Weekly Wordzzle Challenge, Week 112

This is week 112 of the Weekly (previously known as the Saturday) Wordzzle Challenge. Anyone new to the process can refer back here to find out how it works. Struggled again this week. Argent, thanks for sticking with wordzzles. I think of you as The Lone Wordzzler and look forward every week to your excellent stories.

This

week's 10-word challenge are: carpenter ants, freak, good as new, jelly beans, olive oil, scamper, champion, goose egg, pizza, ceiling fan and

For the mini: gravity, variable, swinging on a star, gardening, trombone

My 10-word:

Henry Champion was having what might be called a really bad day. He sat in the crumbling ruin of a house, nibbling the remains of a pizza whose preparer was obviously deeply committed to the excessive use of olive oil and the conservation of cheese and mushrooms and anything that might have made it taste good. In addition, he was nursing the large goose egg on his head which he had gotten bumping into a low-hanging ceiling fan (which, mercifully, had not been running). He would never buy a house over the internet again. "Good as new" apparently did not mean to others what it meant to him. He watched a colony of carpenter ants merrily scampering (or at least the ant equivalent of scampering) across the floor in disturbingly massive numbers. The one thing that was keeping him from freaking out completely was that his beloved wife - he called her Jelly Bean because she was so sweet - was unaware of what he had done. He had wanted to surprise her with the home of her dreams, not this wreck. It had looked so beautiful in the pictures.

The mini:

Allison Variable loved gardening but now that the boy next door was taking music lessons, her life was in shambles. Well, have you ever HEARD Swinging on a Star played by an 8 year-old? On a trombone of all things? It is not a happy experience. She didn't begrudge the child the fun of learning but it really was ruining her life. And what made it worse was that her husband totally failed to understand the gravity of the problem. He had, in fact, laughed out loud when she told him about it. He would not be laughing when he got no dinner and spent the night on the sofa. A few nights of that and she was sure he would think of some way to solve her problem without hurting the kid's feelings. Meanwhile, she could just feel the weeds laughing at her and egging the boy on.

And the mega:

I'm a freak for pizza and jelly beans. Of course I try to eat healthy... you know, I cook with olive oil and eat vegetables. I've even taken to gardening, though my success rate is variable and some years I do better than others. Last year I had to battle carpenter ants and Japanese beetles. It was a nightmare, but the bugs aren't so bad and my crop has been great. Growing my own string beans and tomatoes... and even cucumbers is a lot of fun. I love watching the cucumbers grow... and there's something about fresh vegetables that's almost as good as pizza. This year I expanded my horizons and planted flowers too... something called a trombone lily... or was it trumpet... Anyway, I went to the doctor last week and he gave me a good report... said my ticker was "as good as new," which made me very happy indeed. Parts of me have succumbed to the cruelties of age and gravity, but on the whole I still scamper around like a youngster. Scamper was a word my husband George loved. I miss him so. Sixty years, we were married... met when we were so young... neither of us had a dime to our names. We called our selves "the Goose Eggs," but we found ways to have fun without money. In early days he worked for the hardware store and did odd jobs installing ceiling fans and other things, but he was a really fine carpenter and eventually his beautiful creations were much in demand and they made a good living. Champion's Fine Furniture, we called it.... and then I got interested in antiques and we combined both shops into Swinging On a Star because it was "our song."

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Words for next week's 10-word challenge are: chapter, vigorous, whipped cream, charter member, cut a rug, fling, sparingly, gravity, pregnant pause, universal

For the mini: glamorous, gin and tonic, fill in the blanks, water-logged, masterpiece

Thanks for playing. For those who are new, here are some guidelines to make the process more fun.

Enjoy! See you next week!

DON'T FORGET TO ADD YOUR

NAME TO MR. LINKY!!!!!

