Tag: dailyprompt

Posted in Life

What Was The Last Thing You Did For Play or Fun?

Posted on by jennrae

The last thing I did for fun was probably seeing a live action performance of Sweeney Todd. I have had fun since Christmas shopping can be fun. I enjoy finding movies at the pawn shops. I love physical media. I read for fun. Have been enjoying my reading my book on philosophy. Been enjoying the new Dune show.

Also, bought the Menu on DVD. I love that movie. All I am going to say on that movie because the fun part is being surprised. I guess I would have to define fun.

With the intention of just having a good time, we do tend to go through the thrift shops and the pawn shops looking for records, and movies and just to look around. But I do hope to have more fun soon.

Christmas day I am going to go see Nosferatu with my son. Should be interesting to say the least. I’d like to do another road trip or see a show, hopefully in March or thereabouts. We’ll see. Maybe go on a hike or a long walk this weekend. After this whole x-mas thing I should have more time.

Daily writing prompt
What was the last thing you did for play or fun?
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Posted in Life

List Your Top 5 Grocery Store Items

Posted on by jennrae

It depends on the store I am going to. Some things I get at Costco like protein bars, other things like super glue I get at Wal Mart. I use Misfits Market for most of the meat and fruit I get because they use stuff that would normally be thrown away because of shapes or sizes or overstock situations. I use Grove for cleaning products and soap.

I buy my cat food at Petco because they have the one brand Kit Kat likes. Kit Kat was adopted around Halloween five years ago, so she is named after a candy bar. My old cat is like ten she is a seal point American short hair who has some arthritis and needs lower calorie food. They are both indoor only for their safety.

When I go to the store for food I usually buy pasta, pasta sauce, whole bean coffee; I am a Washingtonian after all; and coffee creamer, lactose free milk, bread usually wheat or multigrain. I get my eggs from my parent’s chickens which saves me a fair amount since we love eggs. Easy and healthy protein.

I am more an in and out person than someone that enjoys shopping down every aisle. So I just get a few items as needed.

Daily writing prompt
List your top 5 grocery store items.
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Posted in Life

Describe A Man Who Has Positively Impacted Your Life.

Posted on by jennrae

I would have to say my Dad. He raised pheasants and quail with me when I was a child. I would help him build bird pens and take care of the animals. I always loved animals so it was a great bonding experience. And, I always enjoyed building things as well.

My Dad is a very good guy. I am lucky he is still around to hang out with and ask advice from. He was a hard worker, and was always punctual. He definitely was a good role model for my work ethic.

He could be moody, but I know now that some of that was the shift work at the mill. Sometimes he would work graveyard, and then we would have Christmas the next morning. Now I wonder how he did it. I would have been grumpy most of the time. I need my routine to be somewhat consistent to function.

I remember him always reading the newspaper with his coffee in his chair. I remember being terrified when I got a bad grade in school, not because he was abusive to me, but because I hated to disappoint him so much. I remember he shaved his beard off once, and I screamed and ran and thought he was a different person because he always had a beard.

Ultimately, he is the only man who has impacted me positively that I can think of at the moment. There have been others who have made me distrust people or made me reluctant to make connections. And, some that made me grow as a person in good or bad ways. I think all experience can teach a lesson of some kind. All my memories or choices have impacted me. Everyone I meet everyday can make an impact, and I can make an impact on them. I try to be conscious of that when I can.

Daily writing prompt
Describe a man who has positively impacted your life.
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Posted in Life

Is Your Life Today What You Pictured A Year Ago?

Posted on by jennrae

It is and it isn’t. If that makes any sense. A year ago I would have figured I would still be working at my current job, and live in the same place. But there was a lot of things I didn’t expect. I wouldn’t have seen me being this happy; getting back into writing; going to the gym consistently. A lot of these things I have only been doing for a couple weeks, but it still feels revolutionary in a weird way.

Usually I try to make changes around my birthday, or new years. Maybe because this seems random makes it different. I feel like I could conquer the world, if that is what I wanted to do.

I have always believed in the power of the mind. It is kind of amazing. I wasn’t that optimistic last year. I was just kind of floating through life. It feels like I woke up from a deep sleep. I have wasted a lot of time treading water, and now I want to live it all. I don’t want fear to hold me back anymore. I want to see and explore and go places. Truly live life.

Daily writing prompt
Is your life today what you pictured a year ago?
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Posted in Uncategorized

What Skills Or Lessons Have You Learned Recently?

Posted on by jennrae

I have learned it isn’t too late to fulfill a goal or a dream. As long as I still breathe there is hope that I can accomplish something meaningful. I have also learned that waiting for something to happen can be a way of procrastinating or avoiding life. I need to make life happen, not waiting for it to sort itself out.

