The imposition of my blogging rules stymied me for this week’s post. Not that I’m not a rule follower by nature, because I am. Consequently, I’ve created my finding inspiration writing ritual by following prompts from bloggers who create their prompts in advance of releasing them to a crowd of bloggers like me who join in on their creative nudges. (Run-on rambling sentence ✅)
Every Sunday morning, I rise and find my way to the computer to take on the make the prompts work for my blog post of the week challenge. (A SOCS sentence to not correct and a photo that I just wanted to use because I wanted to ✅)
Even if you’re a blogger who doesn’t do the prompt thing, I bet you’ve found some blogging pals here via my little blog who have found their way over to your blog, and created a bond together with you in the blogosphere. Feel the love!!! 🥰 (PS – do check out Johnbo’s post for the challenge (link below) to see some of our favorite bloggers who gathered together in person!)
The blogging bond is not in a marriage/love kind of way, but if the photo fits. . .USE IT! (Do my own thing ✅)
That wrapping paper was from the gift I took to the Bridal Shower I attended yesterday. I didn’t take any pictures of the crowd, I just sat and enjoyed watching it all unfold. In fact, my phone was in my purse the whole time. The odd thing is one of the gifts the bride-to-be received was a special kind of pan. Later that day, when I picked up my phone, I had an advertisement for the pan on my Facebook feed. WTH?
Invasive and creepy much?
I digress…where was I?
Oh, yes, the combination of this week’s prompts caught me off guard. Kind of like the storm that hit and took my flower garden off guard. (Make my planned photos work ✅)
So, I took on this week’s prompts as more of a fun challenge than the approach of “Well, sh*t, that doesn’t work for me, maybe I should just skip a week kind of attitude.”
A few ideas started to pop out of my resilience camp of ideas, aka, my SD card from my camera.
If flowers can survive the storms of life, I sure can survive challenging blog prompts. Right?
Or I could escape the rules altogether and still shine?
Could I be like a rabbit with an ear deficiency and persevere despite the odds of not paying attention to what blogging prompts came my way or not? Again…if the photos fit, use ’em!
Have you ever seen a rabbit with one ear before?
So, along with the one-eared rabbit, my flowers, and their mutual resilience to survive this summer inspired me.
Mr. and I, carefully flipped the lattice up and over so the flowers could spring back up. They were less smashed than I thought they would be.
YIPPEE!!!
The whip-cracker in me held back all directives to finish putting the lattice back in place right then and there. Mr. had alternate plans for us that morning. He was anxious to pick up his major award.
Earlier that week, he received a call that he was the winner of the drawing at the local winery. All he had to do was stop by on the weekend, aka, he chose Saturday, to pick up his first installment of a year of wine.
Of course, I had to go along and capture the moment.
It was a fun celebration for us as Mr. said, “I never win anything.”
And I said, “Aren’t you glad we went on a whim that Sunday of the entry weekend and tossed our names into the jar? There were a lot of names in the jar.”
Smiling, “Yes, dear. I still can’t believe I won.”
The next day, in not as nice weather as the major award gathering day, Mr., aka, the winner of the wine and the curator of the lattice project, got busy putting the lattice back in place. He said he didn’t need my help. So I documented the event. Of course.
The flowers’ resilience impressed the heck out of me.
I did help hold the lattice to keep the flowers out of the way. Mr. did the hard work of manning the tools.
And wa-lah revived lattice at your service dear flowers.
The only faces in the crowd watching Mr. and the lattice replacement party were me and Tizzie.
And, of course, the crowd of brightly colored flowers was mighty happy to celebrate the revived freedom to grow and greet the sun each day since.
And there you have it, I’ve found the way to the end of my streaming of thoughts this week. (Blog post with 3 prompts ✅)
Over the years of personal blogging, I find that when I have a writing obstacle, facing it has become a special part of the fun of winding and twisting my way to a blog post’s finish line.
The imposition of rules is most valuable for an artist who has already made some work. If you’re established in a craft or field, temporary rules may be useful to break a pattern. They can challenge you to become better, to innovate, and to bring out a new side of yourself or your work.
