Lady Godiva or Joan of Arc

Posted on October 25, 2014 by simplygiselle

The act of being completely naked in front of strangers; the fear dreams (or call it a nightmare) are made of. When the show Fear Factor was hot (years ago), walking down a small strip of street or just standing for a few minutes naked would have been my failure and losing the money (although meeting Joe Rogan would have been pretty cool).

Now? Well now I have grown into my skin and although I would be most uncomfortable, my inner strength from years past would allow me to not only voluntarily ride horseback through town, as Lady Godiva did, but not cower or try to cover up in the process (you want to take a look, God bless you and I hope you don’t go blind…).

Being naked, for most, is the utmost form of vulnerability; there is nowhere to hide… all of your blemishes, love handles, scars of many lives past are there in the open for all to see and for some admire, while others, only judge. A very difficult feeling to embrace and turn into a strength but I think I am finally there.

How do I compare Lady Godiva to Joan of Arc for my costume? Both were such strong females in their own way, doing what they knew was right… not what was easy. I try very hard to live by this and tell my daughter as well. The right way is typically the harder way. It challenges you to dig deep and make the decision to define who you are as a person– not so much to others, but to yourself.

Two different costumes with the same core message; one wears nothing while the other wears a suit of armor; both take the inner strength, fortitude, and on some level, bravery that I think I can now pull off.

Masks Off – the Daily Post

We’re less than a week away from Halloween! If you had to design a costume that channeled your true, innermost self, what would that costume look like? Would you dare to wear it?

Zombie Apocalypse (What!? It could happen…)

Posted on October 23, 2014 by simplygiselle

Seeing as Trulia, yes the honest-to-goodness real estate website, has put so much time and money into figuring out the first cities the zombies will attack, I thought I would pass along not only their findings, but my insight on the subject for this ten minute prompted writing.

The Huffington Post posted the following with a map:

If and when the zombie apocalypse is nigh, we will all have to make one monumental decision: Where to seek refuge?

When the undead rise up, hitting the beach in zombie-free bliss will not be an option. Honolulu is ranked as the most appetizing city for hungry zombies.

Residents of Honolulu will make easy targets for the walking dead, what with the city’s high walkability and lack of hardware stores (where there are potential zombie-killing weapons). Honolulu also has a high hospital density, making it easy for zombies to find weak victims, and it is extremely congested, with some of the worst traffic in the nation.

New York is number two on the list, followed by Newark, Boston, and Washington D.C.

Trulia calculated the survivability of the cities using the following criteria: highest walk score, lowest hardware store density, highest hospital density, and most congestion.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/21/zombie-apocalypse-trulia_n_6018026.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000022

MY TAKE: Hello Trulia! Zombies can’t swim! The best place to be is on the coast on a raft, boat, etc., tease those brain-eating asshats to walk into the water and presto! They drown before reaching you and shortly thereafter, no more zombies.

I wish to have it known that this idea is now public and mine, all mine! (insert evil laugh here). Those of you that wish to purchase a ticket on my boat, please contact me, there are limited seats, and one small port-o-potty on board. It is your responsibility to make it to the New England shore line, travel not included. Gifts will be accepted and move you to the head of the line regardless of ticket bought. I like red wine and dark European chocolate…why wait until the apocalypse? 😉

This post is in response to the daily prompt:

Daily Prompt: Ready, Set, Done

Our ten-minute free-write is back! Have no mercy on your keyboard as you give us your most unfiltered self (feel free to edit later, or just publish as-is).

Knighted TeddyBear

Posted on October 22, 2014 by simplygiselle

I was surrounded by imaginary friends, well to clarify, all of my stuffed animals were my saviors.

They would not save me just from monsters in my room, in the closet, under the bed, in my dreams, but the tree whose branch would tap on my window throughout the night, the shadows guarding the bathroom during the midnight pee run, or the spiders that would try to find a home in the crack in the wall.

They put up with the obligatory tea party, the trip to the imaginary doctor getting the crayon shot what wouldn’t wash off, and the tears and snot from being tortured by an older brother; all without complaint.

