Fun with Memes

Posted for a variety of prompts:
Meme Express ("sailing" - referenced below)
Scrumptious Sunday (“frozen treats” – referenced below)
A Thousand Words (Prompt #12 – photo - below)
Other prompts . . . as listed.

So many memes! Here's a roundup of several memes I enjoy visiting:

“5 Fun Things I Did This Summer”
(for Randomness)

1. sailing on one of the Great Lakes

2. catching the Cubs at Wrigley Field

3. eating way-ay too much ice cream

4. visiting with family

5. riding my colt for the first time (Click here.)

Free Association
Snackie Sunday says . . . and I reply . . .

1. bush . . . whack (Hey, I’m a trail rider!)
2. home . . . made
3. smelly . . . sneakers
4. money . . . Monopoly
5. poker . . . chips
6. lip . . . synch
7. feel . . . better
8. very . . . funny
9. be . . . or not to be

10. dork . . . master
11. sexy . . . shoes
12. love . . . God
13. my . . . my-my-my!
14. soft . . . serve ice cream
15. hard . . . shell
16. sock . . . missing
17. lick . . . ety-split
18. heart . . . ace
19. hand . . . stand
20. drama . . . show
21. temporary . . . password
22. barn . . . storm
23. song . . . favorite
24. gamma . . .grandchild
25. blue . . . moon
26. hilly . . . gallop

Name seven things in your home that you have at least seven of.
(for Sunday Seven)

1. Animals: We have 5 horses, a dog, a cat and a guinea pig. (Of course, the horses don’t actually live in the house. But they are definitely part of the family.)

2. Soup Spoons: We received a dozen place settings of flatware in the form of wedding gifts . . . many years ago. Now we may have seven soup spoons left. (I have replaced forks, knives and teaspoons. But who remembers to replace soup spoons?)

3. Toothbrushes: Although we do not have seven human family members, we have a few individuals who mysteriously misplace toothbrushes. As a result, I always keep a few extras on hand . . . just in case.

4. Sports Bottles: After hearing all of the scary stories about plastic water bottles and carcinogenic chemicals leeching into the water (through freezing and thawing and overheating), I purchased several sports bottles. With grand intentions of converting the family from disposable bottle users to refillers, I touted the virtues of these beverage bottles. However, my refrigerator still seems to fill up with throw-away water bottles.

5. Telephones: Sure, we ought to eliminate the land line. Still, it’s part of the cable TV package deal. Plus, every member of the family has a personal cell phone. That’s a package deal too. It’s actually cheaper than subscribing only the adults. Add ‘em all up, and we’ve got more than seven phones. And that doesn’t even include the old cast-off cell phones, which need to be donated or recycled. (They seem to become dinosaurs almost overnight.)

6. Jam Jars: For happy family life, folks often need to choose their battles wisely. To minimize discord, we offer each family member his or her own favorite flavor of jam. One goes for grape; another savors strawberry. Still another raves about raspberry. You get the picture.

7. Flip-flops: Actually, with a couple of teenagers in the house, one might find well over seven pairs of these. Since when did cheap rubber sandals have to match every outfit?

Free Association
Unconscious Mutterings says . . . and I think . . .

1. Groceries . . . “Paper or Plastic?”
2. Deodorant . . . “Yes, please!”
3. Psychic . . . “Not me.”
4. Cherries . . . or Cheerios?
5. Spooky . . . Déjà vu
6. Yogurt . . . waffle cone
7. Kitchen . . . gathering
8. Nothing personal . . . “What a crock.”
9. Be nice . . . of course.
10. Delivery . . . “Hmm. Did someone say, ‘Pizza’?”

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

F is for . . . Fashion

Posted for these prompts:
ABC Wednesday (“’F’ is for . . .”)
Meme Express (“Confucius Says”)

‘F’ is for . . . Fashion

"Life is really simple,
but we insist on making it complicated."
Confucius
Ancient Chinese Philosopher
(551 BC – 479 BC)

What’s so complicated about fashion? Not much, unless you happen to have teenagers in the house.

Not long ago, one of my daughters stayed home from school for a sick day. Around mid-morning, she suggested we weed through my own closet. In a weak moment, I agreed.

Together, we began sorting through jackets and jeans, shirts and skirts, blazers and belts and more.

“Mom, you really need to donate some of these dresses to the church drama department,” my teen daughter exclaimed. “They look like they belonged in biblical times.”

Yikes!

Perhaps this is an appropriate moment for confessing that I have actually worn those fancy frocks to company Christmas parties, holiday brunches and even weddings.

What’s the worst fashion faux-pas you have ever experienced? Are you willing to share your story in a comment here . . . or post your own blog, and leave a link here in a comment?

Related Items of Interest:

Accents Are Everything

Autumn Apparel: Fall Fashions for the Feminine Figure

Church Clothes

Compassion for Fashion

Consignment Classics: High Fashion Reincarnated

Don’t Smile at Me That Way!

