To, Too, and Two as well

17 Replies

Why can’t we just stick with one word for too? When I looked up its definition I found that also and as well are considered to mean the same thing. I have noticed that “as well” has taken over for too at the end of sentences where too used to be. I feel this is great injustice to too. I do not know how as well won out over too. What’s so great about as well? To me is sounds so stuffy and cold. The word too is almost musical. It is friendly and inclusive, like when we say me too or I love you too. Doesn’t it sound a bit stiff to say I love you as well? And too can be very enthusiastic and over the top if it wants to, like too much, too big, too funny, too cool and anything else you want to indicate is above average. And it takes up less space than as well to boot.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday

If You Leave Me

36 Replies

He told Sammie, If you leave me, you’ll end up in the gutter. A big part of her believed him. Everyone they knew thought Jeff was the model husband. People were so quick to believe the lame excuse for the bruises. How could she get the courage to leave? It was that quote she read in the newspaper, “If you’re feeling helpless, help someone,” by that tiny woman, Aung San Suu Kyi. Sammie decided to volunteer at the Community Clinic. Jill, the social worker, had recognized the signs and asked the questions. She helped Sammie pack her things.

Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Image by C.E. Ayr.

FIC

The Greatest Gift

24 Replies

Anbu had struggled to make his farm prosperous for his wife Aasha, yet he was barely scratching out a living. He had been unlucky in another way. He and Aasha were unable to have children. In a desperate attempt to succeed he had given his last few coins to buy a few game birds hoping they would breed and their offspring would bring a good price at the market. He had gone out to feed his small flock when he was transfixed by a magical sight. A beautiful white peacock stood in the middle of his flock and fanned its tail. He couldn’t wait to tell Aasha. This bird would bring a great price at the market. That was when he heard the peacock speak. If you spare me from the market I will bring you a greater prize. Anbu told himself he must be crazy but he kept the white bird. That spring his wife gave birth to a daughter. They named her Aashirya.

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers hosted by Priceless Joy

Indescribable Beauty

24 Replies

There are many indescribably beautiful natural sights in my home state of California. I am not a flowery writer who can speak poetically in my description. Even if I were, I think the beauty is so great that words can not do it justice. One of the natural wonders that come to mind are the coastal redwood groves off the Avenue of the Giants in Northern California. The trees are so big they give you the impression of being in a prehistoric landscape. Some of the trees there are thousands of years old. They are resistant to insects and fire but are threatened by the wind effect that has been created by the new freeway that was put in near there. Some of the trees are getting blown over. Another indescribably beautiful sight is the view from the coastal Highway 1 on a sunny day. The section between Monterey/Carmel and Cambria are particularly magnificent but I like the view between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay as well. If you get a chance to visit San Simeon take a look toward the ocean from atop the hills there. The Hurst Family has kept a large swath of land from the castle down to the ocean free from development by giving the land to a nature conservancy. Thank you Hurst family. That is the Hurst family of William Randolph Hurst, who was a wealthy newspaper owner. The classic film Citizen Kane was supposed to be based in part on his life. And the castle I am talking about is Hurst Castle in San Simeon. Highway 101 from Ventura and up the state to Salinas allows a view of soft rolling hills dotted with oak trees and nowadays acres and acres of vineyards have popped up along the highway. The Salinas area is called “the Salad Bowl of the World.” This is where so much produce is grown. Near Santa Cruz you will find fields of artichokes. The original wine country in Northern California is another favorite, with Sonoma and Napa counties. Sonoma has The Valley of the Moon. Jack London lived there. Who wouldn’t love a place called The Valley of the Moon. I had a chance to visit the city of Healdsburg in Sonoma county not too long ago. Wine is a major product in California all up and down the state. I did not think Sonoma could hold any more vineyards and then I saw the vineyards around Healdsburg, as far as the eye can see. San Francisco is where I was born. It holds a special place in my heart , a jewel of a city. There are some pretty nice views there as well looking down from Nob Hill to the bay. A well known San Francisco Newspaper columnist from the past said of San Francisco:

“One day if I do go to heaven…. I’ll look around and say, It ain’t bad but it ain’t San Francisco.” —Herb Caen

I’ve only scratched a very small surface with my descriptions, I have left out many places like Yosemite ,(a famous national park), Sequoia National Park, Mendocino, Santa Barbara, San Diego, La Jolla, and oh well you get the idea. There is just too much to cover in my stream of consciousness and in one small post. I hope you will get a chance to visit my beautiful state of California someday.

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Here’s a drones eye view of San Francisco by danesdrone that I have posted previously:

There is another beautiful city that we are all thinking about and hoping they soon heal from the terrible recent events. I have not had the privilege of seeing beautiful Paris but hope I will someday.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosted by Linda G Hill

Mood Indigo

20 Replies

We don’t always have to be perky bunnies, do we? We can have low times. I am not talking about Depression. Because full blown Depression is not a mood to luxuriate in. I read an essay The Case for Melancholy by Loren Stover, which had some good points. That there is this big push to be Happy :))))) all the time and if you are not then you can read an article in Huffington Post, and just follow these 3 easy steps, and find your bliss.

