I admit it…. I find it utterly hilarious when I manage to cock shock my gay male friends. Why would I specify “gay” in this conversation? Because they’ve pretty much seen and heard it all when it comes to cock. Or so they think.
The other day, however, one of my oldest online friends who I’ve been fortunate enough to hang out with in person posted about “the rooster.” Yup! Apparently, I’m not his only Filipino friend. And definitely not the only one he’s talking to these days, because I saw this on his FB.
Talking with Filipino friends a lot. Is that . . . is that a rooster?! Looooool. It is! And not just one friend. Several. Why do you lot have roosters?! Whatever. Week made.
Obviously, my friend is American and had no idea that this had a lot to do with cultural differences….so I decided to enlighten him.
Ummm…Did you not know that cock fighting is a popular sport in the Philippines?
Now, with my gay male friends, a statement like that has the potential of being taken one of two ways…
Like this-
Or like this-
Well, my friend is pretty smart, but he hadn’t realized that was a thing. That in that particular third world country there were arenas and bets placed, and it was a source of entertainment. He quickly went from entertained to kinda horrified.
What had been innocent with him was actually a pretty dark thing half a world away. But it got me wondering… Is it really only a third world country thing?
Sadly, it’s not. The ASPCA gives a pretty detailed explanation of how cock fighting works, including the razor blades taped to the roosters legs, which states have laws to prevent these events, and how you can help. And The Humane Society shows where animal blood sports have been prosecuted.
Yeah, I admit it. I giggled when I wrote the world “cock fighting” to my friend because the first image popped into my head. I giggle-snorted when another friend added the save the cock hashtag to his page. But the reality is no laughing matter…any more than dog fighting or any other animal bloodsports are.
These animals can’t fend for themselves…so they need us to speak out on their behalf. Thoughts?
Little me in Germany, wearing the hat to my dad’s uniform
“Why do you have to go?” she asked
as tears rolled down her cheeks.
It didn’t matter if he left
for years or months or weeks.
The question asked was innocent,
a plea to comprehend
why daddy wasn’t always home
to hold his daughter’s hand.
He wondered how he could explain
as he answered her demand;
he stumbled over every word
and prayed she’d understand.
“Daddy’s got a job to do
that takes him far away,
protecting weak and innocent
even though he’d rather stay.
He made a solemn promise
to answer freedom’s call
and defend our rights with honor
when our back’s against the wall.”
He wrapped an arm around his wife,
his child tucked to his heart,
his bags lay waiting by the door,
he hated to depart.
“Babe, you know I love you both,”
he squeezed both angels tight.
“God keep you safe while I’m away.
Pray for me every night.
Your sacrifice, as great as mine,
is rarely seen or heard;
head held high with dignity,
you never say a word.”
With one last kiss he turned away
and headed out the door,
just another soldier,
Headed off to war.
This is probably not my best piece or poetry, but it’s how my appreciation for those who’ve served (along with their families) manifested itself today. As some of you have probably deduced from my post from last Veteran’s Day entitled I Bled For You I have a strong affinity to those who’ve served or are serving in the armed forces. I have so much respect for those who decide day in and day out to lay their lives on the line to serve and protect so that their fellow countrymen don’t have to. It’s not an easy cross to bear by any stretch of the imagination.
The above pic was taken of me as a girl when my family was stationed in Germany. It was the dead of winter and I felt so cool being allowed to wear my father’s winter hat, especially since it was part of his uniform. As a child of the military, we were afforded the opportunity to travel with my dad. Germany was one of a few countries we had the chance to see thanks to his career.
One of the other places I hold near and dear to my heart is the Philippines. It’s made more special by the fact that my mother is Filipina, so I’m sure you can imagine how much it breaks my heart to read or see all the damage done to a place I once called home. If you haven’t heard about the devastation that hit my former birthplace, check this out. Death toll is in the 10,000’s. By the way, the island of Leyte, where the worst of the damage seems to be? That’s my mom’s birthplace. If you’d like to find a way to help, here are some great links. This is a third world country and the devastation is unreal. I know the indomitable spirit of my fellow Filipinos, but they could use all the prayers, good vibes, great thoughts…and yes, monetary support if you can.