I need to create my experiences and I need to enjoy the moments I do have. There is more to life than working and eating and sleeping. I forgot how much I need companionship and good cheer. I tend to isolate myself. Not intentionally of course, just being social takes work for me. It never came naturally. I always made easier friends with animals than people.

I guess I have learned to fake it pretty well. It is a skill to make it seem like you enjoy small talk. A skill that I have used for a long time, but I think I have gotten better at it. It isn’t like I don’t care. I actually care a great deal, I am just not good at showing it at times. And, I just don’t like the informal dance of How do you do, I’m Good thing that we do over and over. I guess I wish greetings were more original or varied. I enjoy getting to know a person, I don’t enjoy a crowd. I guess I have gotten better at dealing with it though.

Daily writing prompt
What skills or lessons have you learned recently?
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Posted in Uncategorized

What Cities Do You Want to Visit?

Posted on by jennrae

If price or time were not an issue, I would visit a ton of cities. I would love to go to Sicily someday. My great grandma was from there. Paloma I believe is the biggest or most known city there. I would also love to visit all the usual touristy places I suppose. Paris, London, Rome. All the old castles. I always wanted to see Dubrovnik. Medieval towns I find architecturally interesting.

My son wants to see a show in Chicago, he is going with friends but I may go just to be nearby because I am paranoid like that. I’ve been to San Antonio , and Houston, and Los Angeles, and Victoria BC. But, my travels have been pretty boring and uneventful.

It would be nice to see Europe. I haven’t been to Hawaii either. That is probably doable. Traveling anywhere right now would be cool except I can’t. The holidays is a blackout period for vacations where I work, so if I travel it will have to wait a bit. But, last few years I have been doing little mini road trips exploring Washington and Oregon. I want to revisit Canada, haven’t been there in ages. I also have Scandinavian heritage, mostly Danish, would love to go there.

All the British Isles, of course. Got English and Scottish heritage, my son has Irish and Welsh. So, would love to see everything. But, right now, I guess I will have to settle for more mundane fare. Maybe someday. Also, the French countryside would be cool. Provence. I took French in high school and college, I can still read a little. My pronunciation is atrocious though. But, I like lavender. I’m surrounded by it, I live in the Lavender capital of the us. So, might as well go where there is lavender. I actually don’t get sick of it. I like it, it reminds me of home. It grows out of the sidewalks here, I kid you not. It would be easier to answer where I don’t want to go.

I don’t want to go to someplace where there is a lot of anti us sentiment for obvious reasons. I don’t want to go someplace where I could be kidnapped or killed. But, take those places off the map and I am up for an adventure.

Daily writing prompt
What cities do you want to visit?
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Posted in Uncategorized

Do You Ever See Wild Animals?

Posted on by jennrae

Yes, I do see wild animals. Mostly deer, raccoons, possums and coyotes.

Also, a lot of wild birds. We have a nearby park, a couple of them actually where you can see a lot of wild birds. We get Canadian Geese that come through part of the year although they are gone in the winter. We have wild ducks as well, and I have even seen blue heron. I also see Bald Eagles and Red Tailed Hawks on a regular basis. Basically, everyday.

I have mixed feelings about Bald Eagles because they kill a lot of chickens and people’s pets around here. People have lost dogs and cats, and the aforementioned chickens. My parents lost their rooster, he was a cute mille fleur bantam. He kept the hens safe, but didn’t really stand a chance against such a big bird of prey. They had to put a mesh roof over it to stop it from coming back.

Deer will often just jump out into traffic too so you have to be careful driving around here. And, there is a local herd of elk here that can wander occasionally and block traffic. I’m lucky there are a lot of interesting animals.

There is a game farm around here, but I have mixed feelings about that too. I don’t really enjoy watching animals pace in enclosures. Although, it is like a drive thru zoo and the buffalo will go right up to the car which is cool. Originally it was filled with retired Disney animals from Charlie the Lonesome Cougar days. So, 70’s and 80’s. They have a lot of bears and such. But, I prefer to see native wildlife that are free and in their own habitat.

Daily writing prompt
Do you ever see wild animals?
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Posted in Life, Writing

Share Five Things You’re Good At.

Posted on by jennrae

Five things I am good at. I guess I am good at pretending to be more social or happy than I am. I work in customer service, and so it is kind of second nature for me to act like I am happy to see people, when in reality I’d rather be home typing on a keyboard. I’ve been doing it so long though that I don’t even have to think about it.

I am good at being on time, I plan ahead and take into account things like traffic and try to plan for the unexpected. I guess in a way I am good at planning things, making sure I have things taken care of should I need it.

I am a great reader. I used to not be when I was little because I had an overactive imagination and would just make up what I thought things said, but once I got it, I got it pretty good. I actually read faster than anyone I know. I used to think I was average, but every time I show an article to someone and we read it at the same time, I am always waiting forever for them to catch up.