There is something to be said for quiet, down days, when you can take it slow and think deep thoughts, or take naps, or watch old romantic movies, or read old romantic books, and recharge your batteries.

Stover says Happiness is overrated and bit much for us to aspire to continually, “Happiness, like the sun, is ridiculously bright, a hope you can never live up to, or even look at straight on.” At least not all the time. I am grateful I have experienced joyful times and some happiness but not continually. That would probably be a little weird, like Stepford Wives.

Her advice: “Should melancholy descend, you may as well welcome it, wear your finest lounging outfit; give it your finest fainting couch or chaise to lounge in, or that hammock stretched between two elm trees. Let it settle in….and no running shoes under any circumstances.”

Yes, no running shoes. No braggy, happy face of you on Facebook completing your 5 K or whatever.

A little quiet music:

Via DavidFarandWide on You Tube:

and

via evie 1942

and via disc 070s

What are your thoughts?

The Forgotten Cemetery

26 Replies

The cemetery next to the old church was a bit rundown and neglected. Ann let the girls play quietly outside while she talked to the Minister about an upcoming wedding. She was the event planner for the church and loved weddings. As she left the chapel she was struck by the contrast between the great joys of life and the sorrows that the cemetery represented. It was even sadder because the site looked almost abandoned. They were about to leave when they noticed the little flag on one of the headstones. They were drawn to read the inscription. He gave his life in the defense of his country. Rest in Peace.

In honor of Veterans Day 11/11/15

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Cemetery image by J. Hardy Carroll

You Can Buy (Fake) Followers, Likes, and Viewers

27 Replies

I read about this in an article by Constant Dullaart in Hyperallergic, Why I’m Amassing an Army of Fake Facebook Followers, where he states he bought fake followers with “Profiles made to look like actual people, made to follow any profile I wanted for $0.002 each, so $5,000 bought me 2.5 million followers.” He says that there are people already doing this to make their product, candidate, and art look much more popular than they really are.

Isn’t it satisfying, a bit scary, ( and humbling I hope), to see more Followers for your blog? I mean real followers, not ones you bought and paid for.

image by Kate Ter Haar

Dullaart goes on to say how some artists were basing the market value of their work on You Tube views and being influenced on the types of work they produced according to the social media responses. He calls this trend in marketing ” the attention economy.” It turns my stomach a little.

A friend of mine just wrote that he received an email offering lots of fake views for a cheap cost. It sounds similar to what Dullaart was saying.

I like to think that I will go on writing whatever I write according to my inner inspiration, feelings, and things I feel strongly about, and not get too overly upset or influenced by Likes and Followers.

The best reason I have for liking real Likes, Comments, and Follows is that people show me they are reading what I am writing, which is encouraging. How do you feel about Social Media responses influencing what you write and are you shocked by the article and my blogger friend reporting the ability to buy followers, likes, and views?

The Love Mobile

26 Replies

Robin always said that when her Love Mobile finally quit working she would settle down, where ever that happened to be. It broke down in Santa Fe outside a small gift shop that was owned by a man called Sam Raveneyes. A Help Wanted sign hung in the window. She felt drawn into the shop as if an invisible cord was reeling her in. From the moment their eyes met there was a recognition of the two spirits. They had met in a long ago time. I have been waiting for you, Sam whispered. He had said aloud what she felt in her heart. She knew she was home to stay and so was the Love Mobile.

Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers is hosted by Priceless Joy. Love Mobile image via pixabay.com

Cat is Sometimes Spelled with a K

16 Replies

I’m all cattywampus

or should I say catawampus?

I’ve been looking and looking for words

that will fit the category

of those containing the word spelled c-a-t

Here is the rule

Proclaimed by Linda our leader

And she is no fool:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “-cat-” Use the letters at the start, middle, or end of a word and make it the subject of your post – or just use the word “cat.” Enjoy!

To catalogue cat words I felt assured

Would be so easy it was almost absurd

But I came to find to my great chagrin

There are many cat sounding words

But in the cat category they do not fit in

How frustrating this can be

Many are spelled with a “k” instead of a “c”

Like Saskatchewan

and Saskatoon

Krakatoa

and Kathmandu

What is a cat word cataloger supposed to do?

This is a catastrophe! I caterwauled

I now understand and know it is true

It is catch as catch can

So I think I’ll sail off

in my catamaran 🙂

For Stream of Consciousness Saturday hosted by Linda G Hill

Disturb at Your Own Risk

46 Replies

The wild fires had prepared the site, El Nino rains brought the mudslides, and the hillsides gave up some of their secrets. Two skulls and a femur were found by some mountain hikers. The police said they will open their missing persons files. The call came in to the Sheriff’s Station on a quiet Sunday morning. Another hiker had spotted something. The deputy dispatched to the scene called it in, I think this is a job for Animal Control. Yeah, it looks like a tentacle. Wait a minute, it’s moving! The dispatcher heard a muffled scream and then nothing.

Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. Image provided by Connie Gayer.

Blue Ceiling FF