Daily Reminder # 8

My niece Diana bought this plaque for me. If there were an Olympic event for worry, I'd have a shot at the gold. I spend a lot of time worrying about money and whether I can pay my bills. I usually manage. I have too much money on my credit cards but worrying about it doesn't change anything. I worry about my health sometimes. Some ache or twitch turns into a fatal disease and my days are numbered. But then the next day I'm still here. I'm working at living more in the present... the actual moment. And if the moment happens to find me standing in some proverbial mud puddle, I try to remember that I'm still here and that mud has its uses, that the same proverbial rain that made the proverbial mud, waters the proverbial grass. And when I'm good, I remember my favorite mantra that I learned from Alan Cohen back about 7 years ago: "Thank you for everything. I have no complaints whatsoever." (It really IS life changing when you practice it. I don't worry about whether I "feel" it, I just say it over and over and it really does shift things.)

So that's what I've got for today. What me worry? Thank you for everything... even that pesky worry, I guess. I have no complaints whatsoever.

Some things I'm grateful for today:

• Pandora On-line Radio
• my rock collection
• my voice
• my friends
• wordzzles

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!!

Daily Reminder, #7

Look at yourself with a loving eye. Remind yourself of five wonderful things about yourself (from the the huge list of things to choose from): your wonderful singing voice, your beautiful eyes, your amazing sense of humor, your eye for beauty, your kindness, your compassion, your love for animals, your capacity for forgiveness, your creativity... the list goes on and on.

Pick 5 and look in the mirror and acknowledge them and smile at yourself... If you can only pretend to smile, do it anyway. It's good for you... something about muscle memory and brain chemistry. And you deserve to be acknowledged. You're awesome and the more you are able to see your own beauty, the more it will shine for others to see as well.

Some things I'm grateful for today:

• ice cream
• my sister's children
• eyes and the ability to see
• My camera
• my teeth

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

Daily Reminder # 6 (sort of)

Phooey on positive thinking...

Ok, it's only day six of trying to keep my friend E's morale up and I'm already having a really hard time coming up with something to say every day. Today is especially tough because it was an kind of awful day from start to finish... and I kind of fell off the advice wagon... I didn't focus on the positive. I didn't look over the shoulder of the "bad" things that were happening. I chained them to myself and dragged them around all day.

First Angel came in to the bedroom early this morning all spooky and came under the covers (even though it was hot and humid and yucky). Then she climbed up on my hip and sat at high alert staring out the bedroom door as though we were having a home invasion (we weren't). But anyway, even though I knew better, she got me all frazzled so I got up earlier than I might have, feeling tired and cranky and warm and my coffee came out awful (out of creamer too). And the weather was weird this morning... sort of ominous feeling, though it turned out to just be an ordinary rainy-ish day and cooled down and (dare I say it in this morose ramble?) and ended up being kind of a nice day at the end.

Then the neighbor came by to give me some unhappy news about a variety of things in the neighborhood. The lady across the street has to sell the house she was born in because she can't afford to keep it, among other things. Then the Schwan's guy came and we talked about his wife who is very ill and somehow got onto the subject of my sister's murder.

Oh - and my yard looks awful to me. It's all uncared for and overgrown and I can only afford to get it mowed once a month right now.... and I think the birds are ashamed to come here any more... They prefer a higher class establishment.

Oh - and Discover Card lost my check that I sent them. I sent two and apparently their machine can't handle two at once. Sigh.

I tried to bury myself in a game. I have Zuma now, which is a good way to (in theory) release some stress but I'm stuck at level 8-4 and can't get past it so even that has left me frustrated.

How's this for a pity party? Pretty pathetic, don't you think. What about looking for the good... And there is good. I'm just dancing with the devil today and I'm not going to come here and lie and pretend I'm sitting on a cloud. So I apologize.

So today's reminder is: Do as I say, not as I do. I will be positive tomorrow, I promise. Really.... I'm pretty much over it.... I think. And when you have an off day, forgive yourself and let yourself enjoy being miserable if you can.

And here's a flower as an apology for being the anti-reminder.

