Category: daily prompt

Though She Be But Little…
Advice · blogging · daily prompt · poems · Writing

Though She Be But Little…

Featured Amy4 Comments

If you had to sum up your life philosophy in one sentence, what would it be?

…she is fierce! – William Shakespeare, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 3, Scene 2.

That pretty much sums it up. I’ve just researched the original context because to be honest, I despise William Shakespeare. I know the quote is from the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I’m sure it’s an unpopular take to dislike William Shakespeare, but I will not budge. He did add some fabulous words and insults to the lexicon and some people think he’s a genius. So there’s that. I didn’t like Shakespeare well before I had a personal reason to dislike the man, and I know that doesn’t make any sense, because he’s long dead, but it makes sense to me. Fun fact: I also despise William Faulkner, so it’s not only Shakespeare feeling the wrath, although my issue with Faulkner is more about his run-on sentence problem and his tedious writing. I also don’t like his themes. Now I’m pissed off because I’m thinking about Faulkner and Absalom, Absalom! and the paper I had to write on it in college. Ugh! I won’t be elaborating here, because this prompt isn’t about Shakespeare nor Faulkner – although discussing Faulkner raises my blood pressure, and it is better suited to another post where I can fling some Shakespeare insults to offset the side effects.

Anyway, the point is – and this is taken out of the original context in the play, which was meant as an insult – it doesn’t matter what people think I can do, I will always try. If one never tries, one never knows what is possible. I have achieved many things in my life simply by opening my mouth, picking up the phone, typing an email, or physically ambulating to a place. Even if you’re small in stature/vertically challenged, or young and therefore “little,” you’ve got a voice and you’ve got willpower. Whatever your differences are, they are strengths. Use them.

My Favorite Prompt Ever
blogging · daily prompt · Flowers · I love trees · Nature · Nature photography · Oak trees · Photography · Skunks · squirrels · Trees · Willow oak trees

My Favorite Prompt Ever

Featured Amy4 Comments

Share a few recent shots from your camera roll, no context needed.

Zoom in and to the right of the green box: 🦨

This might be my favorite prompt ever prompted! It’s hard not to give context, though.

Let’s just say fall has fallen. Summer flowers are still blooming even though the nights have become cool. The squirrels are getting fat for winter, and the smallest babies that were born in September are slowly getting big. I have visitors at night, and they live under my shed. They are small but mighty. Everyone fears them, even the fox. They are black and white and sassy all over. Normally I’m not too concerned about the size of the squirrels and with what they’re doing, but William, my Willow oak, is sick. I have written about William in other posts. He’s my 100 year-old, 80 foot oak tree next to my house. I was going to get him cabled to support his canopy and bifurcated trunk, but the third guy I had out to look at the tree informed me that the tree has got mushrooms on its bark and they’re not just at the base. I shouldn’t be surprised because I’ve lost two large limbs off of this tree in the most recent storms. One crashed into my patio table and broke it. The other one landed in my Japanese maple, but didn’t break the tree. Luckily, the carnage has missed the house, but one of the bifurcated trunks will take down my entire house as well as the neighbors’ house if – rather, when, not if, and that’s terrifying – it falls. This tree has been home to many animals over the 100-ish years, and the last bunch of late season, baby squirrels is still living in it. I’m hoping to get the tree cut down at the end of November. I am grieving William, even though I know it’s the best thing to do. As I said, fall has fallen (as well as large limbs). But at least it’s not dark at 4PM like when we have to turn the clocks back. Oh wait…😒

A West Virginia Rest Stop
blogging · cats · daily prompt · Humor · tennis · travel · Writing

A West Virginia Rest Stop

Featured Amy7 Comments

What’s the worst travel experience you’ve ever had?

Apologies to anyone reading from West Virginia, but I have seen the Mothman Prophecies several times, it’s soon to be Halloween, and as such, I don’t want to stop at a rest stop in your state ever again.

There is something forboding about West Virginia. The mountains creep up on you like when your pillows fall on you in your bed. It’s a stifling feeling. I was traveling through to get to a tennis tournament in another state and needed to stop for some food and to use the bathroom. I didn’t actually want to stop, but multiple bladders in the car (including mine) insisted.

Not only do the hills have eyes, the people at the rest stop have eyes that see through you. They look at you as if they’ve never seen anyone from “outside” before. Maybe they haven’t, but it gives one the impetus to move just a little bit faster. And that’s what we did – we did our business, bought our food, and left the rest stop as quickly as possible.

