December Challenge: Day 11 -- It's Very Punny Today!

It's been a day...a week...okay, months! Personal stuff, family stuff, has been a downer, very tiresome, and oh so much work! The holidays will perk me up, even though I've left just about everything, except the shopping, to do at the last minute! (You should see the bedroom where boxes and boxes of packages are stored. Come to think of it, no. No, you don't want to see. I don't want to see. *shudder*) 

So, this is why I thought it would be nice to tell a few jokes, bring some levity to my humdrum mood and to everyone else's. And I'm a sucker for puns. I love puns! I hope you feel the same. Otherwise, you may want to walk away from this post right now. Cause it's about to get very punny in here! You ready? Okay... drum roll, please! tadumbrrmmmm...

• What did the guy say when he walked into the bar? "Ouch!"
• Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda? He was lucky it was a soft drink.
• Did you ever try to eat a clock? It's very time-consuming. 
• I'm reading a book about anti-gravity. It's impossible to put down.
• Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you a A-flat minor.
• Is old rope good enough for a hanging? Frayed knot. That stuff is bad noose.
• What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing, but it let out a little wine.
• Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl go to the bathroom? Because the “P” is silent.
• What kind of shoes do ninjas wear? Sneakers.
• I started a band called 999 Megabytes — we haven’t gotten a gig yet.
• What is the difference between ignorance and apathy? I don’t know, and I don’t care.

Now for a few holiday jokes to fit the season!

• Why was the snowman looking through carrots? He was picking his nose. 
• What do snowmen have for breakfast? Snowflakes, of course.
• Why couldn't the skeleton go to the Christmas party? He had no body to go with.
• What goes "oh, oh, oh!" Santa walking backwards.

Okay, I've tortured you enough, but hopefully got a chuckle or two out of you!

Enjoy your evening...until tomorrow!

December Challenge: Day 5 - Mixed Messages That Turn Out Fine

I love writing exercises, especially super challenging ones. Now, before you decide this will be blah, boring stuff, hold up! It's gonna be interactive and fun. Why? Well, what if an exercise turns out to be cipher and its meaning reveals something awesome? Like hidden treasure or a plan for a covert mission. Think Three Days of the Condor. (Don't know the movie? You should watch it. Seriously should.)

I used coding in one of my novels. Interesting fact: classical musicians often hid their names in music compositions with note placement on the staff representing corresponding letters. Kind of neat, right? One of the most popular music cryptograms was created by Bach, aptly named B-A-C-H motif. 

But I'm not going to draw a staff and play with notes. Sorry. How about anagrams? You know, taking a word and rearranging the letters to form a new word or phrase, but only using each letter once. For instance the word anagram could become nag a ram. Crazy and total nonsense, but a neat way to disguise what you're meaning. 

So. Let's try this. See if you can figure out my message. And good luck! (Give me a moment... *flexing fingers and brain muscle*. I'll make it easier with one word of the original message on each line. 

Whigs in
yon reeve
a
daily oh
of
shape pins
and
ply ten
of
fly aim
rose mime.

Too hard? Here's a secret... use this link to decipher anagrams: Anagram Solver

Then try this one to make your own! Anagram Creator

*Check back tomorrow for the answer 😊

Enjoy your evening and here's to mixed messages!

December Challenge: Day 3 - Keeping the Rhythm

Christmas shopping for my grandbaby, Henry, has me remembering all the children's books I enjoyed reading to my kids. Then I started thinking about all those stories with clever rhymes. One of my favorite authors is Dr. Seuss. The wonderful Cat in the Hat! And that got me thinking about what I learned a long time ago, how the rhythm of words is a part of one's style.

Of course, it goes way beyond the written word. In fact, when you think about it, rhythm is everywhere. It's the slow beat of waiting anxiously. Building faster when time flies or you're bursting with excitement. It's syncopation, the melding of emotions like sad to happy to angry and back to happy. I like that. Who wants to be the redundant hum drum, the same, lame dame? And I feel that way about writing, too. Guess that's why I'm in the mood for some crazy rhythm and rhyme, slow, fast, whatever I can make it. Hmm, now, let's see ...

Snow blankets, chilly days
Give me time
To write this rhyme,
Line after line.
Isn't it fine?
I hear the sounds of each syllable,
The beat,
So neat.
It's a real treat
To share the moment
I want you to--Say!
Did you hear it?
Did you tap to the rhythm and rhyme?
Keep time?
Each line?

I'd give you more,
More beats and rhyme,
If you ask, to
Complete the task.
But there's much to be done.
I have to run.
I'm busy,
So busy,
It's made me dizzy
How busy I am!