I am good at drawing quick sketches, I can even do caricatures of people I know well, but I am not a professional by any means, and mostly I just do impulsive scribbles of dragons and horses and faces. But I am good at that.

I like to think writing, but honestly, I am not sure anymore. I try and I think I have improved. I do think I have some talent with ideas and presenting them in writing. And I have the imagination for it, but it is a matter of presenting it in a way that makes sense, is entertaining and is paced well. I seem to struggle with pacing, and too much information. Or I am just trying to do way too much all at once. But, I still think I am good at writing, just maybe not as good as I would like to be. Got to have goals though. I’ll get there.

Daily writing prompt
Share five things you’re good at.
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Posted in Life, Writing

What Is One Thing You Would Change About Yourself?

Posted on by jennrae

Mentally, I would like to be more disciplined. It is a struggle to keep motivated sometimes. I try to not to procrastinate, but there are days where I struggle. I wish it was easier to stay focused and on task.

Physically, I’m working on it. Basically get in better shape, financially also a work in progress, but working on it. Trying to create healthy habits all around so that I feel better about where I am going and that I am getting there. So far so good. I can’t complain about too much right now. Just gotta keep it up which is the key to success. I admit to not getting much if any writing done today. And, I slipped up on the social networking on X as well.

I’ll be honest, this is going to be difficult because this is the busy season for my day job, and I can be downright exhausted at the end of the day, plus sometimes I do not get the long lunch hour I normally get. I can’t even go home for lunch. It is just starting to ramp up, but I can feel it arriving very soon. It has definitely begun. I work for a large employer who has to do with mailing packages and such. That is as specific as I am going to get because they are weird about social media and I am not representing work on here in any way, shape, or form. End of that disclaimer.

Just saying I may have quiet days coming up because it will be a challenge and a possible roadblock. I guess If I was independently wealthy and could just focus on writing that would be awesome. At least on paper.

I have found when I take a vacation with the intent of getting a bunch of writing done, that I waste a lot more time and I am a lot less productive. So, me being in charge of my schedule doesn’t seem like it would be a winner. I may be the type of person that requires a deadline or a limitation of some sort to thrive. I always did best when I turned that final paper in for college at the last minute and pulled an all-nighter to get it done. It is like the pressure is good for me, even though it can be anxiety inducing.

Daily writing prompt
What is one thing you would change about yourself?
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Posted in Life

What Are Your Feelings About Eating Meat?

Posted on by jennrae

I have mixed feelings about eating meat. For a very long time I wouldn’t eat beef, or lamb. I still don’t eat lamb or veal. Avoiding red meat wasn’t hard, I did it as a kid. I wish I could say it was about the animals, but at the time it wasn’t. I just didn’t like steak and hamburger, and it would make me gag. Something about the gristle and fatty bits would make me retch. So, I wasn’t a fan of most meat.

The only meat I would eat consistently was turkey or chicken. We raised birds, but we didn’t usually butcher and eat our chickens. I think my mom got attached and it would’ve been like eating a pet, better to get the ones we didn’t know from the store.

But I didn’t have any ethical concerns at that age. I could easily divorce the product from the animal, especially because I didn’t do much, if any, of the cooking. Now, I can eat hamburger without retching, and so I now occasionally eat beef. I still don’t eat it everyday. But now that I am older I also hear and learn more about how the animals used for slaughter are treated.

So, now I have ethical concerns, especially with chicken. The idea of living your whole life in a small box. That is actually what inspired the Alice In Chains song “Man in the Box.” It is kind of horrific. Nowadays, I still eat mostly poultry, occasional beef. But rarely pork. But it is hard, I have to cook the chicken, and I can see what it used to be. I applaud those that can not eat meat.

I don’t eat it everyday, I like a lot of vegetarian style meals, but sometimes it is less expensive to have chicken and rice if I am feeling less than adventurous. I always say a sort of internal prayer to the meat like “I’m sorry, and I’m thankful that you gave up your life so I can eat. I hope you didn’t suffer too much.”

At least I get the eggs from my mom’s chickens which are spoiled rotten. They eat better and have more enrichment than some people. And, they die peacefully of old age when their time comes. I do think the eggs taste better for it. There isn’t any fear, there is a richer flavor, and the yolk is more orange than yellow suggesting they are getting a better diet.

If I didn’t live in the middle of town I would have chickens in a heart beat, bantams, just because they are smaller. I don’t know if I could butcher and eat them. I am a bit soft hearted like my mom. Maybe if civilization comes crashing down and I have to live like the old days I could find the inner strength to do that to survive. But, until then I will just do the best I can and be grateful for the food I do have. I try not to waste any food, because I know it can be hard to come by, and I know the animal made the ultimate sacrifice. I don’t want it to be in vain.

Daily writing prompt
What are your feelings about eating meat?
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