No country roads are gonna take me anywhere, John Denver (RIP).🏎️💨

🤠
In The Words of Prince
Advice · blogging · daily prompt · Uncategorized

In The Words of Prince

Featured Amy6 Comments

What does it mean to be a good person?

“She saw him standing in the section marked ‘If you have to ask, you can’t afford it’ lingerie.” It’s a lyric from the song The Glamorous Life written by Prince and performed by Sheila E. Great bop, by the way.

The lyric is taken from the old idiom which used to be popular, and essentially means there are no price tags on very expensive things, and if you have to ask what it costs, you can’t afford it. How does that relate to the prompt? Thanks for asking. It is this blogger’s opinion that being a great person is not advertised and there is no formula. To conjure up a set of adjectives to describe what constitutes a great or a good person gives me pause (not paws). I feel uncomfortable explaining that because it feels contrived. If you have to ask what makes a great person, then either you haven’t been thinking about it or you’re not practicing it.

The act of being “great” is subjective and also quiet. Do good, be great, and don’t tell anyone. And you know what? I’ve just answered the prompt.

Have a great day, everyone. Happy hump day!

*While researching photos for this piece, I just discovered JP Morgan is who coined the phrase “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it.” That tracks.

Buttercup
blogging · Cartoons · comedy tv · daily prompt · fantasy · fiction · Humor · tv show

Buttercup

Featured Amy2 Comments

Who is your favorite cartoon character?

Buttercup from the Powerpuff Girls. I even named one of my cars after her. I have a keychain of her that speaks, and it is a ringtone in my phone. It sums up Buttercup perfectly when it says, “I think they’re askin’ for a heiny whoopin’! 😠”

On cue, as I’m typing this, a mosquito appears out of nowhere. I think I lured it out of hiding, because I’m quite sure this tiny blood sucker needs a heiny whoopin’. Just saying.

Buttercup is the tough and aggressive sister in the Powerpuff Girls. She is sassy. She’s physically tough and strong. she’s small. She doesn’t dare show her tenderness, which one can imagine would be her weakness. If I needed protection from harm, I would hire Buttercup. She could handle the job. If you want the whole team, you must hire Bubbles and Blossom as well. Together, they are known as the Whoopass Girls. 

(L-R) Bubbles, Blossom, Buttercup

Buttercup pouting
Buttercup being this emoji: 😏
Classic Buttercup pose – prepared for heiny whoopin’!
Hello Kitty And Chococat
blogging · cats · daily prompt · Hello Kitty · Humor · pets

Hello Kitty And Chococat

Featured Amy8 Comments

If you could pick any fictional animal to be your lifelong companion (like a Pokémon or fantasy pet), what would it be?

This was an easy one. I have collected Hello Kitty memorabilia for a very long time so it’s almost like I actually do have HK as a lifelong companion.

Hello Kitty is a big tennis fan

If she were real, though, she would be a wee white cat, five apples high and three apples heavy. She’s from London. She’s a Scorpio, born on November 1. She has a twin sister, Mimmy, and a boyfriend, Dear Daniel. I think this boyfriend is sketchy because I’d never heard of him until I was an adult. I don’t trust him. There’s another controversial thing about Hello Kitty, and that is that she’s actually an eight year-old girl named Kitty White, but I call BS on this because what eight year-old girl is five apples tall? Get that kid some food, ASAP.

Hello Kitty has a friend named Chococat, who is another one of my favorites. He’s a black cat with big eyes. Chococat got his name due to his little brown nose. He’s from Chocotown, Colorado, which I did not know until I researched.

I don’t think I’ll be able to decide between Hello Kitty and Chococat, so I’m going to have to adopt both of them.

And this, my friends, is how the cat distribution system works, even in a fictional world.

Chococat is also a big tennis fan
The Word “Trope”
blogging · daily prompt · Humor

The Word “Trope”

Featured Amy9 Comments

What’s the most annoying trope in books or movies?

I can’t stand this word. It’s overused, much like iconic, and they are both used frivolously and, in my opinion, not as intended. Seeing a word used repeatedly dulls its shine. Trope usage should not be common place, and iconic is only iconic if we stop using iconic so much. Internet culture strikes again.

As for answering the prompt, I can’t get past the word to answer it. The word itself has become a trope.

Ugh.

Me, reading this prompt and seeing that word