inflamatory, and to ease the symptoms of rheumatism. I would hope these were not administered orally! If they were, I wonder if the doctor wondered why his patients were not getting any better, or even died!

Cooking the potatoes will remove and destroy most of the alkaloid concentrations, so they are mostly safe to eat. Try not to use any potato that shows even a hint of green to the white part, just to be safe. Exposure to light will also cause a potato to turn green, so store in a dark place.

There are many varieties of the potato, and are a staple food source all over the world. I'm not going to stop eating them, but I am careful to cut away any green I see on them.

For a look at this information on the potato, and 9 other common foods that are a bit poisonous, follow this link. http://listverse.com/2009/01/06/top-10-poisonous

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter P. It is at http://ghostmmnc.blogspot.com


Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 17, 2014...LETTER O

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
Today's Letter is................O

Thanks for visiting here! Comments welcome! Happy Reading!

OUIJA BOARD

Introduced in 1890, by Elijah Bond, as a harmless parlor game, the Ouija board has gained quite the negative reputation. It is a flat board, with numbers, letters, yes, no, sun, and moon, and good-bye, printed on it. A person/persons use a planchette to put their hands on, expecting the board to move the device around the board to spell out answers to the questions it's been asked. Is this some sort of magic? Is it demonic? Is it just, as stated, a simple parlor game for kids?

I don't know. Some people swear it is evil...that it opens a portal to the underworld and calls forth demons. Despite the warnings, the Ouija board game can still be purchased at toy stores today.

I had a Ouija board when I was a kid. Me and my friends played it all the time, with no ill effects. We'd ask silly questions...and it would move the planchette we had our hands on...and give us an answer. Most times it was right, and for a fact, we were not making it move. I don't know how it works, but it does.

One question I asked it was, would I get a dog? It said yes. I asked when? It said January. (this was back in the fall). Sure enough, come January, I did get a puppy. I named him Dusty, and he was an awesome dog, who lived with us for many years.

Later on, my own kids were playing with a friend's Ouija board, when they hollered, all excited, that they'd contacted a spirit called Seth. When I heard that, I made them stop, and told them the story I'd read about Seth.

It is written in a series of books, called "Seth Speaks", by Jane Roberts. Her and her husband claimed they'd contacted the discarnate entity of Seth, and he was speaking through her. Her husband transcribed all she spoke, as Seth, and they wrote every dialog down in the book series. One of the main topics of the writings is, as Seth told them, that each individual creates their own reality.There is much, much more.

So, when the kids said they'd contacted Seth, I told them this and they put it away, never to play it again.

For more information on Ouija boards and the Seth books, go to...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Material

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter O. Find it at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com



Peace, Love. & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 16, 2014...LETTER N

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
Today's letter is.................N

Thank you for stopping by! Comments welcome! Happy reading!

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?

I'm fascinated by names. Names of people, animals, and things, are so interesting. I like to look up the meanings of names, how they evolved, and how they are spelled. There is a list that comes out every so often, that shows the most popular names that have been used to name new babies over the years. Some are always on the list, and some are new.

There are lots of books on what to name the baby, the meanings of each, and where it originated. Have you looked your's up? Mine, Barbara, is from the Greek, and means foreign or strange...traveler from a foreign land. Does that fit for me? In some ways, yes.

Some people carry on a name throughout generations, adding a junior, or a number after the name. It's funny, too when you find someone that has the same name as yours. I know in our city there are at least two. I sometimes get a phone call intended for the other one!

I like naming things. Our cats each have a name, but we call them all kinds of different things. It is fun to make up their 'old west' name, or their 'pro-wrestling' name, etc.

Have you seen the name games that pop up on Facebook or Pinterest? They say to find your Royal name, or your Elf name, and all other kinds of funny ones.

How about nick-names? Do you have one? Why did someone start calling you that name? I never really had one, just a shortened form...Barb. My husband's family, however, give almost everyone a nick-name. I finally figured out who they were talking about!

Do you use pet names for your significant other? They can be sweet and endearing, or cute and silly.

And of course, there are derogatory names...names that hurt...names that label people. These are abhorrent to me.

But, mostly, names are fun and interesting. I also wonder how some things were named. Why did someone call a tree, a tree, and why did it stay that name? I know some surnames come from a person's occupation...a tailor would be known as 'Joe, the tailor', and later, just Joe Taylor.

