Did you hear? There's been a flood!

Minot, ND.  Flooded.  I live there.  Obviously my writing has been put on hold to move belongings to higher ground and make way for a less than modern way of life.  I washed my hair in a tub (just like you see kitchen busers use at a restaurant) and used the same water to "bathe" myself before driving to work.  It took me 30 minutes to drive .3 miles this morning and a total of an hour to get to work.  A normal trip to work takes roughly 10 minutes; maybe 15 minutes on a bad day.  There is only 1 way for me to get to work and I have to take that same route home ... when everyone else is doing the same thing.  Life will be hectic for a while and honestly, I hate it. 

I would love to work on my ebook right now, but all my material has been shoved in a tote and moved upstairs and I don't know which tote.  Every item that was in our basement is now resting on the main level of our house; the 2 bedrooms are packed from wall to wall as is the dining room and the living room. 

Things could be worse.  Our house could've been flooded.  By the grace of God's dry hand, our house remained safe.  The water rose about half way up our street, but a miracle created an island, maybe more a penisula of our home.  As of today, no water in the basement from moisture in the ground.  I pray it stays that way. 

My 2 cats - my babies - were escorted into Watertown, SD to stay safe and dry.  With the numerous water main breaks (one of the 1st also occurred on our street THURSDAY of last week) there is a boil order in effect and people are being asked not to use water unless in an emergency situation.  Fortunately, a neighbor has given us free access to his outside faucet to fill up a jug so we can - ahem - flush the toilet and attempt to bathe.  With 2 less mouths to water and 8 less feet running around getting on top of EVERTHING there is a slight chance my sanity will return before the water fully recedes.  The total of 14 hours I spent driving actually helped my mental status, too. 

I am back to work and it actually feels magnificent.  I now have something else to occupy my mind and I'll get a paycheck one day. 

Focus

Apparently, I am out of focus.  Maybe better said, I have no POSITIVE thinking left.  Everyone says to focus on "something else" or pour your energy into completing another thing.  I seem to have lost that ability.  So many things of a negative nature have taken place and my head is spinning. 

My main focus continues to be on the negative forces behind "Jezebel" and her lack of consideration for someone else.  My downfall is that I cannot let it go.  I try and try but continue to burn with anger and have no outlet.  Pen and paper, laptop, keyboard... whatever ... are not resulting in positive or creative solutions.  I find myself disappointed in another - younger - person and nothing I can do will solve the issue.  I will cross a line that does not need to be crossed.  My faith is running thin ... my temperature is running high. 

I search for the words.  I search for the answers.  I search for creation of something more positive than my ridiculous rantings.  My lack of control in this particular situation leaves me angry. My focus at work is lacking. 

BLAH!! Just plain BLAH!

Sometimes the best things in life really are free...

Today began a little off tempo as is bound to happen once-in-awhile; however, quickly brought back up to speed with a simple compliment from a co-worker.  It's amazing how much one simple gesture, one simple comment, one simple smile - so many simple things - can raise the curtains on a dreary day. 

"Those who bring sunshine into the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." James M. Barrie 

With that... I am back to work. 

Life Took Over

The past month or so has been so crazy-busy that I have not had time enough - or sanity enough - to sit down and complete my first compilation of poems.  In reality, I have no good excuse but a recent visit from my mother-in-law and saying good-bye to my step-daughter's for the summer.  Among the stress associated with what I consider betrayal (details I will not go into right now) and flood issues in town I simply haven't had the time or motivation. 

I've begun clearing my mind and feel that "soon" I shall have a published e-book for all to enjoy.  At least I hope someone will enjoy. 

To my faithful fans - if there are any out there - I promise the wait will be worth it. 

Inspiration

I've been thinking about what motivates me to write; you know, the stuff that REALLY motivates... 
I look back over the things I've written and realize that each time I was sad or depressed about something I wrote a whole lot more than when life is good and I am happy.  I tend to write when I am angry... why is this?  Why is it that my "creative juices" are fueled by unhappy moments in life?

Failure

Ok!  Not the best title, but I did fail to meet my goal of completing the PAD challenge.  A lot happened in a small amount of time in my life and I did become distracted.  So, I am not a failure, I just failed to complete and submit the April 2011 PAD challenge poems.  This does not mean that I will not use the prompts and write, I just won't be able to submit them in the contest. 

I still plan on publishing an Ebook and am very close to completing that project; a little editing and final revisions and I should be done.  My new goal is to have this completed by May 15.  My mother-in-law will be arriving on May 17, and with my husband working 12-hour shifts for the 3rd straight week, this may be a challenging task.  I have to make sure the house is picked up and up to par, the kids are taken care of and all the joys of parenting... AND submit an Ebook.  I look forward to this challenge. 

Day 4 PAD

2011 April PAD Challenge: Day 4
Posted by Robert

For today's prompt, pick a type of person and write a poem about him or her. To help set the scene, you may want to title your poem as who the type of person is. For instance, you could write a poem titled "Firefighter," "Cynic," "Optimist," "Teacher," "2-year-old," etc. The list is endless.

 

Liar

You’re a liar
The only people you fool are those you pretend to care about
What will you do with yourself the day they realize you left them behind
The day you chose yourself over them
Your own flesh and blood
To provide selfish necessities for yourself
Selfish! Selfish! Selfish!
You fill your children with lies
And promises you can’t keep
You blame your downfalls on others
Check yourself…
You’re a big girl – acting as a child, yes!
But, you alone made these decisions
You must lie in the bed
In those filthy sheets
Soaking in all that you know is true
You’re a liar and you can’t hide your face
The one you wear outside is corroding
Your true colors shine through
How does it feel as they all walk away?
Selfish! Liar!
They shout
You cry
Keep walking
And don’t look back
Your lies are like demons
They chased you and now consume you
Good-bye!
Good riddance!

 

~HLM