Category: Uncategorized

Lens-Artists Challenge #359 – Tools of Photo Composition: Lines, Colors, and Patterns

Fandango’s Flashback Friday — August 1st

Now I see you have purchased yet another garden gnome

This seems to be your need, a gnome donsy garden to decorate our home

I think it’s looking like this is where all of the seven dwarfs roamed.

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Sijo Poem

W3 Prompt #170: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Cannot believe it’s already August! My oldest friend’s birthday is today which is good, but August is also holding a couple of events I’m not looking forward to. My granddaughter is leaving in less than two weeks for college, and also turns nineteen. She is looking forward to it, of course and I’m happy for her and she is growing up so fast, it seems. And this year is my last birthday before a huge milestone🙄😵‍💫

And btw, where has this year gone? I think I’ve been gobsmacked so often since T took office, the calendar goes by the wayside. That’s one of the curses and rewards of being retired. Let’s look at that word, RE tired. The dictionary says, “having left one’s job and ceased to work”. Archaic meaning: “of a place) quiet and secluded; not seen or frequented by many people.” I think the second definition fits better. Being a grandmother, you never cease to work. But RE tired fits well. If you are not keeping busy, the tiredness can take you over, you don’t get out of bed til late, you cease to “fix” yourself to present a pleasant looking appearance, you slump in your recliner and watch tv. Living in a 55 and over complex, I see it all the time. Women going around in bathrobes or nightgowns and it’s not because they are mentally deficient, they are just Tired! Tired of hairdressing, putting on makeup, restricting underwear…I’ll stop there.

So what was the prompt-blush? Maybe you are blushing right now because of what I wrote? Does it describe you? I hope not. And here is a blush on a rose – I should probably have led with that😀

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Aug. 2, 2025

Part 1: Sitting with myself for too long, I reached for a book I haven’t read and picked out a few phrases. Could they be a muse or an angel come to help me sort my mind? An angel or a witch, either of my personalities could be inspiring. I decided to shake the dust off my wings, and become an angel with ulterior motives…because the devil in me will never be denied.

Part 2: Broken angels and other scary things in Los Angeles, City of Angels, particularly the angel at the St. Charles Hotel, are called upon to do acts of violence. I have so far, resisted the temptation to let that part of me loose, the killer angel I’ve kept hidden. The angels came into town last night. When it rains in hell, and angels can be bad, they rise up from the depths to do unspeakable things. I’ve always resisted this ingrained trait, and tonight I confronted them by saying, “this is an angel feather, what have you done with him?”

To be continued…

Part 3 prompts:

1. concrete angels and churchyards
2. speak of an angel and hear his wings
3. no angels around here
4. my angel is doing community service right now
5. angels speak dead languages, communication is difficult
6. countless snow angels in the parks

“What have we done with him?” laughing, “these are only concrete angels and churchyards who love to display them over the graves, but there’s no angels around here, not even buried ones anyway. My angel is doing community service right now, and there’s countless snow angels in the park…guess who’s making them? Your favorite, and that’s why he lost that feather.”

I realized the fact that angels speak dead languages, communication is difficult, but I think I understood him correctly. “As long as he’s okay and what? community service you say? Why the sudden turn in disposition? I thought you rose up to wreak havoc! As long as you are behaving yourselves and I still can’t believe community service, but if true, I welcome you to California. Who is making all those snow angels and why? People must think it’s a miracle of some kind because they can’t actually see him making them.

***

Part 4 Prompts:

1. the angel bent low and whispered, “grow, grow”
2. an angel? or an illiterate man?
3. don’t speak to me of angels
4. distorted sounds of angels playing in the garden
5. softly, gently touched down on the porch roof
6. your angel may tuck you in, but the devil leaves the porch light on

***

The angel bent low and whispered, “grow, grow”. It was springtime and flowers were showing up. Since they were behaving themselves, the angels were allowed to stay longer, and lived near the park. “Don’t speak to me of angels”, Henry said to his friend George. Even though they both heard distorted sounds of angels playing in the garden, and thought they saw the image of one as it softly, gently touched down on the porch roof. Was it an actual angel? “George, you are an illiterate man, don’t be talking about angels as if they exist.”

“Henry, you are the one who doesn’t read, you probably have an angel watching over you right now. Your angel may tuck you in, but the devil leaves the porch light on.”

“What the hell does that mean?” If there were angels, how come they let me slip on the ice last winter when I was watching those snow angels popping up?”

“Exactly, Henry…how do you think that happened? The congregation believes it was angels. Explain it to me since I’m illiterate.”

“It means you have to have faith, because the devil will always be waiting for you to fall.”

To be continued…

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OLWG# 426- All Good Things

The peacock flew down and flared his feathers into a large colorful fan. Miss peahen just ignored him.

Three Things Challenge #MM137

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In the space of two minutes I dropped my burger as an unintentional eavesdrop revealed a bank robbery plot. I called the police, they thought I was nuts.

Can You Tell A Story In…

caught on string

a one chance gifted

stars hiding

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#Easy Peasy Writes – 7/30/25

Sometimes you have no choice

You have to use your voice

A speech, a comment, a statement

There is no time for abatement

Today’s world you will hear

Voices that you learn to fear

Speaking out with words of hate

Reading this from every state

It’s hard to use your voice this day

Might you be carried away

Expressing your thoughts too loud

Some think that, in a crowd

No longer is your speech free

Mandates causing some to flee.

–

Your voice, your writing, should not compromise

When overlords try to control your cries.

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https://wordpress.com/reader/feeds/142397178/posts/5753498102

June was drawn to the rocks and gems display at the museum, always the first stop and her children would complain. Whenever June was feeling depressed, the museum was her respite. As the children got older she could let them explore while she stayed in the geology section. One sparkling exhibit she visited every time seemed to rejuvenate her when she stood by it. This day no one was around as June was gazing into the display and suddenly a flash of light appeared. June was revitalized and swiftly left the geologic section smiling and happy to join her children.

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1 August 2025