tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-361303502024-03-19T06:25:37.407-04:00Views from Raven's NestRavenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.comBlogger1663125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-2659344362876649742017-07-02T15:37:00.004-04:002017-07-02T15:53:06.612-04:00And I Rant OnEveryone I know seems angry and depressed. Those of us who find the Trump administration both immoral and embarrassing feel like our country is being disgraced by an ignorant bully. Our moral compass - which, granted, we have not always lived up to - is quite literally being shredded and tramped on with a kind of remorseless and gleeful hypocrisy.<br />
<br />
I turned on CNN this morning to unending discussion of yet another crude stupid tweet from our narcissistic "leader," who apparently made a graphic of himself wrestlng CNN to submission. A stupid tweet and what is probably a slightly hyperbolic response from CNN... but then it isn't me he is calling an "enemy of the people." CNN has plenty of flaws, but I do find it ironic that my right wing acquaintances who are addicted to propaganda from FOX and Rush Limbaugh have swallowed and regurgitate the idea that the rest of the media is "fake." What every happened to fact checking? What ever happened to thinking. It is apparently a dead art.<br />
<br />
I stuck with CNN through Fareed Zakaria because he has guests who are knowledgeable and have actual conversations and don't just throw inane sound bytes (most talking head "debates" are the equivalent of monkeys through feces at each other). What is most frustrating - I think I'm repeating myself, but if I keep this up, I will probably repeat myself a lot - is that the media continues to pretend that Donald Trump has a clue about anything. They cover him as though he knows about issues and is making actual decisions. You only need to listen to him for a couple of minutes to realize that he knows nothing at all, for example, about health care in general or about the bill he is pushing. He doesn't actually care what's in it or who it hurts. (Unless you count our former President. The Trump presidency is in many ways guided by a desire to erase everything Barack Obama did. It is a blend of hatred of the first black president and narcissism. I'm sure psychologists - if the planet survives - will spend decades studying the psychological pathology. But I digress...) Besides hating Obama, Trump wants to score a point. It's all about himself and how great he thinks he is. Some in the news media hint at this, but they always add some qualifier that pretends the man is actually informed on any subject. One only has to listen to the vague inanity that issues from his potty mouth to realize that there is no there there. "It's going to be awesome," isn't a policy discussion. "We had a great meeting," even if the participants had a grand old time - is not a reflection of substance. It's theater. So anyway, six historians sat around and pretended that this man who apparently spends something like 5 hours a day watching coverage of himself on TV is sitting in the oval office formulating policy. He isn't. He's spewing political chum for his followers. engaging with is family in an ethical free ride in which they are using the presidency to line their own pockets, signing horrible decisions with no thought to their repercussions because he is not a person who gives thought to anything except his own ego gratification.<br />
<br />
I fear that the US has been lucky and prosperous and free for so long that we don't really understand that it is frighteningly easy to lose those treasures.<br />
<br />
I guess I'll stop now. <br />
<br />
Happy Independence Day Weekend. May we wake up and recognize the gift we are at risk of losing to a self-serving bully who wouldn't recognize greatness if he tripped over it.Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-36285038003665106582017-06-29T16:27:00.001-04:002017-06-29T16:28:37.996-04:00I Don't Want to Rant But I Can't Stop MyselfIt has been a really, really long time since I last posted anything here. Lots has happened. Tara Grace and Angel Joy both died and after a bi of an empty time, Merlin and Melissa - aka "the Twins" because they are brother and sister came into my life. <br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxq8EsDCpQbjC9FrGLpRhalZY217sTPT0qFZ3E9BsUCEJcdg2QQjZwepctcfbRTk4b7qt6fWCLErokggCIGEzADWfsarb_TaeSgTQn3Qwkn3HCLUtZ5JnxDFNiDh8gcocy8n3/s1600/IMG_6476+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxq8EsDCpQbjC9FrGLpRhalZY217sTPT0qFZ3E9BsUCEJcdg2QQjZwepctcfbRTk4b7qt6fWCLErokggCIGEzADWfsarb_TaeSgTQn3Qwkn3HCLUtZ5JnxDFNiDh8gcocy8n3/s320/IMG_6476+-+Copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
On another front, after 12 years of not doing so, I left my house 4 times - 3 of them in an ambulance, unfortunately, the 4th in my neighbotr's car. Bless her. Although I'm not (amazingly) diabetic, I developed a big hole in the bottom of my foot (hospital visit 1) which led to trouble walking which led to a blood clot (hospital visit 2 with a 3 week interment in a nursing home for rehab) which led to coumadin which led to misery and a leaky blood vessel in my eye and something called a fistula (hospital visit 3). Luckily for me - against doctor's advice - I stopped the coumadin. I'm sure it caused the fistula (not all medical professionals will admit that I'm right), but I think it would have been worse if my "little voice" hadn't literally bellowed at me one morning - after a month of so of polite warnings - "STOP TAKING THAT STUFF. IT'S KILLING YOU." Anyway, I lived. <br />
<br />
One of the reasons I stopped posting way back when was because I ran out of photo space. That was half the fun of posting for me, but after Angel died and I stopped blogging, I kind of stopped taking pictures as well, so maybe it will be OK to have just words or maybe I can reuse pictures that are already in old posts. I guess I'll figure it out if I post more than just this day's rant. And I warn you. I'm guided here by a desire to rant. Two people asked me in the last few weeks if I had been blogging so maybe that's a sign. Or maybe it's just two people asking a question. I know that I am deeply angry and depressed about what is happening to my country. It feels to me - I know there are some who are elated - like the forces of darkness are winning and it makes me sad and angry and deeply depressed. <br />
<br />
A friend of my voted for Donald Trump. She's a woman with a gay son whom she loves and in whom she takes pride. She's a woman with a pre-existing condition. She's a woman who's family members survive because of HEAP and SNAP (as do I). She also - though she denies it - hates Muslims. She listens to Rush Limbaugh and follows Judge somebody from FOX news who foments blatantly dishonest propaganda. I confess to the sin of stalking her Facebook page to some degree. I hate Facebook, but I went to S's page initially to try and understand how someone who is a kind, decent person could vote for someone who preached racism, lied non-stop, bragged about molesting women - the list goes on and on - and is generally ignorant on pretty much every subject there is..... How could she vote for him? How could she vote for someone whose Vice Presidential choice would, given the chance, send her gay son away to be reprogrammed? <br />
<br />
What I found was a lot Conservative and Tea Party propaganda, a lot of disturbing (to me) "Muslim watch" posts, which are basically distorted fear mongering and half truth about how scary and evil Muslims are. And I found posts about George Soros which were obvious lies. Fine with me if you want to hate George Soros, but to post a photo of a Nazi commandant and say it's George Soros and have a false quote about how he loved World War II was something I couldn't just not fight back on... not because I care that much one way or another about George S, but because, as I said to S, because I care about truth and lies. I offered her proof from SNOPES that her post was a lie. Soros was 14 when the war ended and was Jewish, thus very unlikely to be a Nazi commandant. The identity of the man in the photo was also know and he was not Soros. She and her friends dismissed this proof because SNOPES in their view is "left leaning." So I went and found alternate sources... the BBC and other places. They didn't care. She has posted similar things since and feels that because - in her view - George Soros is a bad man, that it's OK to lie about him. That REALLY bothers me. She has bought the Trump mantra about Fake News, without recognizing that he is one of the prime purveyors of falsehoods and fake news. She doesn't care and neither do her friends. This breaks my heart and it makes me angry as well. Mostly it breaks my heart.<br />
<br />
I will say that I DO think our news media sucks across the board. They don't inform, they entertain.... or try to. Most is more gossip than news. FOX is propaganda laden gossip, CNN (the station I can get) is gossip laden dribble. They have all the Trump bot people who make absurd rationalizations about things he says and does and more left-leaning people who toss opposing sound bytes back. It's all just stupid and angry and pointless. (There are exceptions like Fareed Zakaria, who has guests who have actual conversations with content and information in them.) <br />
<br />
I think what makes me craziest is that CNN continues to cover Trump as though he is rational, as though he knows or give a hoot about health care or anything else. They cover the vacant photo ops of a man playing at being President as though he was anything more than a self-involved narcissist with the power to do enormous harm to the US and the world. They hint at his lies and his fundamental incompetence but they won't go out on a limb and actually say that the Emperor has no clothes, that he doesn't understand or care to understand how health care works, that he doesn't understand history or government or the Constitution, that he has no ethics. The right says everyone is picking on him? Nobody is really picking on him. He, not the media or the left, has turned the Russia investigation into something that's all about him. The media has helped him to do that, but the primary source of that distortion it the Paranoid, Distorter/Distractor in Chief.<br />
<br />
The man is a disgrace. An embarrassment. He shames and humiliates us in the eyes of the world. The people who think he is going to save them are the ones who will pay the heaviest price for his dishonesty and cruelty. The rich will thrive and the poor will get poorer. The planet may pass it's tipping point. Hate and bigotry are tacitly (and not so tacitly) encouraged. Meanwhile the man who led the birther movement complains about people being mean to him. Give me a break. <br />
<br />
Where are Republicans of conscience? They seem to share the President's disregard for truth. <br />
<br />
I could just rant on and on, but I guess maybe I'll stop here. I know many (assuming anybody finds and read this) will disagree with me. That's fine. We're still a free country, although I'm not sure we will remain that way if Mr. Trump and his minions have their way. Bullies don't like free speech. Narcissists don't really care about the rights of other people. They only care about themselves.Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-6201150486555628882013-07-15T10:55:00.004-04:002013-07-15T10:55:46.815-04:00A Conversation Worth Listening ToWe need to have more honest conversations like this. We need to stop being coy about the impact of racism on our society and speak candid honestly like this. All the blather about someone using the "N" word 30 years ago is a way to pretend we are dealing with our deep-seated bigotry and it's impact on the people who are on the receiving end of it. It's pretend doing something Conversations like this can actually change people. Or at least that's my opinion.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bP_jFMMAvLs" width="560"></iframe>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-71685083571944987512013-06-19T13:01:00.001-04:002013-06-19T13:08:13.050-04:00LibertyI know I said I would be back soon. I meant it, but somehow it was easier to STOP posting than to start back up. Guess I'm still not ready, but I thought this was very funny and makes a good point at the same time.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ydXSJPFeiwY" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-28554554314060392212013-05-14T16:04:00.001-04:002013-05-14T16:04:37.019-04:00Self Esteem and Other ThingsHi,<br />
<br />
I WILL leap back into the void and do Wordzzles again soon. I have just needed a break. I've been obsessed (without entirely knowing it) with the parole hearing for the boy (now a man) who murdered my older sister. It's over. He was denied. He will have another hearing two years from now, but for the moment it is resolved.<br />
<br />