So, yes, all facets of names are interesting, as you might have seen in an earlier post about horse names...:)

William Shakespeare wrote, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." from Romeo and Juliet ~

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter N. Find it at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com


Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 15, 2014...LETTER M

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
Today's letter is....................M

Thank you for visiting! Comments welcome! Happy Reading!

MUMMIES

Have you given much thought to mummies? Real mummies...not the movie versions, where they are evil creatures, trailing bandages, and coming after people. I would say real 'live' mummies, but of course that would be silly, because they are only real dead people.

I've been fascinated by them since I was a kid. I say my first ones while on a vacation. They were lying there, exposed...their mummified skin, dark and hardened. They had strange expressions on their faces. They weren't scary to me. I just felt it was a bit sad, to have been unwrapped from their funerary linens, and now are just an attraction to be gawked at. But, the person/soul that they were before, is not trapped inside...they've moved on, only leaving the shell of themselves behind.

Even before I'd seen these, I'd stated to everyone who asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" that "I want to be an archeologist." Everyone thought I was a bit strange. I did not, after all, go on to have this career, but I did extensive reading on the subject of mummies.

The most widely known, is the Egyptian pyramids, where the mummified remains of King Tutankhamun (the pharaoh), and many others of the time have been found. After Howard Carter discovered and unsealed the tomb, rumors multiplied that a curse would befall any who disturbed the tombs. This has not been proven. However, several deaths did occur under strange circumstances, after coming into contact with the contents of the tombs.

I've also read about how bodies are, in fact, mummified. It is a long process of annointing in oils and resins, drying with natron salts, and wrapping in many layers of linen, in certain prescribed ways. Amulets are also included within the wrappings. Eventually the body can be entered into their final resting place.

Would you want to be mummified? Would you want an elaborate sarcophagus encrusted with jewels? Believe it or not, there are some in the funeral business today, that actually do this, on request. It is very expensive, though.

On a lighter note, I've jokingly told my family, that's what I want. They can get a pine box, hot glue tons of fake, shiny jewels from the craft store on it (because we sure couldn't afford real ones). They laughed a bit, not really sure if I meant it, or not!



Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter M. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 14, 2014...LETTER L

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
Today's letter is.................L

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LOCKED OUT

Have you ever been locked out? It's been awhile since I've been locked out of some place. It is not fun to try to open a door, and ...uh-oh...it's locked, and you don't have the key!

Maybe you left it inside the house or the car, when you shut the door. It happens...being in a hurry, or just forgetfull, or any number of reasons.

First, you keep jiggling the door handle, hoping you can somehow manage to loosen it, and it will magically come open. This is not going to happen, and really, you know it, but you keep trying.

You look around for help from someone, neighbor, stranger, anybody...and no one comes. You seem to feel there are eyes peeking at you from behind curtains, and that everyone in the universe is watching and laughing at your dilemma.

I've been locked out of my cars and house many times. The last resort, of course is to call the professional locksmiths to come open the door...and yes, they charge a fee for this service. By now, however, you don't care how much it costs...just get it open - please!

Once me and my daughter (who was expecting a baby) had gone to yard sales. It was a very hot day. We bought a few things, then back at the truck, we found that the keys had been left inside...and the doors were locked. We could't reach any family members to come rescue us. The people who were having the sale, noticed we were having a problem, so they came and tried the door, too. Finally, we did call for the mobile locksmith to come. While we waited, the nice yard sale people brought us lawn chairs to sit on, and cold soft drinks.

We hated spending our yard sale cash on opening the door, but it was all that was left to do. I can't remember if we continued to shop, or just went home that day. Did we learn to check for the keys, before shutting a door? Yes, for awhile...then later on, uh-oh...locked out again.

Thank you for reading! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter L. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com


Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 12, 2014...LETTER K

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
TODAY'S LETTER IS........K

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(DOOR)  KNOCKERS

Door knockers are some of the most interesting looking decorations you can attach to a door. Their purpose is to alert someone inside, that they are being summoned to answer the door, by someone standing outside.

They were used, of course, long before the invention of electricity, and door-bells or buzzers. The knockers are made of metal, including cast iron, brass, and pewter. Some knockers are ornate and others very simple.