For my kababayan friends- Ikaw ay nasa aking mga saloobin at panalangin. Aking puso pinaghihiwa para sa mga ganap na pagkasira na dulot ng Haiyan.
Still not over the tragedy from yesterday…but I don’t think we’re meant to get over events like that completely. I’m just glad to be home with my hubby and my dogs, able to hug and kiss them…and bake Christmas cookies.
Of course this means I need to smile because those cookies need to taste like joy, not tears…. So, for me, the first step is to bring on the music. Shocker, right? But not just any music…Christmas music!
So, here is one of my favorite Christmas songs, “Baby It’s Cold Outside”, done on one of my favorite TV shows, GLEE..by one of my favorite Pinoy Mestisos (kinda like me)…Darren Criss. I’m really hoping that his character and Kurt’s find their way back to each other…they were one of the sweetest couples on TV before the show decided to split them up. Darren Criss is just so uber talented!!!
So tell me, what is your favorite Christmas song from a TV episode or Movie? (By the way…my all time favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas)
And now, here are Blaine and Kurt (before they got together) singing…”Baby It’s Cold Outside”!
This is an old picture of me playing Mary in a Christmas pageant in the Philippines. You see the hanging lanterns over my head? Those are called parols. They’re a beautiful part of the Filipino Christmas tradition.
As a child I was enthralled with Christmas. Every country had their tradition. As I look back on my favorite Christmas moments, though…so many of them were tied with traditions I enjoyed in the PI. Although I’d participated in Christmast pageants most of my life, it was this one that I look back on with the most fondness. I think it was that I liked the outfit…and ego liked that I finally had a lead role…Haha!
Where I’ve struggled with that Christmas feeling in Florida…thinking maybe snow on Christmas morning would fix it…I’d think back to my time in the Philippines and realize it isn’t the weather. It’s the people. I have an odd confession I’m going to make. Though I’ve celebrated Christmas my whole life…I hadn’t really heard about Santa until I was about 10. I learned about the baby Jesus and blessings and giving gifts of love during the holiday. Santa came when I moved to the states and went to public school.
I like that tradition, too, but I can’t help but think to so many of you who post stories about when your child realized there wasn’t a Santa or other things…and I’m kind of grateful that I never went through that kind of disillusionment. Don’t get me wrong…I’m not saying my mom’s way is right…and quite frankly, with all the commercialism of Santa everywhere…in malls, in school, etc…it’d be tough to go as long as I did without knowledge of the wonder and magic of Santa.
But back to the Philippines. The magic of Christmas comes to the Philippines through a lot of Spanish based traditions. Most Spanish/Hispanic cultures are familiar with “Noche Buena”. The part of the Philippines I grew up in treated it almost like a neighborhood block party…gates and doors were thrown open and everyone was invited. Food abounded and you just went from house to house eating. Seriously! It was a time for family and friends to celebrate. In fact, most of our church would also show up at our house, so it was always full. We kids would also wander to the neighbors houses…it was a wonderful time with awesome foods.
My first time going out and Christmas Carrolling was also in the Philippines. My mom belonged to a singing group through the church and they’d go house to house to sing…and the proceeds would go toward sponsoring their trips to tour around the country singing at other churches. We kids were included in that, too! In fact, we sang Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, complete with all the little childlike embellishments that go with the song. A few kids between the ages of 4-10…I’m sure it was adorable. Now, looking back I wonder how we didn’t question who Santa was when singing it…LOL! (Then again, we were too busy getting a kick out of yelling “like a light bulb”.)
People in the Philippines really just loved on each other and supported each other. Christmas was all about giving there…maybe that’s what I enjoyed so much. It was focused on friendships, sharing and giving. To this day my favorite thing to do is to try to find gifts that will touch the heart…not so much about the spending. I will always look back on my time there with warmth and love. And I’ll remember the beauty of Parols and Christmas Trees and Holiday Pageants with a smile.
