I do, yes

Do you vote in political elections?

It was our local elections on Thursday. The candidate i like won. He lives in the neighborhood and gives a damn.

I was a bit alarmed at how well Reform did, overall.

Still feeling grim with this thing. Note to self. When asked if I  want the pneumonia/flu jab, next time just say ‘ Yes please’.

One by one

Do you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?

‘ Count your blessings’.  I tend to tell myself this quite a lot. It’s valid.

Whenever I feel a bit mizzy I will have a word with myself and say ‘ get a grip’.

It’s quite apt at the moment as I’ve been feeling quite unwell since last weekend. I was concerned and it wasn’t until I thought to myself I hadn’t felt this ill since I had COVID I wondered if that was it. I did a test but it was negative. So I guess it’s the flu of some description,  that’s properly flooring me. Not very nice whatever it is. The paracetamol with caffeine has kicked in, allowing me to put pen to paper here. I’ve not contributed much to the Daily Prompt for a good few days.

Hopefully I’ll get my mojo back before too long. In the meantime I will count my blessings one by one, it’s nothing more serious..

First ever smiley face?

What are your favorite emojis?

This jug, dated 1700BC, was unearthed in 2003 in an archeologically dig on the Turkish-Syrian border, but the smiley face was not revealed until this Hittite piece was restored in 2017.Β  Word is it would have been used for drinking sherbet, a sweet drink….I wonder how they determined that?

πŸ₯³πŸ˜‚πŸ’“πŸ’—πŸ€£πŸ˜†πŸŒ„πŸŒžπŸ˜˜πŸ˜³πŸ˜­πŸ˜±πŸ™„πŸ˜ŽπŸ‡΅πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦

If you aren’t paying for a service, you are the service, they say.

How do you unwind after a demanding day?

I am very grateful to Matt Mullenweg and his co-founder Mike Little for this space they have given us for free. ( Yep, we can pay for premium) Allowing us to say/write what we want when we want. I don’t know who originally coined the phrase ‘ if you’re not the service/product……….’ Several claim it was their thought first off. Tristan Harris and Andrew Lewis have both had their names attached to it. But here in this tiny corner it isn’t the case is it? They really do let us have it for free. No strings. Thank you, Sirs.

Today, if I may, I’d like to address the department which is Daily Prompt. Being a relative newbie here I am not noticing any repeats, but many of the other guys mention it from time to time. I think I could handle a couple of them as there is always something left unsaid, or another angle to come from. But already I digress, that’s not what I initially wanted to say.

So, today you are asking how do we all unwind after a demanding day. Thing is I have now got off the treadmill and escaped that rat race. So, unwinding is second nature. Something I have perfected to the extreme, you could say. Zen it is.

But actually it’s not about me ( for a change) I write about today….but the folk who love to come here to write who are physically, mentally or emotionally unable to partake in a demanding day. And now how ridiculous that sounds as the words leave my head and I look at them in print! Life for those with challenges are almost by definition demanding, aren’t that? Silly me!

What I am trying to say and not very well is how much thought goes into the Daily Prompts, you generously supply us with each morning. How hard do you consider the bigger picture? Sometimes you ask about family or parents, what if some of the folk here don’t have any, what if someone doesn’t have a demanding day, not for the want of trying, but they just can’t. There are lots of prompts/scenarios that don’t resonate, simply don’t evoke anything at all?

And here is where you emphasize they are prompts not briefs….I really am not complaining WordPress, as I said I’m having fun here, I just look at that bigger picture and wonder how folk are going to answer…..and that’s the point, I guess. Mmmm.

For the record listening to rainfall on an app is the ultimate way for me to chill……which is a bit strange really, as extreme weather is something I fear.

I would be truly amazed if anyone has actually read to the end here. If you have, I thank you for taking the time out today. Have yourselves a safe and pleasant day. Best wishes All xxx

Navigating the Wild West

How do you use social media?

Once you have learnt to bypass the fake news, AI generated content, advertising and plagiarism and given a wide berth to the Influencers ( do people really forget they are paid to endorse those products?) you are on your way. Rants, raves, negativity and nastiness pushed aside the path becomes much clearer and you can reach your objective quite easily.

I love Bluesky. From there I can get links to news items and lifestyle articles from The Guardian, the only unbiased newspaper out there, it seems to me.It gives me access to things that make me smile, laugh out loud on occasions. Heartwarming things appear there too. We all need those from time to time to counteract just how brutal life is getting out there.

Weirdly I get totally taken in by hairdressing clips. Dogs agility will hold my attention for way too long.

On the Socials I can chat to old friends and make new ones, and do have the apps for most of the platforms, but use them in varying degrees, depending on my mood. I’m enjoying the WordPress Daily Prompt a great deal and from The Reader I get to see the latest posts from those lovely peeps I subscribe to. It’s so interesting to read other folks slant on life.

I’d like to leave Twitter, but some of the charitable organisations I follow, mainly animal rescue related, are there only. I respond and repost to all their posts about rehoming the often broken souls, so brutally abandoned and abused.

If I need to lean how to do something I’ll go straight to YouTube. I have my trusted companion of course, but even with four legs it’s limited what he can achieve. And anyways if he’s not playing, sunbathing, out walking or eating, he’s asleep.

To keep my grey matter in place I’ll play games of all descriptions most days….and yes, I scroll….for longer than I should, but hey. I’m not hurting anyone.

Dear Lily…..Thank you x

Describe a positive thing a family member has done for you.

Today, once at again I’m tapping away on my tablet, with my left hand only. The dog currently commandeering the whole of my right side. Lily would smile at this comical stance, I’m sure. She liked dogs and had a lovely thick coated crossbreed called Darkie. There was a cat at her house too. Liquorice a tabby plus.

Genetically I wasn’t related to Lily, but she did more for me in the years she looked after me than anything my blood relatives ever did. Today I would like to honour her and give thanks for everything.

I was only two weeks old when this wonderful soul came into our lives. With two young sons and a new baby my mom was struggling to cope. I am sure my dad would have been of little or no help at all.

And so it was when Lily’s own daughter fled the nest ( more about her (SB) in a future post) that I was invited into the void she had left behind, her bedroom became mine and I was safe. At the same time my own mom had fled, too. Without the safety net which was Lily I don’t know how I would have coped, at all.

There is so much more to write about her and my life with her, but for now to answer the DP. What positive thing a family member has done for me? The answer is she did everything she possibly could do for me. I thank you. R.I.P πŸ’œ

*Also, thank you SB for sharing your mom with me x

Arthur….I haven’t forgotten you x