I hate sharing commercials and I don't particularly like Dove as a product, but I think this ad is PROFOUND so I'll give them some free advertising (not that many people visit these days. I imagine even the faithful few have given up the ghost). Still. I want to share it because I think it's really thought provoking.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XpaOjMXyJGk" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-65081081735698954692013-03-26T18:15:00.001-04:002013-03-26T18:15:19.491-04:00The First Lady SpeaksI so admire this woman.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6__psZkav1g" width="560"></iframe>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-15634668734816495542013-03-16T21:06:00.001-04:002013-03-17T20:48:29.176-04:00Taking a Break<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, since I never came back to finish up last week's exercises and it's 9:00 PM and I haven't done anything this week, I think perhaps a wee break is in order. Not sure when I'll be back. Maybe next week or the week after or in April.<br />
<br />
My apologies.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><u>UPDATE</u>: Of course on the week that I decide to quit for a while, someone else had planned to participate. I received this in my email from Gabrielle at <a href="http://wildgoosescoopsmoon.blogspot.com/">Wild Goose Scoops Moon</a>. It's a tribute to Le Chat, Henri of You Tube fame and I think it's quite brilliant. For those who have missed it, here's a link to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q34z5dCmC4M">Paw de Deux</a>.</i></span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span class="apple-style-span"><b>Ennui</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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J’entend les mots</div>
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Du chat Henri</div>
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What is this life</div>
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But rank <b>ennui?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
A bald cadence</div>
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Where<b> obsessions</b> reign</div>
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<b>Stupid</b>, ancient</div>
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<b>Glorious</b> ,vain.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Measurements</b></div>
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Of <b>gross</b> demeanor</div>
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Futile now as</div>
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Hearts grow leaner</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
The knife is <b>sharp</b></div>
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The<b> keys </b>are flat</div>
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According to</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
One weary cat</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Why all this bother</div>
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To<b> salivate</b></div>
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Cold fish again</div>
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Predictably late.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
A frizzed <b>red ribbon</b></div>
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Catnip filled mice</div>
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Glittery balls</div>
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Meant to entice</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Charisma</b>, swag</div>
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So overrated</div>
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Moi, je prefere</div>
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What’s understated</div>
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</div>
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But I grow tired</div>
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Of all this rhyme</div>
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<b>Perpetua</b>l iamb</div>
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And metered time</div>
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<br /></div>
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The languid rays</div>
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Of morning light</div>
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Disturb a nap</div>
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Bring back the night!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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J’entend les mots</div>
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Du chat Henri</div>
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The<b> stars</b> go darK</div>
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Epistrophy</div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-47762780212326114062013-03-09T18:33:00.001-05:002013-03-09T18:33:27.887-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 236<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Late again. I seem to be losing my enthusiasm for the task. Maybe it's winter blahs. I've posted the mega and the mini and will finish the 10-word after I have some supper... or tomorrow. Sorry about my blahs and the weary heart of a lonely wordzzler.<br />
<br />
<br />
Words for this week's 10-word challenge: <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>ennui, stars, salivate, charisma, perpetual, stupid, measurement, triangle, obsession, bother </b></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>gross, glorious, red ribbon, keys, sharp</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />My mega: </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Call it jealousy, but it really <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">bothered</span></b> her. Lucinda Jones could not understand for the life of her how that <b><span style="color: #660000;">gross</span></b>, odious and incredibly <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">stupid</span></b> woman Gracie - who went by the stage name <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Charisma</span></b> and alternately (and <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">perpetually</span></b>) sang both <b><span style="color: #660000;">sharp </span></b>and flat, but never actually on <b><span style="color: #660000;">key</span></b> - had managed to find her way onto <i>The <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Stars</span></b> Have It</i> and even to make it past some other contestants to the "<b><span style="color: #660000;">red ribbon</span></b>" phase of the competition. Ridiculous, unless "it" was a penchant for pretentiously overdone <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">ennui,</span></b> an <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">obsession</span></b> with her <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">measurements</span></b> and own image in the mirror. The woman had no talent and less brains, yet for some reason men <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">salivated</span></b> over her as though she was some <b><span style="color: #660000;">glorious</span></b> treasure. She had already been caught in more than one love <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">triangle</span></b>, but instead of making her the pariah she deserved to be, it seemed to increase her reputation as some kind of <b><span style="color: #660000;">glorious</span></b> celebrity. Life, Lucinda thought, was unfair. Jack, her husband let her tirade run its course, smiling. Lucinda, my love. What do you care? Your talent is the real thing. I chose you over Charisma and so will any talent agent with half a brain and business sense. She's a flash in the pan. You are a gifted artist. You win across the board. Don't envy her. Pity her. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My mini:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Looking at the <b><span style="color: #660000;">keys</span></b> hanging on the big <b><span style="color: #660000;">red ribbon</span></b>, Amanda <b><span style="color: #660000;">Gross</span></b> could not believe her good luck. She had entered the <b><span style="color: #660000;">Sharp</span></b> Estate win your own home contest on a whim. It had never occurred to her that she might win and now here she was, owner of a <b><span style="color: #660000;">glorious</span></b> new house.... and a car too. And a check for $100,000. Life was looking pretty darned good.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My 10-word: <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b> Coming soon</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>elements, eyes, splatter, pragmatism, slate, foreign, smog, mustard, sand, copper</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>gratitude, animal speak, kissed by the moon, octapus, bargain</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=09Mar2013" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=09Mar2013" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span></div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-86325215253944023582013-03-02T19:32:00.001-05:002013-03-03T03:18:34.142-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 235<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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OK.... Someone else is thinking of joining in this week, so I have no more excuse to not do my own exercises.... Just as I started to work on these, I got company, so I'm running later than I had planned to. Sigh. Will post the first two and add the 10-word later. LATER turned out to be 300 am. But I did it!<br />
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Words for this week's 10-word challenge were: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">perplexed, imagination, chandelier, ball of yarn, carpenter, crocodile tears, shape, drop, pouring, the last straw </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>gambol, scarf, red peppers, puzzle, praise</b></span><br />
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My mega:<br />
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Miranda <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Carpenter</span></b> didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she watched the her 16-year-old cat - aptly named <b><span style="color: #660000;">Red Peppe</span></b>r for her not so mild temperament - <b><span style="color: #660000;">gambol</span></b> happily around the room turning her favorite <b><span style="color: #660000;">scarf </span></b>back into a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">ball of yarn</span></b>. It was a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">perplexing</span><span style="color: #660000;"> puzzle</span></b> to her why Red had not only not mellowed with age, but seemed to have grown in <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">imagination</span></b> and destructive creativity. She had tried yelling, she had tried <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;">pouring</span><b style="color: #660000;"> </b>on<b style="color: #660000;"> praise</b> for good behavior, she had tried spray bottles. Red Pepper seemed impervious to any and all kinds of discipline. She also seemed impervious to aging. She was in magnificent <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">shape</span></b>. Miranda was pretty sure that her late husband Fred had secretly encouraged the old cat in her antics, though <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">the last straw</span></b> for him had been the morning he walked in to the dining room as she <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">dropped</span></b> gracelessly from the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">chandelie</span></b>r bringing it down with her in a shattered heap. He loved to tell the story, though, replete with <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">crocodile tears</span></b>, since he had quite hated the gaudy baubles which he found ostentatious, so even at her worst, the old cat had served his happiness. Because of that Miranda herself was prone to forgive the old monster almost anything... even her favorite scarf. "Come here you old scamp," she said, grabbing the big cat and hugging her close. "You are a scoundrel, but you always made Fred happy and for that I love you and forgive you anything. I can hear him laughing when I watch you play and that makes me feel less sad that he's gone. Thanks for that, my old friend. I love you."<br />
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My mini:<br />
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Standing at the altar in her wedding gown, <b><span style="color: #660000;">Gambol</span></b> Grace Johnson felt joy sweep over her. She had spent her life trying to live up to the silly name her parents had given her, but knew she had failed. They were, good, kindhearted people who had hoped to inspire in her the sense of adventure and self-confidence that they craved but did not themselves have. They lavished her with <b><span style="color: #660000;">praise</span></b> and rejoiced in her eccentricities and it <b><span style="color: #660000;">puzzled</span></b> them that she had not become a traveler or adventurer, but instead a banker whose most eccentric act was to wear a <b><span style="color: #660000;">scarf</span></b> decorated with <b><span style="color: #660000;">red peppers.</span></b> But then she had met her husband George - the adventurer her parents had always dreamed of. George had somehow managed to flick the switch on the daughter they had always dreamed of and having sowed her tame oats during her younger years, she was not free to fly. Best of all, George had helped her parents take their own baby steps into a more daring life. She knew she was blessed. He was her Angel and she knew that with him the future was going to be a joyful journey from now on.<br />