A few things I'm grateful for today:

• That tomorrow is another day
• Television
• Schwan's food delivery
• Dennis Puffett's healing page

HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY!

(Remember... do as I say, not as I do)

Daily Reminder #5

You are awesome, talented, creative, unique, and "perfectly imperfect," within the ultimate Divine perfection that is God/All-That-Is,/Great Mystery.

You are whole even when/where you are broken.

You are loved... Even when you don't feel it, Love is always there. There's no getting away from it, only forgetting to remember.

A few things I'm grateful for today:

• cooling rain
• reiki
• food in my refrigerator
• dandylions

Have a Wonderful Day!

Daily Reminder, # 4

You are an earthly angel, just as you are, no training required, just kindness. It doesn't require grand deeds or great cathedrals to change the world. A compassionate gesture from a fellow human conveys more of any spiritual teachings than the lofty words of a dozen preachers. "Even as you have done it unto the least of these..." is not just pretty words; it is Capital "t" Truth. A dozen quiet, even unrecognized small deeds may have more impact on the world than a truckload of formalized "goodness." Sometimes we are so busy trying to become something, that we don't realize we are already there.

Years ago I read a book called HUMAN OPTIONS by a wonderful teacher and philosopher named Norman Cousins. The book is a collection of his own thoughts and quotes of great thinkers and doers of history. One of my favorites is this one of his own:

Compassion is not quantitative. Certainly it is true that behind every human being who cries out for help there may be a million or more equally entitled to attention. But this is the poorest of all reasons for not helping the person whose cries you hear. Where, then, does one begin or stop? How to choose? How to determine which one of a million sounds surrounding you is more deserving than the rest? Do not concern yourself in such speculations. You will never know; you will never need to know. Reach out and take hold of the one who happens to be nearest. If you are never able to help or save another, at least you will have saved one. To help put meaning into a single life may not produce universal regeneration, but it happens to represent the basic form of energy in a society. It also is the test of individual responsibility.

A few things I'm grateful for today:

• Norman Cousins
• sunshine and cool breezes
• the ability to walk even though I wobble. (Raven wobbles but she doesn't fall down)
  
  
  
  Have a Great Day.....
  And feel your wings... they are real!

Daily Reminder, # 3

Look for the positives that surround you and bless them with your attention and gratitude.

There are so many small (and not so small) wonders around us if we remember to look for them: a bumble bee, a flower, a blue sky, the smell of rain or a cup of coffee. Or maybe a smile from a friend or stranger, the laughter of a child, the face of your cat, the song of a bird. Then there are miracles like a glass of water ready at hand, a microwave oven.... I could go on and on. The point is to make the conscious effort to bless the wonders you see. The Hawaiians say "energy flows where attention goes." What we focus on we draw to us. Pay attention to what's wrong in your day and it will wrap itself around you in a dark hug. Look over it's shoulder for a thing of beauty, something that's right... and the darkness will slink quietly away without you even noticing it. That is the way of things if we only remember.

A few things I am grateful for today:

my windows and the view from my desk

netflix and the invention of the DVD

music

Have a Wonderful Day!

The Daily Reminder #2

(Please scroll down for the Weekly Wordzzle Challenge)


Today's Reminder:

No matter the circumstances you are in, find the place of Love. That is the Soul's Home. It is all that matters. The surroundings - be they beautiful, ugly, peaceful, distressed - are like temporary decorations and mean nothing in the Divine Scheme. The heart is home. Love is Home. Open your heart to love (giving and receiving both). Know that you are Love. You are Home.

This is my friend's dog, Josie.

I think today's reminder came from her.

She's not feeling too well and

her human is worried about her.

Prayers for them both would be much appreciated.

A few things I'm grateful for today:

An abundance of clean water for drinking and bathing

Laughter

email (well some email....)

Tara Grace being a "Place of Love"

Have a wonderful holiday weekend here in the States

and a wonderful regular weekend elsewhere.