Prom Nite

My youngest son attended his Sr HS Prom Nite tonite. It was great fun during the preliminaries where parents took tons of pictures, including moi. I've posted them on my facebook for the kids to enjoy.

I can't remember the last time I dressed formally and had a true 'date' with a man. I miss that. The closeness - the uniqueness - the specialty of the evening. I know I can get this at a picnic at Pilot's Mountain, or a private camping trip. But it's been a long time since I've experienced this kind of intimacy. Now I have wrinkled hands, age spots, and flabby arms. But I still smile and am happy. Wonder why?

I won't be able to share this level of closeness again with either of my children. My boys are turning into adults, responsible and self-sufficient. They don't need me any more - at least until they get married and have children of their own. Then, perhaps, they might need me during those first few weeks with a newborn, or later, they might remember that they don't know everything about raising a toddler, and maybe both sets of parents might know a tiny bit.

I'm happy I'm not young. But I'm not happy that I'm so old. Yet I'm happy with my life. This doesn't make sense, but if you think about it, it just might.

I love my life. My family. My everything. :^))

Giving Up the Challange

I don't feel like working today. My thumb hurts where one of my cats clawed it thinking I was bringing him grass to eat. It's hard to type cause I keep hitting the gouge next to my thumbnail.

Plus the birds are making a racket outside my window which makes me want to head outside and lay in a hammock to read/nap.

And a fruit fly (or something) keeps buzzing around my nose and eyes making me afraid my next inhale will include extra protein.

Lastly, I've decided I need to give up on the writing challenge. I haven't touched my story (or any story) in several days and I can't keep starting the challenge over and over, can I? It's not that I'm unmotivated, which I am, but it's all the other distractions in life. The prom my youngest son is attending this coming Saturday. His graduation from high school in two weeks. The family coming to visit (yeah!!) and all the housecleaning that needs to be done (boo).

Oh, I have to tell you that all insurance companies are alike. Whether they're health or homeowners or property liability. I think they all operate the same way. You remember that a tornado touched down here a couple of weeks ago and my church suffered some roof damage. We finally get the "Statement of Loss" from our insurance adjuster, and on the quote he includes line items that reads: "less 70% depreciation". We're all running around like headless chickens when I decide to phone the insurance company. The representative (a very nice woman) told me not to worry about that line because the insurance company will pay the entire amount.

So why put that line item in there? I'm guessing so the people who DON'T call in will accept the lesser amount. The same thing happened to me when I was undergoing cancer treatment. The health insurance company seemed to spin a wheel to determine what item du jour they wouldn't cover. Unless you called them, you didn't get coverage. How many millions of dollars are bilked out of people like you and me because we're too busy working to call and wait 20 minutes for a representative to pick up and clear up our "misunderstanding?"

Oh oh. I think I stepped on one of my soap boxes. Sorry. But that's just how it is. Some days are warm and fuzzy while other days just suck.

Create-A-Story

How about we create our own story? Here's the beginning. You just add whatever you feel should follow. Together we can create a fun "masterpiece." Or not. LOL
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It's sticky warm tonight. The wind finally ceased rocking the tree limps back and forth across the yard. Stillness quiets even the crickets and peepers. Nothing moves. Except me.

The ground sinks beneath my feet, squishing water between my toes. Yet I walk on toward the shadows under the trees. They're calling my name and I cannot resist. Shadows, bleak and stark. Waiting.

I'm breathless with anticipation. I am breathless as fear courses through my veins leaving me tingling. I pause.

They call.

I step forward. Pause. I turn back the way I came, back toward the gloomy shack that I called home. But there's nothing for me there. Not any longer.

Once again I face front and step even closer to them. Giving myself to their ways, I surrender to the dark.
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OK, now who's going to add the next piece of the story??

Dirty Little Secret

I've begun an online course taught by Keena Kincaid. It's only a two week course and I'm really looking forward to it. Tonight's the first night - and many (human) errors (mine) were ironed out. :^))

The course is called "Dirty Little Secret" and we're going to concentrate on how a little secret can completely affect our character's behavior...from how they sit, smile, hold their head, to how they speak and the clothes they wear.

It's going to be exciting - although, sigh, I can already see how it's going to affect my main character in Dragon Tears. NOOOOOO!!! I don't want to do yet ANOTHER full revision!!!!

But Keena's already gotten me thinking about a secret that's affecting my character, Jack. No, not my horse, Jack. My character. Jack in Dragon Tears had his name long before I bought Jack the horse. Is it coincidence? Or something else...... You decide.

I've got to download some pictures for my class and then study them.

If the course gets me thinking like it's already doing, it's well worth the couple of bucks to take it.

I'll keep you posted without giving away how Keena's secrets. All I know is that it should be very fun.

And no, I haven't completed today's writing challenge of spending 15 minutes with my novel. I'm off to dinner instead.

Ciou. And bon appetite!