[writing prompt] Cleaning

Cleaning: Hey, even writers and creative artists have to do housework sometimes. Write about doing laundry, dishes, and other cleaning activities.


As I'm lying down to sleep, disturbing thoughts begin to creep
Inside my head when I try to rest, projecting thoughts that I detest.

The sink is full and so's the rack, sending shivers down my back.
If it's not clean when dawn breaks, it more time that it will take

too much time if you ask me, to clean the mess that wasn't from me.
I hope my husband sees the pile, and lingers for a little while.

He knows that when the sink is clean, his wife will be joyous instead of mean.
That she is relieved that he took the time, to wash the dishes he covered in grime.

She's pleased that know her day can run smooth, that stopping to clean won't throw off her groove.

What an amazing decision her husband has made, to keep something clean, to do her a solid, and no happiness fade.

[writing prompt] Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror: What if you mirror started talking to you?

Honestly, I don't know what I'd do if the mirror started talking to me. 

I guess my reaction would depend on just what the reflection was saying to me. 

Although, is it my reflection talking or the mirror itself?

My own reflection would freak me out more than the actual mirror. 

I guess I could play Evil Queen and ask the mirror all sorts of questions. 

But what if the mirror isn't all-knowing? 

If the mirror can't answer my questions, what would be the point in having a talking mirror?

I guess my laptop is like a magic mirror.

Aside from being all-knowing, I can also see my reflection in the screen.

Screen, screen in my lap, why is it so hard to nap?

Why do I wake up earlier than my alarm?

How come the garbage truck comes at 4am?

Why do flip flops in the summer undo perfectly good pedicures?

Why am I just now comparing magic mirrors to laptops?

{writing prompt} Puzzles

Puzzle: Write about putting together the pieces of puzzles.

I love puzzles!

I first started doing complicated puzzles when I was 10 years old.

My paternal grandmother lived in a nursing home, and my family would go visit every Saturday. The home had a common room full of books and puzzles, and one day there was a 250 piece Little Mermaid puzzle. That puzzle was out for the next few weekends, so I'd keep putting it together.

Given the nature of our visits, I could never complete the puzzle in one sitting, but finally I had to chance to use all of the pieces. I think someone else had put together about 75% of the pieces, and I came it to polish it off.

There were 3 pieces missing, and it drove me crazy!

Anyway, my maternal grandmother caught on that I enjoyed puzzles, so she started buying puzzles for me to do with her. We did many 500 piece puzzles together, some Disney-themed and some other adult-grownup landscapes.

When she died, I did puzzles to cope. They reminded me of my time with her.

Now puzzles are kind of my thing. It's nice that my husband will do them with me, and that little Kate loves to do puzzles with me. It's nice to know that I can share my love of puzzles with my various family members.

Anyway, puzzles are an art in some form. I love the concept of piecing things together to understand and interpret the big picture.

[haiku] Sam

tall/furry/husband

always smiling and mellow

can't believe he's mine

Dogs of Meldrum

Not a very long series, but I could easily continue it if I wanted. Created solely because I am leaving my job and I wanted these sweet dogs and their owners to remember me.

Luna (a Pitbull) and Fuego (a Tibetian Terrier)

Rusty (a Border Collie Mix)

Eight-Eight Weeks later...

I was a graduate student for two years.

88 weeks to be precise.

616 days

14,784 hours

88, 7040 minutes

And 53,222,400 seconds

I’m amazed at how my perspective changed with each number. Personally, I feel like 88 weeks is so much longer than two years, but not quite as overwhelming as 616 days.

This was the time frame spent researching, writing, presenting, defending, and arguing with the academics around me.

A lot happened during that time. Aside from working full-time and attending classes every week, I also met, dated, and married my husband.

A lot changed, especially how I see the world.

In the midst of all this change, I realized that my emotional well-being suffered because I wasn’t making the time to pursue my passions. See, I write.

I write poems, novels, and the occasional children’s book story.

I also paint. I decided to take it up the summer before grad school started, and I’m so glad that I did.

I also read. I was a Straight-A Bookworm throughout my childhood. I did my best to read for fun during grad school, but didn’t get to read nearly as much as I wanted to (especially because I was researching and writing 75% of the time).

Lo and behold, the idea to start this brag blog came to fruition so I could keep myself accountable during my passion pursuit!

One of my New Year’s resolutions was to write more, at least 500 words every other day (it was every day at first, but then I worried about burning my brain out).

This is my second blog; the first is a highlight reel of my life experiences. You can find it here.

This blog serves as my platform to express myself creativity and also a record of my endeavors. At times there may be crossover between blogs, but I’m the star of the show here. I’m the ringmaster in my own creative circus!

But in all honesty, I want to be an accountable artist, and that is my intention by ways of this platform. I want to explore my creativity and cultivate my curiosity for the world around me.

I’m starting the next great chapter in my life story, and someone might want to read my story and experience my journey.

As I write this, my thesis is being bound, and it should be in my hands at some point in the near future. I’m beyond elated that I’m going to be published. Well, published in book form. Here’s a story I wrote that got published on the UWEI blog: Maiden Names,Family Planning, and Other Personal Decisions Everyone has an Opinion On. 

I hope to publish my novels someday, additionally I have a children’s book series in mind as well.

I’ve been so busy with higher education for the last little while, I can’t wait to devote some much needed time to the ideas fluttering around in my head.

Hope that you enjoy the ride!