Have you ever spent Christmas in other countries? Do any of your holiday traditions stem from other cultures? What do you love about this time of year?
And now I leave you with my favorite Filipino Christmas Carol…I still remember learning to sing it!
As this years draws closer to the end, I get reflective. Looking back, I guess I always have. Maybe because we’re also closing in on Thanksgiving, or simply in my nature, but I find myself looking for things to be thankful for. First and foremost, I’m grateful that this year is almost over because it means next year can begin.
This year has been tough on my husband and I. He’s had three surgeries between February and May…and broke his hand. Just as things finally start to stabilize, I lost my job. Although we joke about the whole “for better or worse” portion of our vows, it’s strengthened our relationship…and our relationship was already pretty solid.
But as rough as we’ve had it…we realize it could always be worse. Above is a picture I took in the Bahamas two years ago. That year we stayed at the Wyndham Nassau Resort.We went back again this year, but we stayed in the Atlantis on Paradise Island. It was amazing! In these last two years we’ve made several friends because we book through Maximum Sports for their annual Da ‘Boys In Da Bahamas trip. We’ve also gotten the opportunity to get to know some of the players on a level we’d never have the opportunity to enjoy in the regular world.
The point of all this? We got to be good friends with a couple while we were out there the first year and we look forward to meeting up every year. Unfortunately, this year, my gal pal was diagnosed with cancer…and did her treatments. Her hubby fell prior to our trip (off a ladder, I think?) and wound up with stitches prior to the Bahama trip…which meant no water excursions for them. Last year we all went snorkelling. This year we did a shallow water dolphin thing…and they didn’t get to join.
Then, after the Bahamas, my gal pal had another incident with cancer. This was followed by her hubby getting into a motorcycle accident that left him badly injured and hospitalized for a bit. Between the medical bills and the time off required to care for him, not to mention his time loss due to his medical condition, they have neither the finances nor the time needed to allow them to take this trip next year.
I was seriously disappointed that we wouldn’t get to see her next year as we’re all in different areas. She lives in the DC/Virginia area and the rest of us live in Florida/Texas/Illinois. Pretty spread out. When she told me that she’d be unable to make the trip, I mentioned getting together for a girls weekend! All the ladies agreed… It would be a ton of fun! This is where you guys come in. We need ideas for places to go. It can’t be too close to her home…as you ladies know…when you have a husband and a son, there is a tendency to call you for every little thing if you’re close enough to feel accessible to them. On the other hand, it needs to be close enough that it’s not too costly to get there for her. Our initial thoughts were Nashville…maybe Myrtle Beach. Where would you guys recommend and why?
And thinking all these trips had me thinking…if money were no option, where would you love to visit and why? I’d love to go on a trip around the Mediterranean…Italy, Greece, Portugal, Spain, the south of France. My hubby is half Italian and dying to see that side of his culture. Me, I love the richness of food, passion and history in those areas! I’d also love to eventually own a vacation home in the Philippines. The four years I spent there growing up were amazing! So much love, food and sense of family there. I have always felt welcome in that country.
So…this is what I’m most thankful for this year…the friendships I’ve made…the challenges we’ve overcome…the dreams I’ve been able to pursue. What are you thankful for? And speaking of thanks…check out Good Geek Ranting’s blog on #Thankstweeting. I think he’s got a great idea and I plan on participating! People don’t hear Thank You nearly as often as they should… And who knows? You may just brighten someone’s day!
Those of you who’ve been reading me for a while have heard me talk about my sister and how she helped to inspire me to chase my writing dreams. She’s the one who wondered why I wasn’t writing in the first place. She’s the one who got my membership to the Florida Writer’s Association…to encourage me and to push me to follow my dreams. (Oh, and she was also the one who saved us from that evil frog in the toilet)
Well, in about a week, she and her husband, along with her furbaby will be down for a visit. I’m excited! I love to spend time with my sister. We do all those girly things…shop, get our nails done, read by the pool. We also spend a fair amount of time singing together. We’ve been doing it our whole lives. Where I’m the writer in the family, she’s the musician. In fact, not only was she my maid of honor, she also sang in my wedding.
