May 2022 – J-Dub's Grin and Bear It

Share Your World ~ 5/31/22

Published on 05/31/202205/31/2022 by J-Dub4 Comments

Melanie serves up the questions while I add my side dish responses to the plate.

QUESTIONS

Has anyone ever tried to scam you? Not that I’m aware of which is scary because it means I could have been scammed and not even know it. I do have a vivid memory of a young couple coming to our front door. They told my parents that they needed money for medicine for a sick child and that they were friends of our neighbors who they had gone to first but they were not home at the time. The pharmacy was closing and their need was urgent. Mom and dad reacted immediately and gave them all their cash on hand. The next day it all came out that our neighbors didn’t know the couple and it was a scam. Two other families on the block, gave their cash on hand too. Daddy’s reaction impacted my impressionable mind, God bless ’em, they needed the money more than we do. Mom’s response was more of I’d do it again because the next time, it might really be a child in need.

What’s the best thing about parties? When they end. lol I’m not much of a party person even before Covid.

Do you listen to people’s advice if you didn’t ask for it? I’m wishy washy and always seek out other opinions/recommendations. Who gave the unsolicited advice would impact my acting upon it. If I trust them, I may just take heed. I’m fortunate enough to have people in my circle that would try to “help” me out. Someone like B for example knows me better than I know myself some times.

Why is it impossible to spell funeral without fun? Because a funeral is a celebration of life. I want a good ole fashion Irish wake even as I learned from Ancestry DNA that my Irish percentage dropped from 17% to 3%. I’m not as Irish as I thought I was. The Scottish lowlands have taken over.

GRATITUDE SECTION

How was last week for you? I wept along with the rest of the nation on Tuesday. I took off Friday and completely disconnected. Time stopped as we rolled with the flow on Saturday as well. We’ve been watching the cardinal nest outside my office window. Second year in a row, different spot but same general vicinity of our front yard. Same as last year four eggs to start with one that got pushed out leaving three. All have hatched and I’m betting they will be gone before end of week. Last year we saw one hop off from nest to the sidewalk then take off in flight. I doubt we’ll be that lucky to see that again but we look every day. Timing is luck of the draw. Makes it exciting.

haiku – beast & steam ~ 5/30/22

Published on 05/30/2022 by J-Dub3 Comments

ready to protect

barbarian at the gate

lost its potency

Subbed barbarian for beast and potency for steam.

There may be some innuendo in the haiku today. Crap adjacent is affecting my psyche. I can’t even imagine how those directly impacted must feel. Here’s my two cents worth 1/2 a penny. We do not need armed teachers and guards at single entry point school doors. We need common sense gun control laws.

Today is not the day to rant. I’ll stop now on this most solemn occasion. Memorial Day, May 30, 2022 where we remember the fallen. Lulu and I wear blue: run to remember along side the Gold Star families. We doubled our usual Saturday steps ❤

Written for Ronovan Writes #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge 412 BEAST and Steam.

As always, more to come.

#SLS ~ 5/29/22

Published on 05/29/202205/28/2022 by J-Dub14 Comments

This week the theme is songs that mention Appearance, Image, Likeness, Object, Picture, Photograph. Jim is our host for this ride, check out the songs HERE. I’m kicking it back with old school country. George Jones singing He Stopped Loving Her Today. Songwriters: Bobby Braddock / Curly Putman

He said “I’ll love you till I die”,
She told him “You’ll forget in time”
As the years went slowly by,
She still preyed upon his mind

He kept her picture on his wall,
Went half-crazy now and then
He still loved her through it all,
Hoping she’d come back again

Kept some letters by his bed
Dated nineteen sixty-two
He had underlined in red
Every single “I love you”

I went to see him just today,
Oh but I didn’t see no tears
All dressed up to go away,
First time I’d seen him smile in years

He stopped loving her today
They placed a wreath upon his door
And soon they’ll carry him away
He stopped loving her today

You know, she came to see him one last time
Aww, and we all wondered if she would
And it kept runnin’ through my mind
“This time he’s over her for good”

He stopped loving her today
They placed a wreath upon his door
And soon they’ll carry him away
He stopped loving her today

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Bobby Braddock / Curly Putman

Sunday Reflections: A Week in Review ~ 5/29/22

Published on 05/29/202205/28/2022 by J-DubLeave a comment

What day is it? That happens when I take time off and truly disconnect. Time warps itself just a little more than usual. I almost wrote 21 as I typed the date in the title as if I was thrown back to 2021. Doh! I don’t wanna go back. Onward through the fog and boy howdy have things been foggy. But I won’t write about that. Instead I will continue in this state of disconnection, free floating, what I want to when I want to – ness.