About the time of the Middle Ages, they became a fanciful house accessory. They are purposeful and decorative, and some designs have became more grotesque...a sort of warding off sign to discourage evil spirits. Some are of snarling lions, dragons, fish, hands, skulls, and anything one can imagine.

I've always wanted a door knocker on my door...maybe, somday. Until then, here is a look at some. There are lots of pictures of them on Pinterest and Google Images, also.

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to, hop over to my other blog for the letter K. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com



Peace, Love, & Writing

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE....APRIL 11, 2014...LETTER J

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
Today's Letter is................J

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JINX CAR

We owned a jinx car. Yes, we did. It was a pre-owned '66 or '67 Chevrolet Caprice. A big, old, boat of a car, with plush overstuffed seats, electric windows, and temperature controlled air conditioning. I despised that car.

The day we test drove it, it shimmied all over the highway. I think the wheels needed alignment, or something. We bought it, anyway.

First of all, I didn't even want a different car. We traded in our '65 Mustang (which I loved), for this monstrosity. Strike one...Strike two...the wheel thing...and well, the strikes kept coming. One thing or another was always wrong with it. You name it, it needed repairs.

When I first drove it up to where I worked at the time, everyone wanted to see our new car. So, out to the parking lot we all went. One girl was not impressed. She took me aside to tell me...this car is a jinx. Seems this very car had just been traded in by her grandparents, and they'd had nothing but trouble from it. I guess back then there were no 'lemon' laws or disclosure rules.

Anyway, the jinx car lived up to it's reputation. We had it for awhile, costing us more in repairs than it was worth. Then, after coming home from overseas, I got that car out of storage. I got rid of it...traded it in...yes, I did. I was surprised the car lot people even gave me a dime for it.

I immediately bought another car that I loved...a '69 Camaro. Now, that was a car. I looked much better driving a cool Camaro around town, in my twenties, instead of the old jinx car, for sure. And I don't remember the new one giving us a bit of trouble!

Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed hearing about the jinx car! If you'd like to, stop by my other blog for the letter J. It is at http://teleportingweena

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE...APRIL 10, 2014...LETTER I

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
Today's Letter Is................. I

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INCENSE

Isn't it amazing that something that has been around for centuries, is still being used in this modern time? Among the first recorded person's that used incense was the ancient Egyptian Queen Hatshepsut. It was found on the walls of the temple at the time of her death, in 1458 B.C. Frankincense was used over 5,000 years ago, also. The indigenous peoples of North America used incense that was made of sage and cedar.

Incense has been used for many purposes. It is used in religious ceremonies, in medicine, in meditation, and aromatherapy. Today's incense that you can buy at the store, is used mainly to add a pleasant smell to a room. Incense comes in many forms, including sticks and cones, and are made up of natural ingredients, such as essential oils, and come in all manner of fragrances.

I've used incense for many years, for the wonderful smell they emit. My favorites are sage, cedar, coconut, roses, and cinnamon. Incense burners come in many forms, also. There are practical ones and fanciful ones, made of glass, wood, pottery, and metal.

If you'd like to learn more about the history of incense, here is an in-depth look. It is very interesting to learn about it, and know when you use it, you are continuing a very  long tradition.

Find it at... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incense

Hope you enjoyed this look at incense! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter I. It is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com



Peace, Love, & Writing

 

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE....APRIL 9, 2014....LETTER H

A to Z BLOG CHALLENGE
Today's letter is..................H

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1,001 HORSE NAMES

I've always loved horses. One summer, when I was ten years old, I believe, I started a big project. My grand idea was to make a list of 1,001 names of horses. I settled on that number, because the movie "101 Dalmations" was popular at the time, and I figured, why not go bigger than 101...I'd do 1,001!

All that summer, I worked on the list...name, after name, after name. Some names I'd just make up, some were of real race horses. My grandad liked to go to the horse races at Ruidoso Downs, in New Mexico. When he got back, he'd give me the racing form from his trip to the racetrack. I'd study all the particulars about the horses, and pick out the names I liked, to add to my list.

The very first horse name I wrote was "Candy Spots", which was the name of a real race horse. I'd also draw pictures of horses to go with the list, since I loved to draw.

I actually still have that list, and I did make it all the way to 1,001! That was such a fun summer.


Hope you enjoyed reading this! If you'd like to, visit my other blog for the letter H... it is at http://teleportingweena.wordpress.com




Peace, Love, & Writing