But there was a time…a long, long time ago…where she was my annoying kid sister. She came along when I was two. My mom says we were inseperable. In fact, I was her translator. She’d say “Oh Dear!” and I was the one who would tell my mom that she wanted “orange joice”. Yeah…still not sure how those two translated, but apparently I had kid-sister-speak down!
And we used to move around a lot (being military brats it was a given), so there were times where all we had was each other. Until my brother came along two years later, then my other brother, two years after that. Oddly enough, the only two children born in the same country was me and our youngest brother. We were both born in the Philippines. My sister was born in California, then we moved to Germany, where my other brother was born.
It was in Germany that we first played with snow and built the biggest snowman ever! In fact, this is my sister and I with the our parents and the snow man. My mom would be pregnant with my brother in a month or so… That nose kept falling off, so my dad had to break off a giant icicle later to make his nose.
It was also in Germany where my mom taught us all about the joys of baking. We’d hit the forest preserve behind our house and go berry picking, then make fresh berry pies. Or sometimes it would be breads. This was also when we were very young and didn’t understand sibling rivalry. Here’s a pic of us with our brother shortly before we left Germany to head back to the Philippines.
Life in Germany was fun. We’d got to France sometimes on the weekends… and other times we’d chill at home. It was then that we learned that our English vocabulary was a bit extensive for our age. We’d been on a walk with a bunch of kids from church along with some of their parents. As kids are prone to do, we were running instead of walking. Well, there was giant horse turd in the middle of the road….and the conversation went something like this (I was 4 or 5 at the time):
Me: Uncle Dennis, Uncle Dennis!
Uncle Dennis: What?
Me: I just jumped over a giant pile of feces!
Uncle Dennis: You WHAT?
Me: I just jumped over a giant pile of feces!
Uncle Dennis: Oh! What do you say when you have to pee?
Me: Pee? Oh! You mean urinate?
Upon arriving back at the house:
Uncle Dennis: Josie, what the heck are you teaching your kids?
Mom: What?
Uncle Dennis: Feces? Urinate?
Mom: I don’t understand…
Uncle Dennis: Your daughter jumped over some poop and called it feces.
Mom: What’s poop?
Uncle Dennis: You know, crap, dung…POOP!
Me: Mom, he’s talking about feces.
Uncle Dennis: Who talks like that?
Pastor’s Wife (laughing): I remember when I was young we just called it #1 and #2!
And that was just the beginning. You see, my mom was born and raised in the Philippines, so her knowledge of the English language was very technical and all from school. She had no idea about slang, so she taught us English the way she learned it. Our next tour was back in the Philippines. This is where the closer than close relationship my sister and I had began to evolve. She was very unhappy when I started going to school because it meant I wasn’t there with her anymore. It didn’t help that people at church would tease her by telling her they were taking me away with them. She would cry…until we told her they were just teasing.
It was also at this time when I gave her “the haircut”. Oh, yeah… Mom really was NOT happy with me for that one. In third world countries during this time, lice was not uncommon. Not only did you learn in school what they looked like, you learned how to search for them. What did I do to my trusting little sister with that knowledge? Well…before I continue I plead “the devil made me do it”. I was playing with her hair one day when I got this brilliant idea. Looking down into her hair, knowing how trusting she was, I thought I’d play a practical joke (I was about 8). The tsking sounds started to come. Lil sis got steadily more concerned until she couldn’t hold it in anymore…
Sis: What? What’s wrong?
Devil Me: Nothing ::sigh::
Sis: Something’s wrong. Tell me!
Devil Me: You have lice.
Sis: (wailing) Oh no! Get it out! Get it out!
Devil Me: I don’t know….
Sis: Please!
Devil Me: Ok, wait here. I’ll get the scissors.
Sis: Thanks!
I proceeded to hack a big chunk of hair right out of the center of her head…about as close to the scalp as you can get. Needless to say, mom was furious. It didn’t matter to her that I’d gained my sister’s consent first. I got my butt paddled. Poor sis had to wear all sorts of funky hairdo’s with barettes, trying to pull hair over to cover the near bald spot I gave her.