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And the 10-word: <br />
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When <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">carpenter</span></b> and handy man, Frank Wilson had hung Miranda Weathersmith's <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">chandelier</span></b> 3 years earlier, marriage had been the furthest thing from his mind and in his wildest <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;">imagination </span>Miranda would not have been on the short list of eligible women. She would not have been on any list. He had detested her since they were children. She was one of the smart kids, the kind who had made him feel insecure and foolish and out of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">shape</span></b>. When his mother had insisted that he <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">drop</span></b> by and help her out with some home repairs, he had been furious at her meddling. He knew what she was up to and trying to fix him up with Miranda had felt like <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">the last straw</span></b>. Then, when he arrived at her house and she opened the door, she had seemed very different that the girl he had resented all those years. She had a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">ball of yarn</span></b> in her hands and a young kitten and she seemed surprisingly beautiful to him. It <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">perplexed</span></b> him that he had not noticed how pretty she was until now. But when he had cut his hand and she had tended to it ever so gently, shedding tears at his injury - and not <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">crocodile tears</span></b>, very real ones - everything had changed. He had been consumed with love. Two years later they married and now they were about to have their first child. His mother - in a rare burst of good grace - never reminded him about how lucky that last straw had been for him.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>ennui, stars, salivate, charisma, perpetual, stupid, measurement, triangle, obsession, bother</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>gross, glorious, red ribbon, keys, sharp</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=02Mar2013" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=02Mar2013" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span></div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-56553944374729038302013-02-28T15:55:00.002-05:002013-02-28T15:57:08.923-05:00Voting Rights<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/mznRCKfwZ-g" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
Please consider reading the article and signing this important petition (there's a link at the end of the article). <a href="http://www.care2.com/causes/protect-dr-kings-dream-act.html">Petition</a>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-20800023030902700742013-02-24T15:55:00.004-05:002013-02-24T15:55:56.956-05:00Wordzzle Apology<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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Apparently, I'm not going to do the wordzzles this week. Moving the day does not seem to have worked out as I intended. I half forgot and half just don't want to do it. Since it's now Sunday afternoon and my resistance remains more than firm, I think I'll just plan to do this week's words next week. I'll repost them below.. I apologize. I just really can't seem to get myself to do it. Even guilt isn't working.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">*****</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>perplexed, imagination, chandelier, ball of yarn, carpenter, crocodile tears, shape, drop, pouring, the last straw</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>gambol, scarf, red peppers, puzzle, praise</b></span></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<br /></div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-34931995283794991362013-02-18T13:29:00.004-05:002013-02-18T13:34:13.067-05:00Change Mandatory Sentencing LawsOur prison system is in need of major reform. Thought this was worth sharing. We have TWENTY FIVE percent of the world's prisoners. 25%. And we do nothing to rehabilitate those lives while they are locked up. Crazy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fnAPY_-kByk" width="560"></iframe>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-8275291398089712532013-02-15T22:22:00.003-05:002013-02-16T17:55:04.558-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 234<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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Friday has snuck up on me once again. I think that starting next week, I'll go back (way, way back) to posting on Saturday since that seems to be what I'm doing in any case. For tonight, I'll put Mr. Linky and next week's words up and post my exercises tomorrow (hopefully).<br />
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<b><span style="color: #7f6000;"><u>SATURDAY, 5:30 pm</u>: Done. This was a touch batch of words. I think next week's may be worse. Time will tell, I guess.</span></b><br />
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Words for this week's 10-word challenge: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">wonderful, open to interpretation, war and peace, grow, glowing embers, hummingbirds, a loaf of bread, careful, snoop </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>signals, spelling, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, snow storm, grace</b></span><br />
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My mega:<br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Grace</span></b> Torgenson <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">carefully</span></b> removed the freshly baked <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">loaf of bread</span></b> from the wood fired oven, savoring the smell of the bread and the warmth of kitchen in the chilly house. She added a couple of additional logs to the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">glowing embers</span></b> and watched them slowly blaze into flame. Despite the cold and inconvenience, she was <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">secretly</span></b> thrilled to be trapped in this old estate by the unexpected blizzard. Negotiations with the two embassadors had not been going well and they each had threatened to bolt at least once over the course of the previous two days. She was hoping that they would take discussions of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">war and peace</span></b> more seriously without the distractions of electricity and telephones. She felt a bit like it was divine intervention that even the cell phone <b><span style="color: #660000;">signals</span></b> had been blocked - at least for the moment - by the massive <b><span style="color: #660000;">snow storm</span></b>. <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Snooping</span></b> through the cabinets in the kitchen, she found a set of china plates decorated with <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">hummingbirds</span></b> and placing the sliced up loaf of bread on one of them, carried it out to the next room where she found the politicians and their staffs gathered. "Good morning, gentlemen. A little sustenance to see us through. There's more in the kitchen, including an effort at coffee, which I can't promise will be palatable. But I tried. Here is the situation. On the down side, we are trapped here for the unforseeable future. On the up side, there is nothing to distract you from making an effort to come to some agreement. We have choices. We can see this as a dreadful inconvenience or as a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">wonderful</span></b> opportunity for you to <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">grow </span></b>closer to an agreement. I opt for the latter, myself. Let's put another log on the fire, break bread together and begin <b><span style="color: #660000;">spelling</span></b> out what each of you truly needs to come to some kind of agreement for the good of your own people and the rest of the world. What I'm going to say next may be <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">open to interpretation</span></b> (or not), but you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours. My staff have taken custody of all the wood and food in the house.and I have the keys to the kitchen, so from now on, you can either work together or get hungry and cold together. My staff and I will be warm and well fed whatever you gentlemen decide. If you think I am kidding, you are mistaken. Enjoy your breakfast." Telling the story years later, she admitted that it had been an enormous gamble on her part and that she was stunned by her own temerity. It was something about the house she said and her sense that the storm had been a divine intervention. In any case, whether she had been right or wrong, it had worked out and the resulting treaty was so much better than anyone had expected, that even the ambassadors had forgiven her.<br />
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My mini: <br />
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Grace Spelling</span></b> looked out at the after math of last night's <b><span style="color: #660000;">snow storm</span></b> and was happy to see her handsome neighbor, shovel in hand, waving from across the street. She had a terrible crush on him, but was never sure whether he felt anything in return. To say that he gave mixed <b><span style="color: #660000;">signals</span></b> was to put it mildly indeed. Bounding across to her door, he beamed happily at her. "Would you like me to clear your snow for you, Grace? Glad to do it for you on a '<b><span style="color: #660000;">you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours,</span></b>" basis. I shovel show and you make me some hot cocoa and a hearty breakfast. Do we have a deal?" "Sounds like a double win for me, George" she smiled, her heart beating a little faster. "I get my snow shoveled and good company to share a meal with." "Okee Dokee," he responded, with not a hint of flirtation in his voice. Sighing she turned back into the house and began to prepare a meal that she hoped might open his heart as well as satisfy his stomach.<br />
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My mega:<br />
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Sitting in front of the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">glowing embers</span></b> of last night's fire, Grace Spelling - well it was Grace Anderson now -could not believe how wonderful her life had become. Pulling the curtains aside to <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>snoop</b></span> bit on the world outside, she was elated to see three <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">hummingbird</span></b>s feasting on the bougainvillea flowers. For such a long time George's every sentence had seemed alternately warm and open, <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">careful</span></b> or confusingly <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">open to interpretation</span></b>. She had felt like he was interested in her - he made it a point to always seek her out and talk to her and to do things to help her, but somehow he managed to do so in a way made her want to tear her hair out with frustration. Then, the morning of the big snowstorm last winter, he had shoveled her snow and come for breakfast, something had changed. Over coffee and bacon and eggs, they had talked politics, <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">war and peace</span></b>, economics, the environment and continuing over lunch and then dinner had moved on to politics. He had gone back across the street briefly to get some ingredients for dinner and had walked in carrying two bottles of wine, while reciting the words that would glow in her heart forever: "A jug of wine, <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">a loaf of bread</span></b> and thou..." from the Rubaiyat of Omar Kayyam. Once he had opened up to her, George Anderson proved to be possibly the most romantic man on earth. Their love had continued to <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">grow</span></b> after that snowy morning and six weeks later he had asked her to marry him. Six months later, here they were on their honeymoon, awash in the poetry of love and beautiful surroundings. She loved that there were hummingbirds outside the window. Native Americans thought of hummingbirds as bringers of joy. Looking over at her new husband as he slept peacefully in their bed, she thought she was awash in joy already, but still, she thought, there can never be too much joy. She would name their first child joy, she thought, placing her hand on her belly. She was sure, somehow that last night they had made more than just love. Nine months later, she was proven to be right.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>perplexed, imagination, chandelier, ball of yarn, carpenter, crocodile tears, shape, drop, pouring, the last straw</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>gambol, scarf, red peppers, puzzle, praise</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=15Feb2013" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=15Feb2013" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span></div>
