A to Z Challenge – B

The letter B…

My mom and dad always had books they were reading as we were growing up.  And they passed that love of reading onto me and my sister.  I loved to read and read a lot of books to my daughter as she was growing up.  She in turn now is always using her spare time for reading.  I don’t read like I used to.  I was at a place with my vision where with my glasses on I couldn’t see the print, but with my glasses off to read, I couldn’t see at a distance if I looked up for some reason.  So last month I broke down and saw the doctor.  I am now the proud owner of a pair of bifocals.

Photo by Oziel Gómez on Pexels.com

My hope is that I will be able to resume my reading of books now.  I do still have the issues of fibro fog making me forget what I have already read sometimes.  I do read a lot of blogs too.  Any time I read something short or long it can transport me out of my life for a while to live through the characters.  So, if you haven’t guessed yet, my B gratitude is for books!

A to Z Challenge – A

There is this challenge going on in April.  An A to Z challenge and I think I want to try to write for it like I did last year.  Often people will offer a theme for their part in the challenge.  I have given it a lot of thought and will be doing A to Z gratitudes.  In this time of crisis around the world we should all focus on the good things we still have and show gratitude as often as you can.  Focusing in on the things I am grateful for during this shut down and isolation will help me cope a little too.  As today is April first I say let’s jump into it…

 

The letter A…

There is something to be said about timing.  Sometimes things just work out well even though they were not planned that way.  I would not call myself a gamer, but I do indulge in the occasional video game and have a couple of games on my phone.  One game my daughter and I have played for years is called Animal Crossing.  It is a all age friendly little game about village life.  There was a new version for the Nintendo Switch that just came out about a week ago.  This time you are on a deserted island and you do a little island hopping to gather friends to join you on the island until it becomes a little village.  You can fish, catch bugs and take care of trees, weeds and flowers.  A little shop sets up on the island for some supplies.  It is a cute little time killer.  And with our governor requesting us all to stay home I have lots of time to play.  So, for me the letter A gratitude goes to Animal Crossing.

A to Z Challenge – Zest

Z is for Zest

No, I am not going to tell you about soap.  It is something I try really hard to hang onto on bad days like today has been… a zest for life.  I have hurt and felt worthless and a burden most of the day.  But I have tried to take care of myself and do what is best for me.  Every bad day can be balanced out with good ones.  You just have to remember you will make it through the bad to the good.

I also learned a little something when I battled cancer and there is no way you can face a disease like that and not crave life affirmations.  So good days or bad there is always something worse that could be happening so hold onto the good you can find and LIVE life.  Even if you have to take part of a day off to do a little self care… climb back on the horse and do something fun, new or unexpected.

I have enjoyed this A to Z Challenge, I hope you have too and learned a little about me.  Now for one last time… follow my A to Z challenge:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y

A to Z Challenge – Y…

Y is for …

I have struggled with this letter.  I like yogurt, but not enough to post about it.  I do some yoga as my pained body can handle it.  I had a yo-yo as a kid but really sucked at playing with it.  I hate the term YOLO.  I was even young once (believe it or not) but I think that is not a phenomenon exclusive to me.  But then I thought of you.

This is a time to be glad I have 624 followers, although there a few I haven’t seen on here in quite a while, plus there are those who follow solely for the reason to get a follow back.  But I still think it is nice that more than 600 people took the time to press that follow button.

You have also visited me 13,000 times.  That is a lot of people wandering through my blog world.  And it hardly felt the least bit crowded!

So, I dedicate this letter to YOU and thank you for sharing this journey called life with me.  ❤ (((HUGS))) ❤

 

Follow my A to Z challenge:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X

A to Z Challenge – Xanadu

X is for Xanadu

In part Merriam-Webster calls Xanadu “a generalized term for an idyllic place.”  A paradise to escape to, an island dream… or an 80’s movie.  Ok so I LOVE music, and musicals have a special place in my heart.  It is NOT an academy award winner but it was a “cute” film.  And I may be bias as I have always loved Olivia Newton-Johns singing as well as ELO.  So the album does reside in my record collection.  I unfortunately don’t have the DVD yet, but every once in a while it pops up on tv.

But if I were to pick an idyllic place for my own Xanadu, it would be in the country near water.  Lots of gentle animals to see and NO bugs.  But back to the movie…

I also have to credit Gene Kelley.  He didn’t get to dance a lot in the movie, but he has always made it look so doggone easy!  Really smooth moves!

So, yes I am a fan of Xanadu and I am only a little afraid to admit it.  LOL!

 

Follow my A to Z challenge:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W

A to Z Challenge – Writer

W is for writer

This letter was kind of a no-brainer.  I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t write.  I wouldn’t put words out there if I didn’t want them read.  So I am a writer.  Now I would LOVE to be a paid writer some day, but for now I am happy that I can connect with one or two people here with my blog.

I have been writing poems off and on since I was in junior high school.  I have always found it somewhat therapeutic to get the sad, mad or glad feelings out on paper… especially the sad ones.  If not the thoughts just fester and it is no good for anyone.

My dream would be to have a book of poems with some pictures I have taken.  But I am too unsure of my writing to take the plunge and put my words up for criticism.  The blogging community has been so kind to me I feel really comfortable here.  I am a writer.  Come read with me.

 

Follow my A to Z challenge:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V

A to Z Challenge – Video Games

V is for video games

I was kind of born at the right time.  As an elementry student we got our first Pong game.  For those of you too young to know, video games started extremely basic and we were all gaga over them!  It wasn’t long before we moved up to the Atari 2600.  Space Invaders, Surround, Pole Position… all very boxy looking games now, but the greatest thing in the mid to late 70’s.

The Atari continued to produce new games and it wasn’t long before PacMan hit the arcades.  I loved it!  I was not a master at it, but I could often get the top score at the arcade.  Ah, the arcades!  I was a teenager and my friend had her driver’s license so we would hit the arcades in town, especially the one with the cute guys working there!  We knew all of them by name in no time.  We thought we were hot stuff.  (I can’t help but laugh at that now!)

Arcades began to fade when home systems evolved into more memory and better graphics.  We never had the Nintendo or Playstation until much later.  But we played lots of games on out Atari computer.  There was Preppy (a Frogger take off where you mowed the lawn at the country club) text adventure games (one, if I remember right, was called Escape and you just had to go through a series of events to make it down to the ground floor in a high rise.) and Lemmings (where you directed the lemmings which way to go so they would not die).

By the time I hit college the hot game for me was Tapper where you served beer in different saloon settings.  I was the master of it in the campus game room! Then life happened and before long I became a mom and picked very carefully what my daughter played.  Actually that is not true.  I tried not to sensor her too much and I know she and her cousin were well below the recommended age for Conker’s Bad Fur Day.

It became a tradition in our house, when there was a snow day I would stay home and we would play Paper Mario all day. As she ages she played more and more games alone and I sat down with Animal Crossing to play a nice mind numbing game.

Now a days it is phone games or Wii.  I still play video games and get all excited if there is a PacMan, Ms PacMan, or Frogger game any place we go.  I hope to join a Wii bowling league when I get old enough to go to the senior center.  😂🤣

 

Follow my A to Z challenge:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U