Rick Rubin (pg. 210 The Creative Act: A Way of Being)
Post Inspiration: Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “the first 3 words of the first full sentence.” Okay, follow me here. This is what I want you to do: 1. Grab the closest book to you when you sit down to write your post. 2. Open it to a random page. 3. Locate the first complete sentence on that page. 4. Use the first three words of that sentence to start your post, then take it from there–write whatever comes to mind. That’s it! Have fun! Terri Webster Schrandts’ Sunday Stills: Aug 20 Celebrations and Journeys with Johnbo Lens-Artists #263 Faces in the Crowd.
PS – For those of you who had the instinct to know the flowers survived, celebrate your wisdom! For those of you who felt sympathy for my flowers, give yourself a hug, your support means so much to me. For those of you cheering Mr. on for his accomplishments this week, he’s cheering right back at you! Your turn, what’s new in your world this week?
I’m one of those bloggers who no longer does challenges or follows prompts. At one time I was into them, but like a wild flower who grows where it grows I do my own thing now following my own rules of conduct. I relate to your flowers that grow free. And in answer to your question, I’ve never seen a one-eared rabbit.
I think of you often, Ally, when I wonder what it would be like to not participate in the prompts. I didn’t partake in them when I first started blogging. Then there was the WP daily prompt that nudged me into doing so I guess. No matter how it was that we crossed paths here, I’m thankful we did!
This rabbit is an interesting one. I wonder what happened to its ear! 🤔😥
The flowers are very tough! I’m glad they made it through the storms. I never have a writers block because of just working with photography… Can you guys drink a year’s worth of wine!
Yes, these flowers are more resilient than I thought they would be!
I like using photos too – they inspire my posts often.
LOL – well…it’s one bottle per week for 52 weeks, I think it may be doable 🤔😉🍷
That is very doable! Enjoy. ❤️
Yes, we thought so too (plus some of the bottles will be gifts too 😉) Thank you!
That’s so nice of you guys! 🤙🏻
Thanks, John!
You’re welcome. ☺️
Great run-on-sentence thoughts for the small celebrations in life, Shelley! Flowers are very resilient! I like your creative take on all the prompts and that you managed to tie them together–I love when I can do that, so woohoo–let’s celebrate! And you have the wine and glasses to do just that! Have a great week!
Thank you, Terri! You’re SO good at combining prompts, I’m always impressed. YES, let’s celebrate and HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY to you and Hans. Your post is full of so much fun, family, friends and adventures it made me smile just reading and reviewing the photos. Cheers to you 🍷
🙂
That all seemed quite complicated, both the writing of the blog to fit all the rules and the rebuilding of the lattice….and what happened to the one eared bunny that he has only one ear? Inquisitive readers want to know. The thing with FB advertising things you’ve talked about has happened to us more than once and I find it creepy and invasive too.
The blog writing came easier than the lattice repair. 😆🤣
We have no idea what happened to that little bunny. The ear looked quite healed by the time we noticed the little tike. It either was born like that or it made a quick escape from some predator that missed the mark?
I was shocked to see the ad on my phone. No one mentioned the brand of the product, just what it was like. Maybe it connected to me via the friends who were there taking pictures of it? It freaks and creeps me out when that happens!!
PS – your trip to Canada looked like a delightful, action-packed time! I’m so happy for you 🥰🤗
I’m glad to see the flowers survived the storm!
Thank you, me too! I enjoyed your post about the murals you saw – stunning and enchanting indeed!
I’ve blogged a long time, but admit I’ve only done a handful of change … but even issued a few. I enjoyed your tale about the lattice. Reminded me of a similar battle years ago
Hi Frank – welcome back to blogging. I think I missed your return post, but finally got over to read your one on Holding On. I loved it – just what I needed to read this morning. Thank YOU!
I’m glad you enjoyed the lattice story. If you noticed in the photos, the old lattice is leaning against our shed and it was to be used for a scoundrel deterrent, but has since provided a place for milkweeds to grow. I hope you’ll return to read the story when I reveal the labor of love on the retaining wall!
I enjoy the few challenges I participate in, but sometimes, the rules get in the way and need to bent. Congrats to the Mr. on that contest win. You guys will enjoy that for a while. Your photos and your flowers are beautiful. I’m glad they survived the fall of the house of lattice and that you got that set back up. I hope you have a great week.