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<br />Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-88425298146684678162013-02-08T20:09:00.000-05:002013-02-11T18:18:55.693-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 233<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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Well, it has been an odd week in which things didn't happen on their traditional days, so I have been caught off guard by Friday once again. Assuming that the big blizzard does not take out my power (probably won't), I'll put my exercises up tomorrow (Saturday). It was nice to have a second wordzzler last week.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #7f6000;"><u>SATURDAY UPDATE</u>: I'm sick. I'll live, but I'm feeling really miserable, so I may postpone my posing until tomorrow.... or at best later today after I've taken a nap. My apologies for being later even than usual.</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #7f6000;">LATE SUNDAY NIGHT: Sunday came and went and I totally forgot about Wordzzles. Tomorrow, hopefully, I will remember. Apologies.</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #7f6000;"><b>6:15 MONDAY EVENING: Finally.... </b></span><br />
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Words for this week's 10-word challenge: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">whiskers, three days, banana, strength in numbers, all year long, large tree, good housekeeping, there are no accidents, recorder, stain </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>smooth, partridge, snarling, tragic, lotion</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My mega: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: #0c343d;">All year long</span></b>, Samantha <b><span style="color: #660000;">Partridge</span></b> had struggled to win the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Good Housekeeping</span></b> and best Christmas tree award from the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Banana</span></b> Beach Country Club ladies. She knew in her heart that they were awful women, unworthy of her desire to please them, yet she wanted so badly to "belong," that she had saved and slaved, chosen an especially beautiful and <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>large tree,</b></span>spent <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">three days</span></b> decorating it to what she hoped was elegant perfection. Her family had spent weeks living in a state of tortured warnings and reprimands and been forced into frequent and frantic servitude. There was not a spot or <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">stain</span></b> or flake of dust anywhere. The night before the judging, over the protests of her husband, they had dined out and spent the night in a hotel. "I want to make sure <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">there are no accidents</span></b>," she had told her grumbling spouse, as she covered her face and body in an assortment of <b><span style="color: #660000;">lotions</span></b> and creams to ensure that her face and hands were <b><span style="color: #660000;">smooth</span></b> and unblemished.. "<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Strength in numbers</span></b>," she had said, gathering the family around her next morning. They arrived home just as the committee pulled up. "You all have your video <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">recorders</span></b> charged and ready to document the big event?" she whispered anxiously? Alas - although the scene WAS recorded for posterity - it was not the moment of glory she had dreamed of, but rather a <b><span style="color: #660000;">tragic</span></b> nightmare of wires and ornaments strewn around the room and a <b><span style="color: #660000;">snarling</span></b> and rather exhausted cat - <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Whiskers</span></b> by name - struggling and pinned beneath the giant tree which had finally gotten its revenge after several hours of feline assault. Needless to say, Samantha didn't win the award that year, but it turned out that the Country Club ladies were not such snobs after all. Since Samantha's tree had been the last on their list, the were able -with a lot of laughter and good humor, to help the family restore the fallen tree to at least a bit of its former glory. In the end, she did much better than first prize. She made a number of friends and the Committee created the first annual Whiskers award, which was granted in future years to others whose aspirations of glory met with unkind ends. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My mini: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Fred McMurphy <b><span style="color: #660000;">smoothed</span></b> a heavy lather of shaving <b><span style="color: #660000;">lotion</span></b> on his face, bellowing "come on get happy" (he had come of age with the <b><span style="color: #660000;">Partridge</span></b> Family and associated them with romance) - in a very loud voice, totally oblivious of the <b><span style="color: #660000;">snarling</span></b> dog just outside the bathroom door and the very unromantic and somewhat <span style="color: #660000;"><b>tragic</b></span> end his new relationship was about to experience. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And the mega:</span><br />
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<br /><b><span style="color: #0c343d;">There are no accidents</span></b> was a message the new puppy had apparently not heard or had no interest in learning. <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">All year long</span></b>, the family had worked on her and finally at Christmas time, she had let her husband persuade her to get a puppy for the kids, but cute as he was, in only <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">three days</span></b> he had managed to undermine her sense of peace and tranquility and all her years of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">good housekeeping</span></b>. She knew it made her a bad mother and maybe even a bad person, but she hated this little dog. Her son had named him <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;">Whiskers,</span> but she had several other names for him, none of which were appropriate for polite society. The little monster had a penchant for pooping on her carpets which now bore permanent <b style="color: #0c343d;">stains </b>which no amount of scrubbing would remove.Yesterday, he had managed to get himself up onto the counter where he had first pushed her freshly baked <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">banana </span></b>cream pie onto the floor, eaten half of it and tracked the rest through several rooms. He had gotten hold of the beloved <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">recorder</span></b> she had had since childhood and gnawed the mouthpiece so that it was no longer usable (plus it had dog saliva on it). That had been the last straw for her really, which was why he was tied up to a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">large tree</span></b> in the back yard. George and the kids might have <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">strength in numbers</span></b>, but unless - and even if - they were willing to do the laundry, the cooking and the housework themselves, this particular dog was going to have to go. An hour later, when she went to take him some water and food, he greeted her with those big eyes and a wagging tail, and tried to snuggle up against her, she felt her stance weaken. "You get one more chance, you little monster and you had better shape up. We'll take you to obedience school and if you learn to behave, you can stay. If not.... That had been 15 years ago.... and now she sat holding the little body that had become so dear to her -especially after the kids had left for college - grateful for all the joy he had brought to all of them. Her husband sat beside her also weeping. They had decided to bury him by the big tree she had exiled him to those many years ago and get a little stone dog to mark his place. "You were the best worst dog in the world, you little monster. I don't know how we'll manage without you, but thank you for the time we had. I love you." Then she nodded to her husband, who began to dig.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>wonderful, secretly, open to interpretation, war and peace, grow, glowing embers, hummingbirds, a loaf of bread, careful, snoop</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>signals, spelling, you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours, snow storm, grace</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=08Feb2013" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=08Feb2013" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span></div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-41095803958060077942013-02-01T23:17:00.004-05:002013-02-02T15:02:41.880-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 232<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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Once again Friday snuck up on me and I'm late posting even the framework for the Weekly Wordzzle Challenge. Since I'm the lone wordzzler, it doesn't make much difference I suppose, but I still apologize.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><u>3:00 PM Saturday</u>: Done. Happy to note that I am NOT the lone wordzzler this week. Yippee! Off to read what Smoke has written</span><span style="color: #38761d;">.</span></b><br />
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Words for this week's 10-word challenge were: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">wishing well, truck, chicken, coaster, flowering tree, bacteria, matches, colorful, port </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>swirl, bear with me, stretcher, muffin, gratitude</b></span><br />
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My mega: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">coaster port </b><br />
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Lying on her <b><span style="color: #660000;">stretcher</span></b> in the ambulance, Maria Montoya spoke silently to her guardian angel. "<span style="color: #660000;"><b>Bear with me</b></span>," she said, if my <span style="color: #660000;"><b>gratitude</b></span> is tinged with annoyance and confusion. "When I went to the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">wishing well</span></b> and asked you to help me 'run into' the handsome <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">truck</span></b> driver from "We Make <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Matches</span></b>.com," I did not mean it literally." Out loud, she asked, "Is the other driver OK?" "Yes, I am," said a deep voice which made her head <b><span style="color: #660000;">swirl</span></b> and her heart beat faster. "Didn't I see your picture on the dating site? I think you some kind of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">colorful</span></b> name like <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Flowering Tree</span></b> or something. My sister put me on the site, by the way. If I'd posted myself, I'd have used the name <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Coaster </span></b>which is what my friends call me (long story). I would never have named myself Stud <b><span style="color: #660000;">Muffin</span></b>. Name's Port Wilson, by the way... You're even prettier than your picture. I was going to contact you but I <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>chickened</b></span> out.in the end. I seem to have gotten some kind of <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>bacteria</b></span> that makes me run at the mouth. I can't stop talking. Sorry Think this was divine intervention?" "Yes," Maria laughed. "I think it was. I'm Maria Montoya." In the years to come, over the course of a long and happy life together, they would laughingly tell people, "Our meeting was no accident."<br />
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My mini: <b style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">swirl, bear with me, stretcher, muffin, gratitude</b><br />
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"<b><span style="color: #660000;">Bear with me</span></b>," Missy Wilson, spoke into the phone. I have to sit down. You have my head <span style="color: #660000; font-weight: bold;">swirling, </span>big brother. Did I hear you right? You hit her with your truck, met her lying on a stretcher where you recognized her from the website? And now you're calling me to express your <b><span style="color: #660000;">gratitude</span></b> and invite me to your wedding? Well, butter me a <b><span style="color: #660000;">muffin</span></b> and call me magic! Didn't I tell you! You owe me forever! I'm so happy for you, but aren't you maybe rushing into things a bit? Divine intervention? Really? You both think that? I have to meet this woman. Bring her over for dinner tonight? She's in the hospital? I'll bring dinner to her, then. I love you Coaster.<br />