Here is one of the last pictures taken with all four of us back in the Philippines. I’d just finished doing a native Filipino dance for one of the school performances, so I’m dressed in local Filipino attire along with the coconut husks they use in the dance. Sis’s hair had grown back…thank goodness!
Our relationship changed again when I was about 15 years old. My sister had started dating for the first time. In fact, she was dating my boyfriend’s best friend. This was their first time alone together and I knew that this would probably be her first kiss.
Me: So? How did it go?
Sis: (sour face) Ok. He doesn’t know how to kiss though.
Me: What do you mean he doesn’t know how to kiss? Wasn’t this your first kiss?
Sis: Yeah.
Me: So how would you know?
Sis: Because when he kissed me he stuck his tongue in my mouth then left it there like a dead fish!
Me: (laughing hysterically) Like a dead fish? He just stuck it there and left it? Eww!
Sis: Yeah! Even I know that’s not how French kissing goes. I’ve seen you do it often enough….
Me: Hey! I am so not looking forward to telling his best friend about this…
Sis walks away laughing…
And so the relationship began to evolve back towards friendship. Sisters are great! We laugh with each other, we cry with each other. We push each other to reach for our dreams. And we have each other’s backs…even when the enemy is mom. LOL! I will say this about the next story. Being a parent takes intestinal fortitude. Being a single parent is even harder because there’s no one to share the burden with….so understand her craziness came from fear…for me repeating her mistakes, for my life to be over before it began…I get it…but it still doesn’t change the fact that I was falsely accused. 😉
Mom: (waving a foil packet with pills in it in my face and screaming) You’re on birth control? You’re having sex? I haven’t given you permission to go on birth control!
Me: What are you talking about? I’m not on birth control. I haven’t had sex!
Mom: Then what’s this? (waves packet in my face again) Don’t lie to me! I know you’re on birth control. I’m not stupid!
Me: MOM! I’M. NOT. ON. BIRTH. CONTROL!
Mom: No? Well then whose are these? You’re on birth control. Do you want to end up making the same mistakes I did?
Me: (yeah, a bit of a smartass) If I wanted to make the same mistakes you did, would I be on birth control?
Mom: See? I KNEW it!
Me: MOM! I swear, I’m not on birth control!
Mom: Then what’s this?
Sis: (coming from the bedroom) What is all the screaming about?
Mom: Your sister is having sex! See? (she waves packet in sis’s face) She’s on birth control!
Sis: (grabs packet from Mom’s hand) This?
Mom: Yes!
Sis: Mom! These are my cleaning enzymes for my contacts. Did you READ the label?
Mom: Oh!
Sis: Yeah. Oh!
Me: See? I told you I’m not on birth control!
I’m thankful every day for my sister. She’s become my best friend over the years… The above song is actually a song we’ve been known to sing together. In fact, a friend recorded us singing the song together the day we were preparing for my wedding. Maybe I’ll see if I can dig it up and put it on here for ya’ll to hear if I can find it again…. That is, if anyone is interested.
So tell me…who has been the rock in your life? The one constant…to see you through the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows? Who pushes you out of your comfort zone and challenges you to be better than you are today? Do you have siblings? Any funny or silly stories to share? I’d love to hear them!
It’s okay… You can admit it. When you read that I was terrified of frogs a while back you laughed. That’s okay. I get that reaction a lot! But before you judge me, there are a few things you should know (of course there’s a story behind it. Isn’t there always?)
Between the ages of 6-10 I lived in the Philippines. It’s a beautiful place. It is a culture full of great food, warm welcomes and family and they’re blessed with great scenery. I absolutely LOVED being there. What does this have to do with my fear of frogs? Here’s the thing. I lived in a subdivision with a lot of multicultural kids..mostly because our dads were in the military. As kids we’d get into mischief. I’d climb trees and bring down coccoon husks and open them, curious about what was inside. We found a pregnant dead bird once and dissected her, trying to save the egg. So it was natural that when she told me that in her mom’s culture (her mom was Thai) that crickets were delicacies that we’d go out and try to catch them. We wanted to surprise her with a “treat”! What a lucky mom, right? Of course now I know that there are all different kinds of crickets, but hey…it was the thought that counted.