I'll end this
In total bliss
To say season's greetings.
I enjoy such meetings
With you
I truly do.
But join me again,
Another day
I'll have more to say.
So for now...
No more time to rhyme.
Good day!

Enjoy your Sunday! Until tomorrow...

December Challenge: Day 2 - A Day in the Life

You might call this entry a cheater. Way too easy! But it proves one thing...I need to time-manage my life better to accomplish more!

7:30 am: Rise and shine! Get dressed and drive to daughter's to feed and let the dog out. (They're on vacation.)

7:50 am: Stop at McDonald's for two coffees to go.

8:00 am: Home, eat breakfast, watch the news (heartbreaking stuff... Tax bill passed, which is the biggie. Mike Flynn, shame on you. Wonder who goes next?); drink second cup of coffee, turn tv off (disgusting, depressing, don't need it)

8:45 am: Take Max for a walk. Nice sunny day, a bit chilly but tolerable.

9:15 am: Shoot off email to Senior Living coordinator, asking more questions. Time is getting closer for in-laws.

9:15 am: Check my emails and surf the net -- no news from the agent or publishing world. *sigh* Not that I was expecting it. Holidays are for everyone to take a break. 😊

10:00 am: More coffee and time for edits and revisions on my current masterpiece, or what could be, after all those revisions.

Noonish: I'm cross-eyed and irritated and maybe a bit edgy (Put down the coffee, woman!) Open packages delivered...lots of Christmas gifts = $$$ Oh, my charge account is ready to explode!)

1:00 pm: More edits...that won't last long. I'm frazzled and fried in no more than 30 minutes!

1:30 pm: Max is whining. Time for another walk.

2:00 pm: Oh joy. Another delivery. The Roku equipment. Must hook up for hubby. Drat! I have to enter user names and passwords for every app again?! Amazon. Netflix. Spectrum. Grrrrr.

2:30 pm: Tada! Mission accomplished, but my hands are shaking and eyes crossed again from punching in all those letters and numbers...up, down, across, repeat. Time for a quick snooze.

4:00 pm: (Nooooo. The snooze didn't last THAT long. I just can't remember what I did from...um... was it 3 to 4?) Time to order pizza. Go get pizza. Eat pizza. Watch TV while eating pizza.

5:00 pm: Read a bit... literary women's fiction titled HALSEY STREET. I must say it's not bad. I may finish this one.

5:30 pm: Stare defiantly at my WIP. Nope. No more edits. Not today. Promise. Check email. Answer from Senior Living Coordinator gives me hope this plan may actually work!

6:00 pm: Last walk of the day, Max. I mean it! He agrees. Makes it short and conks out when we get home. Haha.

6:30 pm: Time to drive to daughter's and let out the dog. And feed her. (They won't be home until tomorrow.)

7:00 pm: Stop for gas. Go home. Stay home. Pleeeease. Watch a holiday movie or two, maybe a glass of Christmas ale to go along with the festive mood. Ooo! ELF is playing! One of my favorites! "Santa's coming! I know him!"

Yeah, it's a rough life. Lol. 😁

Have a great weekend, everyone!

December Challenge: Day 1 - Ghost of Christmas Past

It's common during the holidays to recall memories of the past. Both happy ones and sad. It's true.  But we try to keep the happy ones close, the ones that give us pleasure and hopes for Christmases to come. We may dig through photos, watch family videos, or share stories during family gatherings. So, today I'm sharing one of those.

It was 1955 or maybe '56. I have a photo. A young girl of four or five leaning forward, hugging her rocking horse with eyes closed. She'd fallen asleep, refusing to end the magic of Christmas Eve and this special ride, even though her parents had tried to coax her to bed. The horse would be here in the morning, waiting for her, they reasoned. The girl, her eyes wide and wet with tears, cried. So, they left her to rock on that horse until she fell asleep, then carried her off to bed.

This was such a long time ago, and my memory has faded like many have. Yet I wonder what had been in that young girl's mind. Was it just the ride that gave her joy? Or was there more? The magic of Christmas still lived in her heart. Santa on his sleigh, delivering presents to girls and boys; a plate of cookies and milk left to say thank you, which she found empty next morning; the tree smelling of pine with its twinkling lights and sparkling with tinsel sitting near the window; the joyful sound of caroles; warm cookies out of the oven lathered with icing and covered with green and red sprinkles; smiles and laughter of family and friends gathering to celebrate... All those and more. Did she think of those things while she rocked on her horse? Was it part of the magic? I'd like to believe she thought this. I'd like to believe magic lives inside all children. And maybe, just maybe it can live inside everyone, young and old.

Here's to the joy! Until tomorrow...