Fall Fashions

Fair Warning; A Poetic Tense on Style Sense

Heading for High Fashion with Hats

Living Large as a Petite Lady

The Manatee of Vanity

The Mirror Lied

Need More Closet Space?

Out of Gases and Sunglasses

Patching Up

Shoes to Dye For

Sporting Crops with Chic Shoes

Style Revival: A Rhymed Passion for Lasting Fashion

Swimwear Is Life

Teen Fashion: Dressing Up in Style

The Unreal Ideal

Vintage by the Bay: A Guide to Antique Apparel in San Francisco

Vintage Can Be Valuable: Caring for Antique Apparel

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

Just for Fun – A Friday-Fill-in (#86)

Just for Fun – A Friday-Fill-in (#86) - also posted in response to "Just Smile" at Meme Express. (The prompts are in bold, and my responses are in italics.)

1. Dancing to the unknown tempos while strolling down the street makes me motivated to keep on moving.

See:
Testing and Protesting: A Few Lines Addressed to Aim for the Best
Toned Out: Rhyming Offhand on Music That’s Canned

2. The last time I read a good book, I nearly stayed up all night.

See:

Best Books
How to Write a Book Review
Midsummer Reading

3. When I drive I sometimes sing like no one is listening. Of course, if anyone notices, I just smile . . . which really seems to make folks wonder . . . .

See:
Dream of Flying
Dressed-Up Dregs
Finding Composure
Line, Please!

4. I saw three horses standing under a tree.
Could it be . . . they were waiting for me?

See:
Halter-Skelter
Have You Herd
Minis and Whinnies
Playing H-O-R-S-E
Unbroken

5. Give me chocolate!
give me chocolate!
give me chocolate!

See:
A Hint of Mint
Just Dessert
Three-Ingredient Wonder Bars
Why Try? (A Poetic Pining on Low-Cal Dining)

6. Next week I am looking forward to the beginning of school. (Did I just type that OUT LOUD? Mostly, I am looking forward to resuming a more normal schedule . . . if such a thing even exists for a busy family.)

See:
Back to School
Four Big Years
Preteen Pretext: Phoning’s Cool for Middle School
Ten Ways the World Has Changed Since I Was in School

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to a sunset ride. Tomorrow my plans include a regional horse fair and Sunday, I want to attend church and dig in my garden beds, which sorely need attention.

See:
Flower-Master
How Do You Ride?
It’s a Wild Ride
Sojourners
True Wealth
The “Why” Chromosome – Should a Woman Preach and Teach?
Zero to Fifty-Five

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts!

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

Big Dogs or Little Dogs?

For:
Camera Critters (photo/s)
Wordless Wednesday (photo/s)

Photo c2005 by RAH

That’s My Answer asks this canine question today:

Big Dogs or Little Dogs?

Big dogs have nothing to prove. Little dogs make a lot of noise, just to prove they matter.

Big dogs really ARE large and in charge. Little dogs try too hard!

Big dogs play with toys. Little dogs ARE the toys.

Big dogs eat shoes. Little dogs eat ground round.

Big dogs are happy. Little dogs are hyper.

Big dogs chew on bones. Little dogs bite ankles.

Big dogs are affectionate and loving. Little dogs are cranky and crabby.

Big dogs behave. Little dogs bounce.

Big dogs drink out of toilets and puddles. Little dogs drink from crystal bowls.

Big dogs are gentle. Little dogs are jealous.

Big dogs sleep on the bed. Little dogs have their own beds.

Big dogs protect their masters. Little dogs try to BE the master.

Big dogs are fun. Little dogs are fashion.

Big dogs are low-maintenance. Little dogs are spoiled rotten.

Big dogs groom themselves. Little dogs have personal beauticians.

Big dogs grow their own winter coats. Little dogs wear designer doggy styles.

Big dogs can catch frisbees in their mouths. Little dogs simply mouth off.

Big dogs are practically furniture. Little dogs are jumping beans.

Big dogs fetch balls. Little dogs bounce like balls.

Big dogs guard children. Little dogs attack them.

Any questions?

Just for fun, here's what happened when I took an online blog quiz about dogs. What results will you find, if you take it too?

You Should Own a Husky

Athletic, free-spirited, and perfect for cuddling

What Kind of Dog Should You Have?

Related items of interest:

The Booting Brother

Click for Creatures

Doggie-Bag Digest: A Brief History of Take-Home Leftovers

Eye Openers

Gloria’s Gardener

Head First

He’s a Dog

Practically Furniture

The Real Golden Girl – A Rhyming Blog on a Favorite Dog

Safety Tips for Dog Walkers

Traveling With or Without Pets

What Foods Can Harm Your Dog?

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

E is for Eternity

Posted for these prompts:
ABC Wednesday (“E”)
Meme Express (“Heaven”)
Photo Scavenger Hunt (#123 – “colorful”)
Wordless Wednesday’s Wednesday edition

Photo c2008 by Nickers and Ink

"E" Is for Eternity

Everything about
eternity
will be
extraordinary,
elating,
enduring,
exciting,
excellent
and everlasting.