The word ‘friend’ is an understatement; they were my family.

If you know who I can credit for this image, please let me know, it captured my heart.

http://www.deviantart.com/print/681483/ print above is by Begemott (thank you loupmojo)

Daily post question:Many of us had imaginary friends as young children. If your imaginary friend grew up alongside you, what would his/her/its life be like today? (Didn’t have one? write about a non-imaginary friend you haven’t seen since childhood.)

Embrace the beautiful you

Posted on October 21, 2014 by simplygiselle

“The qualities I most admire in women are confidence and kindness.” Oscar de la Renta

With the passing of one of fashion’s biggest icons, Oscar de la Renta was quoted on the radio this am saying he used color and fashion to make women the most beautiful he could. Ah, the days of when men adored women, cherished them, just simply admire their beauty no matter what size, but just because they were beautiful and confident.

For hundreds of years painters and sculptures have taken the female form and held it up high for all to gaze upon and see how exquisite the shape of her face, the softness of her curves, the delicate falling of hair, a creature so complex yet so breath taking – yes women, this is you!

Unfortunately somewhere along the line in these last 75 years, some uptight women found that being revered equated to being ‘objectified’, and for a man, giving a simple compliment could result in laser beams shooting out of her eyes and setting him aflame only for her to give him the dust-buster and dump him into the trash.

Does a flower close its petals in protest not to stare at its shades, hues, and delicate nature? On the contrary, it seems to embrace its beauty even more, stand a little straighter, flow in the breeze a little easier, hold its dew a little longer… knowing it has made the admirer happy in their heart… for just simply being.

Bugs Bunny, my hero

Posted on October 10, 2014 by simplygiselle

After writing my last post and reading some of the replies, I started thinking of how much things have changed over the years. We touched upon rocks under swings, cuts/scrapes/bruises/stitches are a badge of courage, and the Big Wheel in all its glory leaving road rash for years. Let’s not forget the classics: climbing trees where chunks of wood are too big to be called slivers never mind losing footing and falling 6-8 feet to the ground knocking the wind out of you, or the timeless game of Red Rover calling your arch enemy of the playground to come over whilst taking a ‘clothesline’ to the breadbasket or if you were lucky enough with the timing actually get the kid across the throat to see both feet catch air… ah yes, good times.

Today however, I saw the ‘singing frog’ from Bugs Bunny (got a little peeved) and realized how much we really have dumb things down, wrapped the children in so many layers of bubble wrap and blankets, and handed out one too many ‘everyone is a winner’ trophies for t-ball resulting in the idea of being just a little daring, a moment of ‘what if I…’ is completely out of the question or at least very rare.

Bugs Bunny was, and will always be, an icon to me and many other children that grew up in that era. He was quick with his snarky remarks for any and all occasions, taught us about classical music, opera and ballet (whether you knew it or not), and made sure we laughed the cereal milk straight out of our nose, all while dodging anvils falling from the sky, a crazy hunter with a speech impediment, and a duck more daffy that your Aunt Ida.

As children, we ‘got it’. We knew that anvils would not fall from the sky. That if an airplane lost its engine airbrakes would not stop it from crashing into the ground. We knew stepping on a steel rake would indeed hit us in the head causing little birdies to fly circles around or worse a broken nose. And most importantly, he taught us how laughter can bring us to a happier place no matter how grim it may look.

After all, who isn’t just one wrong turn in Albuquerque away from trying to get to Pismo Beach?

here’s my beef today

Posted on October 9, 2014 by simplygiselle

I think I found the key to the 10-minute free write; read the news first and it will get you fired up with a good topic!

Several communities in the Washington State area have taken it upon themselves to start eliminating swing sets from the schools due to what they are saying is an ‘insurance’ issue. Seems that children are getting hurt on the swings by walking in front/behind while someone is actually swinging. Yes that’s the way it works and for some adult not to take the 30 seconds to explain it to you is where the crime lays.