Somehow our cricket crusade morphed into a frog catching expidition. (It may have had something to do with hearing that people also ate frog legs and they tasted like chicken, but I’m not sure) We were armed with glass jars and since it had just rained, there were plenty of frogs out. We stayed out catching frogs until our parents called us in for the night. My family was vegetarian, so we sent all the catches with my little friend. The next morning I woke up crying and in pain. My precious hands had water blisters all over them. Turns out, I’m allergic to frogs.
Fast forward to about 8 years ago. I was leaving my house. As I turned to lock the door, from along the door jam a white frog landed on the corner of my face. It happened very quickly, but not fast enough that I didn’t recognize what tapped the side of my face (near my eye). I screamed bloody murder! My heart was pounding a mile a minute. My next door neighbor, bless his heart, came flying out of his house. Apparently he thought I was getting raped or murdered. How humiliating it was to tell him it was simply that a frog attacked. Fortunately the contact was so minute I didn’t have an attack. Curious as to what the frog looked like? I found a likeness…
That’s okay…I’ve also learned that when you’re in a long termed relationship, your phobias become contageous. I’m not exactly sure how it works, but I do know that my sister was in town visiting us one fall. She and I had went to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients for her to make potato soup from scratch for my guy who wasn’t feeling well. We got back and he was standing out on the driveway with no shoes on, his boxers and a tshirt. He was a bit upset. Apparently a frog had tried to eat his ass! Laugh! I know I did.
He’d gone into our master bath to use the toilet, and just as he went to sit down, something caught his eye. He jumped back up just in time to see a toad the size of a grapefuit staring up at him. He insists that there was malicious intent in that toad’s eyes…but regardless, it freaked him out. He slammed the toilet lid down, yanked his pants back up, found the biggest, heaviest book he could find to put on the lid so that the big toad couldn’t escape…and planted himself on the driveway for one of us to rescue him.
As you already ascertained from my deep fear of frogs, I was the wrong person to be looking at for a rescue. In fact, I believe the words “you’re insane” may have come out of my mouth at some point as he looked at me to find a solution. Finally, after my sister was able to stop laughing hysterically, she grabbed a big plastic cup that we didn’t mind losing along with a magazine. She scooped the toad into the cup, covered it with the magazine and released Mr Toad back into the wild. Thank God for the practicality of nurses.
But is my fear of frogs really so irrational? After the news down here in Florida this week, I’m thinking it’s just good sense! If you have dogs, this story is a must read! It may save your dog’s life! Yes, there have been doggie deaths in Florida recently and it’s all been attributed to my nemesis.
Considering I have my two adorable furbabies, I think it may have turned out to be a blessing that I have this fear. I’d be devastated if anything happened to these two cuties….
These are my two girls. They’re Shiba Inu’s…The little one to the left is named Ryka (after the Mord Sith from Terry Goodkind’sSword of Truth Series. The one on the right is Isabella. She was my Christmas gift several years ago. I’d be devastated if I lost them, so they are not allowed to play with frogs. Lucky for me, they prefer to chase rabbits. 🙂
If you’re a dog lover and a book lover, you should check out this review by Sheri DeGrom. This one may be right up your alley!
If you’re wondering what your dog is thinking, maybe you should check out his/her diary as written by Raelynn Barclay.
Or if you just want to talk about your adorable dog and commisserate about their bad habits, then Jen is your gal!
Anyway, thank you for letting me vent about my frighteningly froggy freak outs…and for adoring my cute doggies.
A big thanks to Cultural Muse blog and Clarity for nominating me for the following blog awards.
Not sure what happened to my original post, but most of it seems to have disappeared, so let me try this part over! The above links nominated me for the following various posts. The name of the game with these posts is usually as follows: you list 7 interesting things about yourself that people probably don’t know. Then you nominate 10-15 blogs that you find interesting, intriguing or just plain fun! Of course, link back to whomever nominated you as a thank you!
