Writing Challenge: Day 4

Today's topic is "Write About Someone Who Inspires You".

My neighborhood

This is a hard one, because there are a lot of people in my life who inspire me.

She posts the most beautiful photos of the forests near her house - an area that is vastly different from anywhere I have ever lived. They speak to me of the old times when the Earth Witch cared for the village and the Druids danced in the moonlight. And she is fascinated by Westerns and our tales of Butch Cassidy and Zorro. Her amazement at our blue skies, red rocks, and tumbleweeds make me look closer at the wondrous place I in which I live. I love seeing the Desert Southwest through her eyes.

Here is to you, my dearest Swift.

Writing Challenge: Day 3

Today's topic is "What are your top 3 pet peeves?"

1 - hypocrites. I cannot stand people who claim to be caring and loving but who really think only of themselves.

2 - Poor grammar. I have spent most of my adult life as a writer and editor and I cringe every time I see a misused word. And don't get me started on dangling modifiers or misused adjectives.

3 - This is actually a major peeve: People who use mental illness as humor. It is NOT funny. For instance, there is a Facebook game that comes around every couple of months in which you fill in friends' names in a form titled "You are stuck in a mental hospital. Who are you stuck with?" As someone who has actually been in a mental hospital, I find this highly offensive. I also dislike the haunted asylums that show up every Halloween. And don't even get me started on people using bipolar, schizo, psycho, OCD, or other mental illnesses as improper adjectives or as jokes. It isn't funny. Ever.

Writing Challenge: Day 2

My motto in life

The Day 2 topic of the writing challenge is "write something that someone told you about yourself that you never forgot"

I think I would have to say that one thing I have never forgotten is something that more than one person has told me, and that is that I have a kind soul.

I have always believed that kindness, not love, is the cure for hatred. For someone to tell me that I am truly kind is a huge compliment. And it is something that has gotten me through some very hard times, including moments of suicidal ideation. The fact that people see me as kind gives me something to live for.

Writing Challenge: Day 1

I saw a post on Facebook that I found intriguing. It is a 30-day writing challenge, but it isn't the standard challenge. It has some very insightful topics and I thought I'd try it out.

Day 1 - List 10 things that make you really happy

Bubbaloo

1 - My cats. I really couldn't live without them. They are therapy, comfort, and comedy all in one. Diedra is a torti-tabby and she has all the attitude of a torti. But she is the first to notice if I am struggling and she won't leave my side. Bubbaloo is my 22-pound, orange tabby and he if my main snuggle buddy. Ivy Girl is a dead, wobbly, house panther who doesn't snuggle, but is an inspiration. She is a foster failure (she was a foster cat I couldn't give up) and seeing her progress from a terrified cat who had never lived outside a cage to a happy cat who does the cutest little dance for treats just makes my heart overflow.

2 - My new friends. I have recently made new friends right here in St. George. That is a huge step for me. It is wonderful to actually go out for coffee or lunch or go thrift store shopping with another human being.

3 - My old friends. I have some absolutely wonderful people with whom I have been friends since my days in Los Angeles (that's the 90s, by the way). I love texting or swapping Facebook and Instagram pictures and it is a profound joy to get notes and cards in the mail.

4 - My parents. They have been an enormous support. No matter what physical or mental issues I am dealing with on any given day, they are willing to help me get through it. Eight years ago they made the ultimate sacrifice and gave up their office/craft room in their 2-bedroom condo so that I could move in with them. A girl couldn't ask for better parents.

5 - Southern Utah. Oh, it is a marvelous place to live. I am a desert rat, and I am most at home among the red sandstone a black basalt of the Desert Southwest. Our vast spaces and unending skies are a constant wonder.

6 - My health care professionals - I am blessed to have a great group of doctors and specialists that are here for me. They help me deal with all of my myriad issues and even consult with each other to make sure I am getting the best care. It has taken decades to get the right mix of people to help me.

7 - My garden. I am an Earth Witch and I am profoundly happy when I am in the yard playing in the dirt. I love nurturing my plants so that they are healthy and happy. I love my worm bin that I use to compost and get excellent fertilizer for my plants. It all just makes me so happy.

8 - My sisters. We don't talk as much as we used to, but Tammy, Abbie, and Kristin are always supportive when I need help. They have sent cards and texts when I am doing poorly and I know they are always there for me.

9 - Music. I couldn't live without it. It is therapy, and escape, and a joy all at once. I am a metal head - give me loud and obnoxious any day - and my favorite bands are sometimes all I have to drown out the noise in my head.

10 - The #sicknotweak group on Twitter. I never imagined I would find support group online, especially on Twitter. It is wonderful to both give and receive help and support from people across the globe. It lets me know that I am not alone.