Removing the swing doesn’t address the issue at hand. The issue at hand is that children are not being taught about consequences; cause and effect. Isn’t that what learning is about? Being shown right from wrong, the idea of learning to cope when your team loses, to get hit and shake it off? Since when do children haphazardly walk in front or behind a person on a swing without understanding they are going to be knocked on their bum or kicked in the head? An escapee toddler on the run, quite possibly, but after that first time accident or even before when first arriving on the playground, why is it not the first thing out of someone’s mouth; the do’s and don’ts? Are we as a society now too busy to teach the children? Too wrapped up on the phone or tablet or whatnot to actually pass down what was taught to us or what we learned along the way?

It is truly a sad state of affairs when swings are being removed and children will no longer feel the rush of the wind through their hair, the fleeting moment of zero gravity, and reaching for the clouds. What is next? No more playing tag because someone tripped on a blade of grass?

Ready, Set, Done

10 minutes. You and your keyboard (or smartphone. Or tablet. Or pen and paper). No pauses, no edits, no looking back: it’s free-write time!

Sparkling wine vs Champagne

Posted on October 8, 2014 by simplygiselle

If I ever meet you at a party or an event of some sort, please do not ask for Champagne when you really mean sparkling white or Prosecco (as well as several other blends/varietals that fall into this category). The grapes that have given their lives for the deliciously light bubbly celebratory libation, only found in the Champagne region of France, have died in vain and makes me cringe (along with a very heavy sigh and quite possibly a forehead slap).

Being judgemental, snobbish,and down right condescending…. Eek, I try so hard not to be… not to throw that stone… for I am FAR from perfect, but mess with my wine and my head starts to spin and pea soup flows quite easily out of my mouthhole.

Case in point (and true story): a dear friend was having a very informal wedding reception at the rod and gun club near her home (I did say ‘informal’ yes? I wasn’t kidding) and I asked if she would like me to bring the wine (guessing that a rod and gun club just might not have the mid-grade grape beverage I am used to). She stated that she had it covered and only wanted me to join in the celebration with no worries.

Without ever attending a rod and gun club, I envisioned it as a VFW hall of sorts. As I arrived and parked in the middle of a field, to find the dilapidated building abutting a mosquito invested pond, I quickly realized my first instinct to bring ‘back up’ wine was appropriate (and even a fleeting moment of – get the hell out of here before you catch Lyme disease or EEE).

Hugging my friend and wishing her all the best on her new-found love, I quickly asked to have a glass of wine and start the festivities only to find the cheapest box of white zinfandel on the card table (picture yourself staring at the box of wine and the sound effects of screeching auto brakes in your head… that was me).

Needless to say, I was not happy, took a deep breath, tried not to sound unappreciative, but I am not a poker player for a reason. I looked her straight in the eyes and reminded her that I offered to bring wine (deadpan). Her look of confusion was almost heartbreaking (almost, she was messing with my wine for Pete’s sake and I was at a broken down rod and gun club – sheesh have mercy for me!)

See that’s me being judgemental and snobbish again. I am working on it, what can I say?

Upturned Noses

Even the most laid back and egalitarian among us can be insufferable snobs when it comes to coffee, music, cars, beer, or any other pet obsession where things have to be just so. What are you snobbish about?

It’s all in the past but SO many questions

Posted on October 7, 2014 by simplygiselle

Genealogy is often overlooked and taken for granted… It’s in the past, it’s boring, it’s a world of black and white, all two dimensional, with only lists of names, births/deaths/marriages, and in many cases, not a face to put with any of them.

All, true, which is why I want to meet them, face-to-face. Talk to them, what interested them, what made them laugh, what made them get out of a freezing cold bed every day and keep pressing forward for the better of the family. Why? Why? Why? I have questions that need answers damn it! The future won’t help me with that.

‘Only from the past can we change the future’

Even if I was not able to return to modern times, I would leave notes and messages for future generations, the pitfalls to avoid, and the message of strength and faith that they will make the right decisions and carry on the name with pride.

One-Way Street – Daily Prompt

Congrats! You’re the owner of a new time machine. The catch? It comes in two models, each traveling one way only: the past OR the future. Which do you choose, and why?