I always enjoy reading how you make the prompts bend to fit your post, especially the interview ones!
Thank you – he’s still excited that he won. Plus it gets us out of the house to the vineyard once a month. 😉
I’m glad you enjoyed the flowers. It’s been a tough summer and I’ve spent much time trying to capture them in photos that I can enjoy when the snow flies. Fall will be here before I know it and won’t have their beauty to admire.
If you have a choice, I’d not recommend the vinyl lattice over the wood – sure it might last longer, but it’s not as forgiving and buckles easily in the wind if there’s any give to it at all. I’m sure it had something to do with being replacement lattice instead of original to the project.
I hope you have a great week – I’m looking forward to the release of your new book!!! YAY, congratulations to you!!!
I used vinyl lattice to skirt the area under our porch. The bunnies chewed one of the openings to make it bigger (one on each side) and in one area, they just push it out of the fiberglass track that’s supposed to hold it in place. I’m happy not to have to get down there and paint it, but it’s not sturdy.
Dang scoundrel bunnies. Made me wonder if they then pooped out nuggets that won’t decompose? 🙄 We agree – the lack of needing to paint/stain is nice, but this stuff is NOT sturdy at all! 😏😉
The flowers look great. And you can celebrate their resilience with the wine your husband won!
Thank you, Neal, I’m glad you stopped by!
Yes, indeed, and we did/have/will continue to celebrate once a week for the remaining 49 weeks of one bottle a week of wine 🍷😉😊
There’s a character in Matt Groening’s comic strip “Life In Hell” that’s a one-eared bunny. Never quite figured out why he only has one ear…
Congratulations on your “major award.” Mary and I have an inside joke about major awards: they’re usually something you don’t really want. Looks like you lucked out…
I’ve never seen that comic strip, I wonder why a one-eared bunny would be used too? Hmm…
Thank you – we did go on a whim and really didn’t think either one of us would win as we’ve entered a few times before. Your inside joke with Mary is a good one. We only enter drawings if we’re interested in the major award. We probably should’ve tried the lottery that day too. 🤔😏
Matt is the mastermind behind The Simpsons. We got the strip in our free weekly, Creative Loafing, and I think there are a couple of books out. The books must be out of print, because what books Amazon has available (from different sellers) are hyperexpensive.
Ah…thanks for the additional info, now I remember him. I was never a huge fan of the Simpsons, but did watch it occasionally – they did reveal some things that have come true years later. 🤔😉 Our free papers in our area don’t compare to the Creative Loafing. The perks of a small town, right? 😉
Good one Shelley. The only one eared rabbit I have seen is at Easter ✅ I knew the flowers would survive. It a light lattice not a big lump of wood ✅ I am overawed that a whole year of wine was the prize. Does he get to pick the bottle (or is that bottles?) Doing a random entry and winning ✅ Probably tagged in someone elses photo at the do probably resulted in the FB ads crap ✅ Great flower photos, love the last one 😀
🤣🤣🤣 🐇 Easter Rabbit – That’s a good one, Brian! I remain thankful that you taught me how to do the emojis – the ✅ is so fun!
You’re smart about flowers and knew they’d survive. I think you’re right about the wood versus vinyl lattice. It was more gentle on the flowers.
The major award is a coupon every month with the number of bottles for the month. He can pick any kind of wine he wants each month. Aug had 3 bottles as the challenge. Some months have 4 bottles, some months have 5 bottles. 52 bottles total.
The FB ads crap is so disturbing to me.
Yay – I’m glad you enjoyed the flower photos too! 🌼🌸🌺🌻🌸
PS – Happy Belated Birthday – glad you survived all the candles. I hope you had cake too, if not, here’s one that only has one candle so it’s safe and fire resistant. 🎂
Congratulations on the wine win and I believe the phones listen to everything that goes on around us.
Thank you, Alice!