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<br />
My 10-word:<br />
<br />
On her way to the hospital with a massive meal for her future sister-in-law, Missy Wilson stopped off at the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Flowering Tree Wishing Well</span></b> to express her gratitude for a wish granted and make another one - that her brother's new fiance would be one of those <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">matches</span></b> made in heaven kind of things. "<span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;">Coaster</span>, is such a good man," she crooned to the spirits of the well, "he deserves to be happy. Please grant him a happy future with this woman. And please make sure the truckload of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">chicken</span></b> and potato salad I prepared for her is free of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">bacteria</span></b> and tastes good and nourishes the body and the spirit. And please let her like me", she added. Missy Wilson was what some people called "<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">colorful</span></b>." She was not everyone's cup of tea. Luckily for all of them, her new sister-in-law was equally eccentric and had as big and loving a heart and an imagination to go with it. Angelic intervention in this particular case had not been limited only to Maria and <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Port</span></b>. There was a bright future looming for all of them and the circle of creative people they would gather around them over the years.<br />
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>whiskers, three days, banana, strength in numbers, all year long, large tree, good housekeeping, there are no accidents, recorder, stain</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
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<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>smooth, partridge, snarling, tragic, lotion</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=01Feb2013" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=01Feb2013" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span></div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-60617255366263736702013-01-25T17:16:00.000-05:002013-01-25T17:16:20.687-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 231<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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Posting on time this week! It's a miracle! My theme seems to revolve around generosity for some reason. Funny how the words take us (well me, since I'm the only one who plays these days) in specific directions some weeks. <br />
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<br />
Word for this week's 10-word challenge: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">King Arthur, seriously, pigeons, spectacular, opening, languish, regulations, paper, generosity, snow </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>fragrant, emeralds, twisted, strife, pearls</b></span><br />
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My mega: <br />
<br />
The sound of a pair of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">pigeons</span></b> cooing on the window sill had drawn his attention away from the pile of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">papers</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">regulations</span></b> with which he had been deeply absorbed. Looking out the castle window, <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>King Arthur</b></span> gazed at the gnarled and <b><span style="color: #660000;">twisted</span></b> branches covered with <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">snow</span></b> and thought that Winter had it's own <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">spectacular</span></b> beauty. Even so, he <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">seriously</span></b> longed for the <span style="color: #660000;"><b>fragrant</b></span> beauty and <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">generosity</span></b> of Spring and Summer when his people were relieved of some of the <b><span style="color: #660000;">strife</span></b> and struggle of simply surviving the cold and hunger. His father would have found it un-kingly of him, but he and Gwenivere struggled with a significant guilt that they <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>languished</b></span> in such extravagant comfort, dressed in warm robes covered with <b><span style="color: #660000;">emeralds</span></b> and <span style="color: #660000;"><b>pearls</b></span> and dined on lavish meals. It was on one particularly chilly night, that Gwen had come up with the idea of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">opening</span></b> the castle to 100 citizens two times each winter for a small feast. They had struggled with a system for selecting guests which would be as fair as possible and not breed discontent in those who could not attend. In the end they had come up with a system which honored 10 specific peasants for acts of kindness or deeds which honored the kingdom. Those 10 could invite four guests each and then the remainder of the guests were chosen by lot. The event had been a great success, giving the people something to look forward to and allowing the King and Queen to know and learn about the citizens of his kingdom. Many in the aristocracy were horrified by this breach of traditional social norms, but Arthur did not care. He loved his people... and he loved his wife, who was made happy by this small sharing of the abundance which came with being royalty.<br />
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My mini:<br />
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It wasn't that Jack Jones didn't love the beauty of <b><span style="color: #660000;">emeralds</span></b> and rubies and diamonds and <span style="color: #660000;"><b>pearls</b></span>. He found them awesomely beautiful. As a young man he had visited the Tower of London and - somewhat against his will - been dragged to see the Crown Jewels. He remembered wishing he could stand and stare at them forever. They seemed alive to him and for part of his life he had dedicated much energy to acquiring such treasures. But when he learned the <b><span style="color: #660000;">twisted</span></b> tales of violence and <span style="color: #660000;"><b>strife</b></span> that went into mining and marketing these exquisite objects, he lost all love for them - well he lost the love of acquiring or even possessing them. Though their beauty still delighted his eyes, they now had a <b><span style="color: #660000;">fragrance</span></b> of blood and death about them that he could not get over. With a mixture of pain and gratitude, and after much thought, he donated his collected gems to an organization that worked on behalf of those victimized by the blood diamond trade.<br />
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And the 10-word:<br />
<br />
Arthur King - whose friends lovingly called him <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">King Arthur</span></b> because of his penchant for taking rules and <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">regulations</span></b> rather too <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">seriously</span></b> for their taste - was also known for his <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">spectacular generosity</span></b>. He had not been born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, but through a mix of good luck and hard work had amassed an enormous fortune manufacturing artificial <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">snow</span></b>. Some might have <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">languished</span></b> in idleness and or horded their assets, but Arthur looked for every <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">opening</span></b> by which he could share his good fortune. He helped one young woman start up her own business designing wrapping <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">paper</span></b> and stationary and backed her not only with cash but with moral support and encouragement. Hearing his neighbor's daughter expound on her love of golf, he helped her mother open "<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Pigeon</span></b> Putt," a miniature golf course that served the community. Since Arthur had always loved miniature golf, there was come consensus that this was less generosity on his part than a way to give himself a big present and make someone else happy at the same time. Those were only two examples. Anyone who came to him with a dream, had a good chance - albeit with a hefty dose of rules and lessons on how to run a good business - had a good chance of getting a leg up from this kind man. Almost all of them succeeded, offering Arthur a return on his investment which he then passed on to some other new dreamer. When he died at the age of 100, the community mourned his passing and declared his home a landmark, renaming it Camelot in gratitude to a man whom they considered to be their own "once and future king."<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>wishing well, truck, chicken, coaster, flowering tree, bacteria, matches, colorful, port</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>swirl, bear with me, stretcher, muffin, gratitude</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=25Jan2013" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=25Jan2013" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span></div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-47186764870855381182013-01-18T22:51:00.001-05:002013-01-20T18:45:27.088-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 230<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
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<b>Oh, my! I completely forgot about wordzzles. Since it's very late at night, I will just post Mr. Linky, etc. and do my exercises tomorrow.</b><br />
<b><br /></b><b>Saturday Afternoon Update: Not feeling well... may have to wait until tomorrow.... maybe later. Not sure. Sorry.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>SUNDAY AFTERNOON: Finished at last. The last one is an introduction (of sorts) to Angel's new "friend" (not so much), Chloe.</b><br />
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Words for this week's 10 word challenge: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">growling, mercurial, flakes, purgatory, forward, careful, glowing, orderly, passionate, working </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>brigand, bluff, buttercup, fabric, feature</b></span><br />
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My mega: <br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #660000;">Brigand</span></b> and thief, Francois <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Flakes</span></b>, was brilliant, charming, <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">mercurial</span></b> and totally unpredictable. Young barmaid <b><span style="color: #660000;">Buttercup</span></b> Benedict thought he was magnificent. She looked <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">forward</span></b> to his visits to the inn with <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>passionate</b></span> intensity, in a kind of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">purgatory</span></b> of hope and despair. The anticipation of his <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">glowing</span></b> presence and handsome <b><span style="color: #660000;">features</span></b> made <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>working</b></span> at the inn more bearable. When she tried to understand the depth of her attraction to him, she was somewhat puzzled by it. It wasn't just that he would sometimes bring her flowers or fancy gifts. It wasn't the rich <b><span style="color: #660000;">fabric</span></b> of his clothing or the lavish way he spent money, though it was always lovely to be on the receiving end of his generosity. It wasn't even his <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">growling</span></b> ability to call the <b><span style="color: #660000;">bluff</span></b> of bigger, gruffer men who often viewed him with a mix of envy and admiration. In the end, she concluded that what drew her <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">careful, orderly,</span></b> cautious self to Francois was his intelligence and his free spirit, which sang a siren song to something inside her that longed to break free. She would have been flabbergasted had she known that Francois had seen and been drawn to her secret self and was doing what he could to quietly free her from the propriety in which her spirit had been so tightly wrapped by her parents and the society in which they lived. Several year later - when he asked her to marry him - he would share with her the joy he had taken in watching her blossom and would paint for her a vision of a life worth living. And in the days and years to come he made it so... gave her a life rich in adventure and joy and learning and most importantly, love.<br />