7 Things about me:
1. I was born on a military base in the Philippines…Clark Air Force Base, to be precise.
2. I was an international traveller by the time I was 8 months old when we moved from the Philippines to California.
3. I have an ear for languages. In fact, I speak enough French and Spanish to be dangerous. I can still speak Tagalog & understand Kapangpangan. My parents say I used to speak German, too, when I was really young.
4. I love musicals! Although I’m thrilled about the Les Mis that is headed to theaters near you, I absolutely love the 10th Anniversary concert that happened at Royal Albert Hall with Lea Salonga playing Eponine. She’s one of my favorite performers. Such a pure voice! Hope you enjoy her as much as I do!
5. My mom says I started writing stories at 3 years old. The first story I remember writing? 6th grade. It was actually more a play. Fan fic, at that…based around The Carringtons and Colbys from Dynasty. 🙂
6. I’m the oldest of 5. I have 1 sister, 2 brothers who passed away in tragic accidents when they were young, and one half sister.
7. I love to cook as much as I love to bake. My husband loves when I decide to cook Filipino dishes. 🙂 (Chicken adobo and fried rice are his biggest favorites)
The following nominees have earned their recognition because they keep me interested, engaged and entertained. They’re talented and wonderful. I hope you check them out and enjoy them as much as I do.
1.) Enjoy the beautiful nature photography of Phil Lanoue.
5.) You never know what’s going to catch Lorca Damon‘s eye…and her sympathy;-)
6.) Stephanie Ingram who asks the really tough questions…like “Who Is The Tooth Fairy Anyway?”
7.) Looking For The Sweet Spot whose unique ways of looking at things can get you both laughing and nodding.
8.) Melissa MacKinnon -her big heart is beautiful to read and brought tears to my eyes. (not to mention her awesome 6 sentence Sunday is super exciting!)
9.) Able to sum up entire womens magazines in several sentences-One Week To Crazy.
10.) Tim Knox– You’re just never sure what direction the story is going in until the end. 🙂
Anyway, I hope you enjoy these nominees as much as I have! Happy Sunday everyone.
Everyone has a favorite season, right? Living in Florida,we have two seasons. Rainy/hurricane season and sunny/summer season. Most of the time I’m perfectly good with that. Except during the fall. If it weren’t for Starbucks and their pumpkin spice lattes, the neighborhood kids going back to school and football season, I probably wouldn’t even know fall had arrived.
And the thing about fall is it’s so vivid, so rich with colors! I loved seeing the changing leaves, the slightly cooler weather. I loved going for walks when I lived up north. I loved seeing all those greens turn to reds and orange and yellow and rusty browns. I love Halloween and Thanksgiving!
And everyone has a favorite color, right? I know mine. It’s orange. I love the color. It’s beautiful and vibrant and warm. And unfortunately I’m a winter and can’t wear the color without looking washed out. Bummer.
But today I was missing fall, and the orange, so I did the next best thing. I brought the fall into my kitchen… Here is what I did today.
This is the batter from the pumpkin bread I made today.
I made three loaves. I guess it must have smelled pretty good because I stepped away, but when I got back, a slice had been cut. My husband had gotten home and cut himself a piece. He said that he and the dogs agreed that it tasted great. LOL!
And for a refreshing drink, I made a wonderful, fresh cantaloupe juice. I hadn’t made it since I was a kid living in the Philippines. It’s made with water, the juice from the cantaloupe strained into a pitcher, half of the cantaloupe grated, like cheese, the slices and juices added to the pitcher. Then add water and half a cup of sugar. Stir, and voila! Hubby tried it for the first time and loved it!
What about you? What is your favorite season and why? What things and colors do you associate with it?
So, I've been spanked, hard! I have spanked myself hard, I have spanked others even harder! I'm now heading for a different road, one that still includes all the best bits of me, all the naughty bits, all the hot steamy bits, and plenty of spanking still to be had! But this time I'm creating characters to play out my delightful erotic fantasies, I hope you enjoy the new ride as much as the previous one...
theinnerwildkat 