They must be listening to everything – that’s so scary. Sometimes Mr. just yells at his and says, “Did you get that or do I need to repeat it?” 🙄😂
Wow – flowers that are like Timex watches … “take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.” The lattice goes down, the flowers stay up. Well, all the TLC you have given them helped them to stay strong. Congrats on the wine win! You can sip it or add it to the pot roast. 🙂 The poor bunny, I wonder what happened to it? There was a Fox squirrel at the Park, (who has disappeared now), but he had only half a tail. I nicknamed it “Stubby” and the oddest thing was that instead of a foot-long furry tail, it was maybe six inches long, but the end part was pure white. It was very odd?!
Yes, that’s a great comparison with the Timex!!! 😁
We should try some of the wine with a pot roast – thanks for the suggestion!
My brother has a squirrel that he feeds in his yard that has virtually no tail. Somehow it survived. He tells me that most of the time the tailless squirrels are from near-death car tire escapes. 🤷🏻♀️
The little one-ear bunny is hyper – we watched him bouncing around the yard last night. He kind of runs in circles, perhaps it causes him to startle more on one side? It’s odd indeed.
Thanks! Yes, try it, you’ll like it in pot roast. I guess the tails won’t grow back then … I wonder how they can jump – it would be difficult as they depend on their tail for balance. I know some birds have equilibrium problems and do odd things with their head – it is called “stargazing” where they twirl around madly and abnormally. It may be the loss of one ear throws off his balance too – poor little guy.
We will try it!
You’re right about their tail – my brother said the little one he has in his yard does surprisingly well.
The little one-ear bunny runs in circles a lot. It’s fun to watch they hyperactive bounces it does in the yard. It climbed the stairs on our deck yesterday – kind of a fearless tike. 🤔
You’ll have to get a video of it doing that for a future post. 🙂
I should try to do that. He’s a quick one!
My money is always on the plants, whatever they are. Resilient, most of them, if they can survive me as their gardener. Great idea with the lattice, I wish I had the space for something like that.
Hi Sofia, thank you for stopping by! I chuckled as there are days when I’m like you wondering how they survive under my gardening skills. 😂
Thanks – the clothesline with lattice was my idea that Mr. executed well 32 years ago. It was built to last until the wood lattice decayed and fell in a storm. We may need to rethink the vinyl replacement 🤔
Thanks again for stopping by – I so enjoyed the photos you shared for the framing prompt – stunning!!!
“Have you ever seen a rabbit with one ear before?” Yes, leg or arm missing too, it’s a question of cannibalism. Their mother eats them.
Sorry for this kind of explanation!
For sure, your blog is often about GREAT STORIES AROUND RESILIENCE, here or elsewhere. Thank you!
Hi Anne – really? Wow, I didn’t know that the mother bunnies do that, but I could see it happening. 🤔
Thank you so much for being a loyal fan, I so appreciate you and your support!!
Oh, I love a morning glory! And the lattice looks great–well done, Mr.! I’ve been bad about blogging this summer, and as much as I’ll miss the vacations and fun, I’m looking forward to the fall routine. Hope you’re well, my friend!
Hi Rebecca!!! Thank you – we’re happy the flowers survived and the lattice is still standing (for now 😉) The morning glories greet me every morning. They’re such happy flowers.
You’ve had such an action-packed summer – I’ve enjoyed seeing how much fun you’ve had! Enjoy the fall and adjusting to more quiet time during the school year. I have a hunch you’ll find ways to stay busy 😉.
Thanks for stopping by, it’s great to hear from you dear friend! 🤗
Glad it all turned out.
Thank you, we’re glad too!
Shelley, what are those pretty purple flowers that have the coneflower-type head on them? Zinnia? Or something else? I love them and glad they survived the lattice falling on them. You must be getting the rain and storms that always pass to the north of us.
Congrats to the Mister for his wine winnings. Like him, I hardly ever win anything, so glad he had a good and tasty surprise.
Have a great weekend!
Hi Mary! The flowers are Zinnias, Morning Glories (dark purple), and Cosmos Pinkies. The Zinnias come in surprise colors each year. I’m glad they survived too!
Yes, we’re enjoying the prize-winning status that’ll last a year long. Hard to top that (well, maybe winning the lottery if we played might 🤔😂)
I hope all is well with you – I think we may be past the 100s for temps this week. Stay cool and keep on biking before the snow flies!!