Tag: dailyprompt

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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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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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Posted in Writing

What Technology Would You Be Better Off Without, Why?

Posted on by jennrae

Smart appliances and smart devices. I feel like the more app focused things in a house or a car, or anything really, the more dependent we are on technology doing things and thinking for us. A good example would be something like Google Maps.

I have noticed a decline in navigation skills in a lot of younger people, and even myself. I have gotten used to the app, and no longer pay as much attention to the actual roads or try to investigate alternate routes. And then the app gets confused in an alley and I can’t figure out my own way out of it.

I guess I feel any technology that can cause dependence or less cognitive function can be bad in the long run. We need to foster critical thinking and problem solving and increasingly this app based tech encourages less thinking and less problem solving which if it were to continue to get integrated into our lives may eventually make us unable or unwilling to figure out solutions.

Eventually all technology and civilizations stumble and fall. If it has a beginning, it inevitably has an end. If it were to end with us unable to problem solve, we would be unable to rebuild and it would be an ugly end. Or perhaps the people who could rediscover these skills would be the only people that could survive.

Daily writing prompt
What technology would you be better off without, why?
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Posted in Life

What’s the Hardest Decision You’ve Ever Had to Make? Why?

Posted on by jennrae

The hardest for me was to admit I needed help and to move back to my hometown when I was pregnant. I have always been very stubborn, and very independent. So, admitting I was out of my depth and needed help was very hard. And, dealing with it all by myself was too much. I needed to be closer to my family and I needed the support. I had left a very ugly domestic violence situation and so was very isolated.

So, I was very alone, and the stakes were very real. It was the best decision I made because sometimes you have to admit you need other people and I really don’t know what would have happened to me had I stayed over there. I’ve made a lot of dumb decisions or at least questionable ones in the past. I kind of learn by stumbling around figuring things out as I go. Someone was looking out for me to give me the wisdom I needed in that moment. I believe that.

Daily writing prompt
What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why?
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Do You or Your Family Make Any Special Dishes for the Holidays?

Posted on by jennrae

My mom loves to cook and makes enough food to feed an army. I used to bring a salad on occasion, but there is always too much food. We have all the usual fixings for an American Thanksgiving. Turkey, ham, stuffing and cranberry sauce. We usually also have candied yams, and some kind of fruit salad and a pea salad.

Usually we also have deviled eggs and celery sticks with cheese filling. Olives, and biscuits. Of course a thick gravy with mashed potatoes. Sometimes roasted asparagus or brussels sprouts. Sparkling cider to drink as well and an apple pie, possibly a pumpkin pie.

Basically a pretty normal fare, nothing too different or unusual. But what I like most about Thanksgiving is spending the quality time with my family and joining together around the table. It is like Christmas without all the stuff and expectations. In a lot of ways, I prefer it. I hope everyone has a good day tomorrow, whether you celebrate or not, just good vibes all around.

Jenny Rae

Daily writing prompt
Do you or your family make any special dishes for the holidays?
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Posted in Life

If You Didn’t Need Sleep, What would you do with all the Extra Time?

Posted on by jennrae

I actually haven’t been sleeping much. Just too excited with all these plans for all these things, and with the way twitter and my website are doing. I’m just really pleased so far how things are going.

That being said, I would probably write and post round the clock. Everyone might get sick of it, I don’t know. I would probably be ready to publish something. Maybe more than one something.

My house would probably be spotless too. I had a brief stint when I was unemployed, and that seems to have gotten a lot of the extra time when I wasn’t looking for work, I was cleaning. Maybe reorganize things. I all ready went through my movie collection recently. I have a lot of movies. Most are good, some are random ones people gave me. Most are good though. Maybe I’d reorganize my CD changer it is a mess. I bought it in 1997 I think. Still works. I also still have my PlayStation 2, also still works. Maybe fix some computers. Got an old laptop that I was hoping had some story files on it, but it only had one. I have a walk in closet that has hard copies of everything I’ve ever written, but damn if I can find anything in there. Maybe go through that. That would take a lot of time. Maybe do more drawing or take up painting. That would be fun. So little time, so much to do!

Daily writing prompt
If you didn’t need sleep, what would you do with all the extra time?
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Top 3 Pet Peeves

Posted on by jennrae

I don’t like it when someone makes me repeat myself. It shows they aren’t really listening and it is very annoying. I also don’t like it when people don’t say thank you, or appear grateful. I guess I find it rude, and rudeness is annoying.

I also don’t like when someone says they will be there at a certain time, and they show up really late. It has to be more than ten minutes though. I personally hate being late, but I am realistic as far as traffic and unaccounted for things.

These pet peeves aren’t like serious deal breakers. I will still stay friends or continue talking to someone.

I’m the type who seethes on the inside and I may grumble about it a bit, but I don’t hold grudges and I don’t have ill will or anger toward anyone. If I do get upset, it doesn’t last. I am usually over it within hours. Life is too short to waste it on negative energy.

Daily writing prompt
Name your top three pet peeves.
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