Oh and we’ve had visitors from WI to see my in-laws for what they know will be the last time. A schoolmate died this week putting things into perspective. Time is short. They were not visiting for the funeral, the trip was previously planned with all the mess that happened earlier this year. My mother-in-law gave an impression that they could travel when they can barely get from one room to another inside their home. The friends booked two extra days thinking they could get in one final trip in to Eagle Pass to gamble but that fell apart when they realized quickly things were worse than they’d been led to believe.

Alrighty, the roll call is not going to roll itself. Here we go …

Sunday 5/22 – #SLS
Monday 5/23 – Haiku and Get Real Series
Tuesday 5/24 – Share Your World
Wednesday 5/25 – #1liner
Thursday 5/26 – Thoughts
Friday 5/27 – Book Club
Saturday 5/28 – #SoCS

Peace y’all. Until next time. Stay safe.

As always, more to come.

#SoCS ~ 5/28/22

Published on 05/28/202205/27/2022 by J-Dub13 Comments

Time once again for #SoCS. Linda is leading us done a path of judgment with this prompt. To join in, check out the Rules and Ping Back

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “trail/trial.” Use one, use both, use them any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use both. Have fun!

Path = trail and judgment happens in a trial. I knocked out bonus points in my open. Well if I loosey goosey stretch the rules. Lol.

When I first saw the prompt, I immediately thought trail mix. Yum. I’m always ready to snack. Pony and I might take a road trip and of course we’ve got to plan our snacks. Neither of us are very outdoorsy so hiking trails is off our things to-do while on vacay list. My favorite exercise is a nice leisurely stroll or gardening. Hikes are too much work. Vacations should be fun.

And with that, my stream has dried up. Off to a day of rolling with the flow. Wishing you a sensational Saturday.

As always more to come.

Friday Book Club: J-Dub’s Review of Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty ~ 5/27/22

Published on 05/27/202205/25/2022 by J-Dub4 Comments

After a hiatus, I’m back to reading just because again. Feels fabulous! Alrighty without further ado, this is my Goodreads review. No spoilers.

I probably overrated this book. But it’s the first piece of fiction I read in quite some time. I think I was starved for something good and this fit the bill. Puns intended, served with a delicious apple crumb. A quick easy read. I didn’t expect to like it because I dislike tennis. Good thing the story really wasn’t about tennis but instead it was about relationships. Liane Moriarty is a master storyteller. Told in alternating then and now chapters just when the story was at its apex the chapters became shorter. One or two pages. Bam bam bam. Staccato really. I most relate to Amy and wish I had a sibling relationship like the ones these fictional characters enjoyed. The ending was awful but I forgive that. Had to land the plane somehow so why not with revenge?
Take a read. You’ll be glad you did.
J-Dub’s Goodreads Review

The character development was on point. I could visualize Joy and Stan, their kids, the grandmas, the tennis community, and neighborhood. Boisterous, loud, fun, but far from perfect. I added quotes to my commonplace book and here are a few of the better ones I picked out for you.

” … the silence howled …”
“Never spoil a good story with the facts”
“Joy let the self pitying train of thought unravel only so far before she snipped it short”
Talking about grief of losing one’s mom …, Joy spun and she spun until one day her grief caught her”
“Talented kids turned into ordinary grownups”
“The past could look very different depending on where you stood to look at it”
“Unimaginable things happened every single day and there wasn’t always a good reason”

See what’d I tell ya?!? Good stuff. If you happen to read this book, drop me a comment for an incongruous virtual book club. Doesn’t that sound FUN??!!

As always, more to come.

Thursday Thoughts ~ 5/26/22

Published on 05/26/202205/25/2022 by J-Dub3 Comments

More crap adjacent. Jesus weeps. I have no words. Hug your loved ones tonight once again and every night here after til the end. Make your little corner of the world as good as you can. Peace out.

As always more to come.

#1linerWeds. 5/25/22

Published on 05/25/2022 by J-Dub9 Comments

The picture of a fountain with old houses and tulips 🌷 blooming is comforting. Today I’m struggling with crap adjacent. Here’s my one liner of the day. Ping Back