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The mini:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="color: #660000;">Brigand </b>Francois Flakes, laughed with delight when the shopkeeper brought out the exquisite gown he had ordered for his future wife - well, if she accepted his proposal, that is... The <b><span style="color: #660000;">fabric</span></b> was patterned with <b><span style="color: #660000;">buttercup</span></b>s as a tribute to his beloved's name, something he hoped would delight her as much as it delighted him. He wanted the proposal to be as romantic as possible so he planned to take her for a picnic on the <b><span style="color: #660000;">bluffs</span></b>. The occasion would <b><span style="color: #660000;">feature</span></b> a lavish meal (served in a big tent), a troubadour to sing her praises, the presentation of this dress, a ring and his smitten heart. He was dreadfully nervous, something he wasn't used to feeling, but he need not have worried; Buttercup already adored him and the thoughtful creativity of his proposal was the stuff of fairy tales. She was his. </span><br />
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And the 10-word: <i><b><span style="color: #134f5c;">This is a somewhat ungracious introduction of Angel's new companion whose name - at the moment - is Chloe.</span></b></i><br />
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Alphonse Smith was <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">working</span></b> through the mystery of how a normally <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">orderly</span></b> and <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">careful</span></b> person like himself had ended up in a miserable and seemingly endless <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">purgatory</span></b> with this <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">growling, passionate</span></b> and <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;">mercurial </span>cat he had adopted after his sweet girl <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Flakes</span></b> had died. For himself, he would have been content to move <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">forward</span></b> alone with Flake's sister, Snow, but she had seemed so lonely and unhappy that he had felt it would be selfish to force her to live with only him for a companion. His friend Fred had offered such a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">glowing</span></b> description of the newcomer... "She's very sweet and loving. Seems truly gentle.' On what planet, Alphonse asked himself... and then had to admit that she was fundamentally sweet. A bit wild. Young. Everyone said it would work itself out. He hoped so. Meanwhile, everything felt very unsettled and he felt guilty that he was not loving this newcomer as he should. He still missed Flakes. He missed his peaceful kingdom. He missed his vision of himself as kind and loving. This too shall pass he told himself and hoped that it was true.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jSdKQ51OKMSolcfzb5ijoDL0dyM0NC5Q513ZrqWSmXdintGb6aFNMsGmw1uKkhZjMVDWkNx4gRJtka7FkvirWrEks2YyDHEIJvaot_VVAB_cF5h1iPyn1lzLzStefygUutqZ/s1600/IMG_5843a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jSdKQ51OKMSolcfzb5ijoDL0dyM0NC5Q513ZrqWSmXdintGb6aFNMsGmw1uKkhZjMVDWkNx4gRJtka7FkvirWrEks2YyDHEIJvaot_VVAB_cF5h1iPyn1lzLzStefygUutqZ/s400/IMG_5843a.jpg" width="296" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>King Arthur, seriously, pigeons, spectacular, opening, languish, regulations, paper, generosity, snow</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>fragrant, emeralds, twisted, strife, pearls</b></span></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white; margin: 0px;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=18Jan2013" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=18Jan2013" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span></div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-60917480175149677892013-01-11T15:26:00.002-05:002013-01-12T18:34:28.356-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 229<br />
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Sorry about the extra week off (without even politely mentioning that I was going to take it). I have not been at my best on multiple fronts. Slowly crawling out of my Self-Pity Pit. New kitty has not been at all open to making friends with Angel, though we seem to have had a breakthrough last night. They spent much of this morning chasing each other around with minimal hissing. A good sign and at least Angel isn't bored. New kitty is named - at least for the moment - Chloe. Her middle name is probably/possibly Marigold. Still to be determined. I might also call her Gloria instead of Chloe, but...<br />
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Not sure if I will do this now or tomorrow. I thought I'd post the bare bones so I have no choice but to do them at all. Computer is acting squirrely at the moment. My screen jumps around every so often for now apparent reason. Now it has stopped again. Sigh. I will post this much and come back later today or maybe tomorrow and do my exercises.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Saturday, 6:30 PM: Finally finished. Not too thrilled with these. A bit out of practice.</span></b><br />
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Words for this week's 10 word challenge: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">children, drastic, guns, preparation, moved, knit, spare, lesson, blanket, wink </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>escape, plastic, gravity, sarcasm, giggle</b></span><br />
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My mega:<br />
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Raven's heart was breaking and she was <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">moved</span></b> almost beyond her ability to bear it as she watched <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">children</span></b> - who should have been laughing and <b><span style="color: #660000;">giggling</span></b>, playing and learning - instead standing in the cold wrapped in <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">blankets</span></b> and parents weeping over the deaths of 20 children and 7 adults. She was impressed by the people of this peaceful close-<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">knit</span></b> community, who- thought they had not been without <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">preparation</span></b> against intruders - had not even conceived the idea of something as <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">drastic</span></b> and unfathomable as a boy with semi-automatic <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">guns</span></b> shooting his way into a grade school with the intention apparently of letting none <b><span style="color: #660000;">escape</span></b>, of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">sparing</span></b> no one. She couldn't help but wonder what would of the mind would let someone do such a thing? Was he seeing children? Was he shooting at something else because his mind was sick? She was moved by the <b><span style="color: #660000;">gravity</span></b> of the President's response, by his clearly genuine intense grief. Would the country finally learn a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">lesson</span></b> or would they/we let the <b><span style="color: #660000;">plastic</span></b> shills on FOX News and the NRA sell fear and stupidity to the minions whom they kept in a state of constant paranoia. Seemed to Raven that they were the truly evil ones in this story. It seemed impossible that they believed much of the nonsense they spewed and she was sure they <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">winked</span></b> at one another off camera, amused by the effectiveness of their personal pact with the Devil. She was grateful for the brilliant wry <b><span style="color: #660000;">sarcasm</span></b> with which Jon Stewart called them on it and only wished that he was not mostly preaching to the choir. Still, this time things seemed different. Maybe we would finally draw the line of "tolerance" at a body count of 20 six and seven year-olds. Maybe there was hope.<br />
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My mini:<br />
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It was with a mix of irritation and good humor that Principal Johnson addressed a group of <b><span style="color: #660000;">giggling</span></b> 13-year-olds and their science teacher. It has not <b><span style="color: #660000;">escaped</span></b> my notice," she remarked<br />
soberly (but with a twinkle in her eye) that you have been doing practical experiments on <b><span style="color: #660000;">gravity</span></b> using <b><span style="color: #660000;">plastic</span></b> bags full of water dropped from the roof. While I appreciate your enthusiasm for learning - would that it happened more often - I suggest that future experiments include safety precautions to protect innocent passers-by. I know," she continued, with just a hint of <b><span style="color: #660000;">sarcasm</span></b>, " that you would never have intentionally targeted someone who could give all of you detention should she so choose." Turning to the young teacher who was torn between laughter and terror, she said somewhat curtly, "See me in my office at your next free period." Then, turning on her heel, she said, "Good day, children," and headed to her office to dry herself off.<br />
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And the 10-word: <br />
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"<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Spare</span></b> me your left wing drivel about how learning to <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">knit</span></b> sweaters and <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;">blankets</span> and sing kumbaya <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;"> </span>is better life <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">preparation</span></b> for our <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">children</span></b> than <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">gun</span></b> <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">lessons</span></b>." Kitty <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Wink</span></b>, shouted at the assembled parents who had gathered to discuss safety after the recent school shooting. Knitting her brow in angry <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">frustration</span></b>, she continued, angrily, "This situation calls for <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>drastic</b></span> action. We meed armed guards - and I think our teachers should carry too. What's wrong with you people, that you don't care about protecting our children, What's wrong with you? I just want my girls to be safe," she said finally, <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">moving </span></b>from anger to the edge of tears. "I just want my kids to be safe." "So do we all," her neighbor Jenny Sanders, replied. "We just don't agree about how to accomplish that. I don't want guns around my children. That doesn't seem to me to be the way to keep them safe. I understand your fear. I'm frightened too. I just believe that if we work together, we can find a better solution than turning our schools into armed camps. Let's use our imaginations and our common concern and look at all possibilities available to us before we just leap at one that seems to me to be the most risky. Can we do that?" "I don't see the point," Kitty replied tiredly, "but I assume I have no choice." Although the gathered parents remained divided, they all appreciated the calming tone that Jenny had lent to the conversation and the meeting proceeded in a more amiable and productive way. Eventually, they formed a committee to study security and came up with a number of solutions that didn't require guns but that left even the most fearful parents feeling more secure about their children's well being.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>growling, mercurial, flakes, purgatory, forward, careful, glowing, orderly, passionate, working</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>brigand, bluff, buttercup, fabric, feature</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-84887634248056698772012-12-25T13:54:00.002-05:002012-12-25T15:20:43.537-05:00Happy Holidays<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GBaHPND2QJg" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>I WISH YOU JOY!</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>and today's Neale Donald Walsch....</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">On this day of your life, dear friend, </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">I believe God wants you to know...</span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #274e13;">...that the reason so much of humanity commemorates</span></u></b></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: #274e13;">this day is that so much of humanity seeks to give and</span></b></u></div>
