Friday

After a few days of sub-zero weather, I ventured outside for a walk. I needed to put my Senior Games application in the nearest mailbox. Hopefully, it will arrive on time.

Can't remember when I last took a walk. My body told me it's been too long. Man, my legs felt so tired when I was halfway to my destination!

I'm still wearing PJs for much of the day (underneath my jeans). 

So...what am I going to do at the Johnston County Senior Games? I'll submit a poem and sing a Linda Ronstadt song.

#coldweather #pajamas #seniorgames

Catch up with Tulip

Cat-proofing efforts have stopped over the last few days. I picked up more metal racks that I'll put behind the TV when I have a chance. Lately, I've ignored her obnoxious attempts to feed her NOW. I just worry that the whole television set will end up needing replacing. If I ignore her antics long enough, maybe she will give up.

Patience is a virtue I rarely have an abundance of.

It's been peaceful while Tulip is napping on the back of my recliner. Since I started typing this sentence, she woke up. 

I tried to video Tulip, but the file was too big to attach. That is something I need to learn how to do. Some other day.

Interesting News

Tuesday, February 11, 2025 www.mydailyrecord.com

It’s not every day that I pick up a local newspaper. 

• In The Week in Review, for example, you’d get four pages of old news (history), local sports, religious dinners, and slews of public notices for the Benson-Four Oaks area. In other words, there’s seldom anything in the rag that I would spend (waste) fifty-three cents on. 

• The Daily Record at least reports salacious happenings in and around Harnett County. These public records made for fascinating reading this week.

The Record lists restaurant health inspections, DWI arrests, real estate transactions, marriages and divorces, among other categories. While perusing the public records for Child Support, two individuals stood out to me as the worst offenders. It left me scratching my head, wondering what was so appealing to multiple women about these men. (Low standards?)

Reginald M’s name showed up four times. He obviously likes to get around.

• Betty was owed $11,777.66

• Monica was owed $1,171.18

• Trynika’s past due amount was $6,363.22

• Lastly, Rhonda was owed $2,287.76

Grand Total of $21,599.82

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Next is Joey P. He only had two women trying to get child support.

• Kimberly had $9,064.39 in past due payments

• Linda was due $4,046.32.

Grand Total of $13,110.71

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Weren’t any of these women aware of each other? 

Of course, there were plenty of other individuals named. One Baby Daddy to one Baby Mama; you can bet each man shirked his fatherly duties. Apparently, publishing these records holds no shame for them. If they get sent to jail, the kids would still suffer. Can someone please find a workable solution to this commonplace dilemma? (We know birth control and abortions are out).

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Where is Jerry Springer when you need him?

I'm Slipping

Ordinarily, I react quickly to the sounds of something falling to the floor. Tonight I came home from the grocery store with three items: a ream of copy paper, a piece of pig pickin' cake, and another item I've forgotten already. I left the full shopping bag on the kitchen counter to use the bathroom. While there, I heard something land on the floor.

It wasn't until I re-entered the kitchen when I found that Tulip tried to get to the cake. I'm sure she would have figured out how to open the plastic clamshell container. The cake and frosting were a jumbled (but delicious) mess.

Now, is Tulip smart, or am I dumb? 

Both statements may be correct.

Write On!

Today was the inaugural meeting of my weekly class, Write On! at the Benson Center for Active Aging. The four women and I had a great time discussing a wide variety of topics. Some differences were raised between a country mouse and a city mouse; which sparked further discussions. We discussed our origin stories: where we were raised, our religions, and our favorite foods associated with a special time in our lives. All of this was food for thought: fodder for how we can write about anything.

In fact, that was this week's class assignment. 

• Write about a food that connects you to a special memory in your life.  

I brought copies of my two novels, Merilee's Journey and Liberty's Scrapbook. Without any attempt at marketing, four copies of the latter were sold. (Thank you all!)

The public is welcome to attend each Tuesday from 1 to 3PM. If you have something to read, please bring it to the class. Expect a ten-minute writing prompt, reading what we wrote, and free-wheeling conversations and writing tips.

How do you write? Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you know the difference?

A plotter uses outlines to plan what they write. A pantser writes by the "seat of their pants." Whichever way works for you...just go for it!

Book Launch

Last night's book launch was fun. I had the support of my fellow writers and my Scrabble friends. For a few people, this was the first time they visited Sisters II Ice Cream. 

I was happy to mail a check for a third of the night's proceeds to benefit Harbor House. While I'll never get rich being an indie author, my writing will have made a teensy impact for the deserving women's shelter.