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<u><b><span style="color: #274e13;">receive love.</span></b></u></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">During this holy time, know that <em>all </em>times are holy, that</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><em>every </em>religion holds truth, that <em>each </em>tradition is sacred,</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">and that it is in the simple sharing of love that we make</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">our beliefs come alive, and our dreams come true.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Let this Christmas Day remind us that Christ came to</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">invite us to offer love to all humankind, and to open the</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">door of God's kingdom to every soul.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Merry Christmas, everyone.</span></b></div>
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<em style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">Love, Your Friend....</span></b></em></div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;"><img alt="neale" height="37" src="http://www.nealedonaldwalsch.com/email/nealesignature.gif" width="100" /></span></b></div>
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Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-48389498894849264702012-12-24T14:51:00.003-05:002012-12-24T14:51:57.736-05:00How Many Killings is Enough?Christmas Eve in America, firefighters ambushed fighting a fire. A week earlier 20 children and 7 adults gunned down in a school in less than 3 minutes. This is really what some people think the Founding Fathers dreamed of, lived and died for? I don't think so.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/64G5FfG2Xpg" width="560"></iframe>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-41138766075582769582012-12-21T17:47:00.000-05:002012-12-21T17:51:35.725-05:00Happy Holidays<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><i>I have decided to take the holidays off from doing Wordzzles, so I will be back in January. Meanwhile, I wish you all happy holidays. I meant to put that and not Merry Christmas on my card, so I hope any non-Christmas folks will forgive me for forgetting. May the holidays be joyous for you and may the New Year bring peace and wisdom and kindness to us all. I had to shrink the card pretty small to get past the fact that I'm out of allotted photo space. </i></span></b></div>
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<br />Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-7327122836556569142012-12-14T19:44:00.004-05:002012-12-16T18:17:02.569-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 228<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Almost forgot that it's Friday. I will post my exercises tomorrow. Very sad about the school killings in Connecticut. Very tired in general.<br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">UPDATE: Angel is getting a new companion this morning - rather unexpectedly - so I may not be able to do my exercises until tomorrow... hopefully then. Very anxious and not feeling very well. Apologies for the delay.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">SUNDAY 5:00 PM - well, I almost forgot. Just starting now and my heart isn't in it. Kitty introductions did not go well yesterday. New kitty is secluded in back bedroom. Angel is pretending she doesn't exist. Me too, really. She is being very quiet. She has food and water until my friend can come and put a screen door so they can see and smell each other without actually interacting. I don't have a good feeling about it, though. Anyway, I'm tired, anxious and not feeling very well, plus listening too much to the coverage on the sad killing of so many children in Connecticut. Just looking at the words and I think I repeated pregnant from last week or the week before. Sigh. Hate it when I do that. Thinking I may take a break for the holidays and start again in the New Year. Nobody but me plays in any case and now people will be busy with the holidays as well.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: blue;">6:16: Done. I will keep my non-readers posted about whether or not I take a break for the holidays. </span></b><br />
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Words for this week's 10 word challenge: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">caution, spinach, heat, pregnant, carved wooden box, blaggard, garbage, bellow, effort, sapling </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>charcoal, turtle, impulse, shaft, exaggeration</b></span><br />
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My mega:<br />
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The <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">blaggard</span></b> who had gotten her <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">pregnant </span></b>had seemed like the perfect man when she met him, so much so that she had thrown <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">caution</span></b> to the wind. It was no <b><span style="color: #660000;">exaggeration</span></b> to say that he had seemed capable of reading her heart, of being the healer of all her wounds. Early on he had given her a small <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">carved wooden box</span></b> which he had told her contained his heart. That it was empty when she opened it, might have given a wiser woman pause, but she had felt no <b><span style="color: #660000;">impulse </span></b>to run, only gratitude for his <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">effort</span></b> to comfort and nurture her. He had lavished her with praise and poetic gifts - a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">sapling</span></b> planted in the yard to be nurtured and grow with their love. Hah. If only she had known. He was the classic abuser. Once she was roped in and pregnant, it all turned to <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">garbage</span></b>...his attention became destructive, his compliments turned to <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">bellowed</span></b> cruelty, the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">heat</span></b> of his rage so wild she sometimes felt like even her skin (not to mention her heart) was singed by it. Initially she had tried to be a <b><span style="color: #660000;">turtle,</span></b> to pull into a shell of denial and self-protection. At first she had swallowed his poison like some kind of perverted <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">spinach</span></b>... it was for her own good, he always told her. She dreaded being a single parent, but she knew that the baby growing in her womb was, on some level, her guardian angel, for she had guided her to Dr. Shar Kohl (pronounced like <b><span style="color: #660000;">charcoal</span></b>), who had read the signs of her abuse and pulled - one by one - the <b><span style="color: #660000;">shafts</span></b> of her demented abusers arrows from her heart. Dr. Kohl had persuaded her to seek treatment and the counselors had found her a safe house in which to heal and find herself again. She dedicated her life to healing her own wounded psyche so that her baby would grow up safe, nurtured and strong in spirit.<br />
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My mini:<br />
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Jason <span style="color: #660000;"><b>Shaft</b></span> had purchased the <b><span style="color: #660000;">charcoal</span></b> drawing of the giant <b><span style="color: #660000;">turtle</span></b> at the local flea market on an <b><span style="color: #660000;">impulse</span></b>. He was inherently frugal and not given to such impulses, and his wife - who often went without things that she wanted - was (no <b><span style="color: #660000;">exaggeration</span></b> here) rather irritated by his purchase. She got over it, though, when a few months later, they discovered that the small drawing on which Jason had lavished the extravagant some of $15 turned out to be worth over $100,000.<br />
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And the 10-word: <br />
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Donna's friends and family were deeply opposed to her about her addiction to hunting through <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">garbage</span></b> to find lost treasures, some of which she used in her art work and some which she simply rescued from being lost to the world. It was the source of many heated arguments. Her mother <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">cautioned</span></b> her that it was dangerous and that it was unbecoming a lady. Her father <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">bellowed</span></b> at her that no man would ever want to marry her. They could not see that her <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">efforts</span></b> were for her creativity like Popeye's <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;">spinach. </span>The hunt was <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">pregnant</span></b> with seeds and <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">saplings </span></b>of artistic inspiration. And sometimes she just found small personal treasures. Her favorite ever find was a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">carved wooden box</span></b> with the word <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">BLAGGARD</span></b> ornately etched into the wood. That little box had helped her work out a lot of anger and those who knew her work knew that you could often find the world blaggard hidden in the curves and shadows of almost every painting or work of art she created. It took 20 years, a loving husband and a great career for her parents to come around to her way of thinking, but eventually - when her first painting was purchased by the Museum of Modern Art - they did.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>children, drastic, guns, preparation, moved, knit, spare, lesson, blanket, wink </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>escape, plastic, gravity, sarcasm, giggle</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=14Dec2012" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=14Dec2012" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span></div>
Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-13173451059827630362012-12-07T16:56:00.000-05:002012-12-10T02:10:35.549-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 227<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, it's Friday yet again. Time goes by faster and faster the older I get. Probably I will wait until Saturday to post my exercises (seems to be a pattern now), but wanted to make Mr. Linky and next week's words available just in case someone else has been inspired to play.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #274e13;">6:05 Saturday: Late as usual, but finally done.</span></b><br />
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<br />
Words for last week's 10-word challenge were: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">whisper, rest, carrot cake, pregnant, robot, pressure, play, sloth, category, needy </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>challenge, cramped, particles, spice, pastoral</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My mega:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Amanda was not entirely enjoying the <b><span style="color: #660000;">challenge</span></b> of being <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>pregnant</b></span>. The doctors had put her on bed <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">rest</span></b> and she felt<b><span style="color: #660000;"> cramped</span></b> and restless and <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>needy</b></span> lying next to her husband in bed. For his part,<b><span style="color: #0c343d;"> Robot</span></b> (his name was Robert, but his patient attendance to her demands had earmed him the new nickname Robot) was being remarkably patient and attentive. They were fortunate that even with the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">pressures</span></b> of his <b><span style="color: #660000;">pastoral</span></b> duties, he had a lot of flexibility in his schedule as well as a church full of devoted and well meaning congregants eager to play nurse to the coming child's mother. They had a kitchen full of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">carrot cakes</span></b>, <b><span style="color: #660000;">spice</span></b> cakes, home made pickles and a sampling of goods from every possible <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">category</span></b> of craving satisfiers. As she poked him gently and whispered his name, he rolled over, half asleep and said groggily? "Ice cream? Pickles?" "Neither, beloved," she beamed happily, "Your son wants to <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">play</span></b> with you. I don't think we need to worry about him being <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">slothful</span></b>. He is a very energetic kicker with not a <b><span style="color: #660000;">particle</span></b> of compassion for his poor Mom's tummy or need for sleep." Feeling her husband's strong, gentle hand on her belly and watching the delight in his face, as he felt his child kicking in her womb, Amanda thought herself possibly the luckiest woman on earth. "I love you Pastor Robot," she smiled. "What a father you will be! You have calmed our little kicker right down with your touch and his mother too." "I love you too," he replied, watching her eyes flicker towards sleep. In the womb, the child, wrapped in their love of each other and himself, floated in happy anticipation of his arrival into the world.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The mini: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Leonard Patterson, really regretted having taken his girl friend's <b><span style="color: #660000;">challenge</span></b> to spend a week in this stupid, <b><span style="color: #660000;">cramped</span></b> cabin with no electric or heat or... other important things. She had said that the experience would <b><span style="color: #660000;">spice</span></b> his life up and had described the god-forsaken hell he was currently entombed in as "a beautiful <b><span style="color: #660000;">pastoral</span></b> setting." The worst part of it all was the out house which smelled awful and left his butt covered with <b><span style="color: #660000;">particles</span></b> of dirt and who knew what else. The up side of the adventure was that he had plenty of time to think of a way to take revenge on that blighted woman. If she had wanted to break up with him, he thought, she could have just said so.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And my 10-word: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Putting the finishing touches on her famous Christmas <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">carrot cake,</span></b> Jenny dreaded facing the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">pressure</span></b> from her family about why she was not yet <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>pregnant</b></span>. They meant well, she knew, but it was time to put the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">whispered</span></b> speculations to <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">rest</span></b>. It was not <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">sloth</span></b> in effort or a lack of desire to be parents. It seemed that she and Josh were in that <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">category</span></b> of people who could not get pregnant. Even as she thought about it, a range of emotions <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">played</span></b> through her. Anger.... it was nobody's business. They were not <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">robots</span></b> who should be commanded to reproduce to please others - followed by feelings of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">needy</span></b> jealousy. Why should Carla have twins and while she was barren? And at the last - shame for those thoughts and grief for the loss of what she couldn't have. It did not turn out as she had expected, though. The family had received the news philosophically and her sister had pulled her aside and telling her not to give up hope and sharing the secret of her own struggle with the same problem - and how she had come to be the proud mother of twin boys. It was the best Christmas gift Jenny could have hoped for... well except for the baby girl she held in her arms two Christmases later.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>caution, spinach, heat, pregnant, carved wooden box, blaggard, garbage, bellow, effort, sapling </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>charcoal, turtle, impulse, shaft, exaggeration</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=07Dec2012" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=07Dec2012" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span><br />
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Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-60648319003271902222012-11-30T17:13:00.002-05:002012-12-02T15:35:14.128-05:00Weekly Wordzzle Challenge # 226<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJPv763ts8KNSL8QQh9N88qXcP3kjV49_fdcfJKFYetDB8LD6aWkLg-L93ZiFjADcgCauflp80F5UkWAVFHJru4Zc4-14LJ1X1nfU7hrIcGeCG7rL9etUkFwxI_GdSjk_6EVU/s1600/wordbutton2sm.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, at least I remembered that it's Friday and have got the words ready on time this week. Alas, I am short of energy. Had a friend in crisis today, Angel in kitty torment because she wants to play and then doesn't want to play and I myself am just tired in that yucky way that is part physical part depression. Anyway... unless I get a burst of energy later on, I'll just post the words and Mr. Linky and so my exercises tomorrow.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">6:25 PM Saturday: I struggled with these words. Not very happy with the results, but so it goes. The Lone Wordzzler soldiers on and does her best.</span></b><br />
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<br />
Words for this week's 10 word challenge: <b style="background-color: white; color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">festive, bright red, hugs to all, macaroni and cheese, grief, obstreperous, fortune, mistake, zebra stripes, alphabetical </b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <b>your choice, drastic, hood, sparkling, smelly</b></span><br />
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<br />
My mega:<br />
<br />
Sabrina <span style="color: #660000;"><b>Smelly</b></span> loved her extravagant home. Although she reduced to living on <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">macaroni and cheese </span></b> and almost everyone she knew gave her <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">grief</span></b> over what they termed the "<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">mistake</span></b>" of spending a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">fortune </span></b>on decorating, she didn't care. Fred, her husband, would not have minded the expense so much if her taste had not been what he decreed in one particularly <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">obsterperous</span></b> pre divorce debate - "beyond hideous... <b><span style="color: #660000;">Your choice</span></b> of <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">bright red</span></b> walls and <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">zebra stripe</span></b> accessories for our bedroom, for example," he had gone on, "is the so comically bad it could be featured in a bad design magazine, especially when you put the purple and pink wallpaper in the en suite bathroom adjacent to it. It's like moving from one nightmare into another. Then there's the <b><span style="color: #660000;">sparkling </span><span style="color: #0c343d;">alphabetical</span></b> letters theme in the den and the chartreuse <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">hood</span></b> on the stove and the <b><span style="color: #660000;">drastic</span></b> contrast of the pumpkin colored walls. Some onlookers had been somewhat puzzled by the almost <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">festive</span></b> "<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">hugs to all</span></b>" attitude with which she had embraced her husband's departure from their marriage. "The house is yours," he had said in the divorce settlement, "I never want to see it again." Six weeks later, when her "decorating consultant" moved in and what turned out to be rented decor was quickly removed, she was overheard telling him, "We need a new plan, Jason, darling. I'm not sure how much longer I could have stood the ugliness. But he house is ours now... I'm quite fond of this one. Maybe it's time to retire." Unfortunately, for Sabrina and Jason, the person who overheard their conversation happened to be a cop on the vice squad, who did some checking into Sabrina's past, which turned out to be quite a checkered one. Fred, it turned out, was not the first victim of this particular pair. Fred got his house and most of his money back and Jason and Sabrina got jail cells to decorate for a significant period of time.<br />
<br />
<br />
My mini:<br />
<br />
Food critic, Joseph <b><span style="color: #660000;">Hood</span></b>, called the young chef to his table and greeted him warmly. "<b><span style="color: #660000;">Your choice</span></b> of <b><span style="color: #660000;">sparkling</span></b> wine and this odd, <b><span style="color: #660000;">smelly</span></b> cheese initially struck me as a <b><span style="color: #660000;">drastic</span></b> miscalculation, but I am pleased to tell you that I was mistaken. You have created a culinary masterpiece and taught and old critic some new tricks. My review will be a rave. Congratulations.<br />
<br />
<br />
And my 10-word:<br />
<br />
Although early on, many of her friends had thought that Jane's marriage to her <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">obstreperous</span></b> and eccentric artist husband was a <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;"> mistake, </span>over the years, they had come to love him and his odd blend of contentiousness and "<b><span style="color: #0c343d;">hugs to all</span></b>" behavior. Thirty years later, when he died too young after a short illness, she had decided that the best way to honor his memory would be to swallow her <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">grief</span></b> and throw the <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">festive</span></b> "going away" party he had always told her he wanted. Mourners were asked to wear <span style="color: #0c343d; font-weight: bold;">bright red </span>and something with a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">zebra stripe</span></b> - to match the decor of the deceased's coffin, which he had custom created for himself many years earlier. They drank wine, feasted on macaroni and cheese (his favorite meal), and shared memories of their late host. Much to the surprise of all, each guest - in <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">alphabetical</span></b> order. as per her late husband's instructions - was given with a signed painting or other work of art. "I want you to know," Jane told them, "that he himself chose who would receive which painting and he put great thought into it. Some of you have received lesser works because he thought you would love them and for a few he chose items that are potentially worth a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">fortune</span></b>, because he knew you were struggling financially. He hid the bigness of his heart from strangers, but you who are gathered here knew it well. Before he died, he managed to create one final work - an homage to each and all of us here. I don't know if I am seeing it through the eyes of my grief, but I think it is his greatest work. It was his final gift to me and I wish all of you to be the first to see it." So saying, she uncovered a painting which was indeed a masterpiece - not just of art - but of love so moving that not one of them could refrain from weeping. It was a remarkable evening and each person present left feeling enriched in spirit and with a renewed commitment to watch over Jane for the rest of their lives, which they did, although her husband's final masterpiece left her quite well provided for all by itself.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333;">Words for next week's 10-word challenge: </span><span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>whisper, rest, carrot cake, pregnant, robot, pressure, play, sloth, category, needy </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #0c343d; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></b><br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for the mini:<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"> <b>challenge, cramped, particles, spice, pastoral</b></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Thanks you for playing. Newcomers can check <a href="http://ravensviews.blogspot.com/2008/03/wordzzles-week-two.html" style="color: #225588;">here</a> for some guidelines to make the game more fun. There are no rules, just some general guidelines and tricks.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=30Nov2012" style="color: #225588; text-align: center;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=Krabenau&postid=30Nov2012" style="border: 1px solid rgb(187, 187, 187); margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 4px;" /></a></span></span><br />
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Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36130350.post-50695309724056761412012-11-24T15:41:00.003-05:002012-11-24T15:41:38.700-05:00O AmericaPBS had a Celtic Women program on last night. I'm not all that fond of them... or at least I blow hot and cold, but I had never heard this song before and I found it beautiful and moving. My inner patriot got all stirred up.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yEpX2BcB9As" width="420"></iframe>Ravenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04996538460071167819noreply@blogger.com0