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

Bad Poetry Day

Today is Bad Poetry Day, according to many holiday-oriented websites. What makes poetry good or bad? Who decides?

At any rate, poets of every flavor are invited to ply their wordsmithing crafts on August 18^th, Bad Poetry Day.

Here’s a poetic invitation, which also appears at the Meme Express (with permission):

Bad Poetry Day

Today’s a day, not like the rest,
For verses need not pass the test.
Unmetered lines, we will accept
From poets skilled or quite inept.
A limerick or random word
On subjects deep or just absurd.
Write what you want; it’s all OK,
Bad Poetry we laud today.

c2008 by Linda Ann Nickerson
(for August 18^th – Bad Poetry Day)

Why not try your hand at poetry today? After all, on August 18^th, anyone and everyone can be a poet! If you post, be sure to visit Meme Express, and leave a comment with your link. That way, others can visit your blog and see what you have written.

Perhaps American poet Robert Frost, a beloved writer (1874 - 1963), said it best:

“To be a poet is a condition, not a profession.”

Be sure to check out The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts. Try today’s prompt, or pick one from the archives. (Look for Pick-a-Prompt) in the right-hand sidebar for links to earlier prompts. See what starts your creative engine – for poetry, prose, photography or other postings.

Love poetry? Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink. Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

D Is for Donald

Posted for two prompts:
ABC Wednesday (“D”)
Meme Express (“Bambi” or “cartoon”)

D Is for Donald.

D is for Donald Duck, the daring and darlingly delinquent Disney delight. For those who remember, Donald Duck is The Donald that really counts.

Cartoon Quirks

The Meme Express posed these questions (in bold). My answers are in italics.

Do you remember the first time you saw the Bambi movie? Where did you see it? How old were you? Did you cry? I’m not sure exactly when I first saw this movie, but I know I was quite young. We went to the neighborhood cinema, where a Saturday matinee, a soda and a roll of butter-rum LifeSavers totaled $1.

Which character did you find most memorable? Why? I always liked Thumper, the rabbit. I think I liked his high-energy. Maybe I just liked the idea that Thumper seemed to have rhythm.

What is your favorite animated movie of all time? This is a tough call. I loved Lady and the Tramp, Peter Pan, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Beauty and the Beast. I liked Cinderella too, although it has always bothered me to see stepmothers get such a bad rap.

What did you like most about it? I always enjoyed the earliest animated movies, because they were mostly based on printed books with actual story lines. As a writer, I think plot is important, even in an animated film. Maybe it’s even more important in an animated film!

What is your least favorite one? Why? The newer Disney movies are my least favorites, as the political and philosophical agendas have become bolder and more blatant. Whatever happened to pure entertainment?

Who is your favorite cartoon character? Donald Duck, of course.

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

Going on Vacation . . . What to do?

Just for fun . . . I tried this quiz to find out which extreme sport I might try on vacation - NOT!

You Should Try Sandboarding

As extreme as snowboarding... Except you won't get cold!

What Extreme Sport Should You Try?

Try it yourself, and see what you find out. What extreme sport is for you? Be sure to come back and leave a comment to let us know! Have fun!

Midsummer Reading

Posted for a variety of prompts:
Meme Express (Paperback Pleasers)
Scrumptious Sunday (Week #23)
Slice of Life Sunday (Writer’s Choice)
Snackie Sunday (Favorite Book & Currently Reading)

What am I reading right now? How many answers should I list?

Usually, at any given time, I have at least three or four books going. Bookmarked or dog-eared, these volumes seem to find their way into my nightstand, my book bag or my beach tote. Most often, a half-read book also appears between the two front seats of my car, just in case I have a few moments during my “Mom’s Taxi” runs.

To me, a good book is like a sturdy snack. Whether I head for the barn, the beach or the backyard, I will not set out without a stack of reading material.

Besides devotional reading, professional development materials and current periodicals, I am digging into The Shack, by William P. Young. Several friends and family members have recommended this story, so I am beginning to page through it. Check back, if you want to find out how I liked it.

Other books I have recently read include:

Autumn Blue, by Karen Harter

The Bait of Satan, by John Bevere

Clapton: The Autobiography, by Eric Clapton

Hope Rising, by Kim Meeder

The Kindness of Strangers, by Katrina Hittle

The Penny, by Joyce Meyer

Riding Lessons, by Sara Gruen

Some of my favorite books of all time include:

The Chronicles of Narnia, by C.S. Lewis

The Confidence Man, by Herman Melville

Hinds’ Feet on High Places, by Hannah Hurnard

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Paradise Lost, by John Milton

Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Tale of Three Kings, by Gene Edwards

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens

To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee

The Weeping Chamber, by Sigmund Brouwer

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!

Cranky . . . Dozen

Free Associations –
For Unconscious Mutterings:

(Just for fun . . . prompts are in bold, and my responses are italicized.) Want to try this exercise, visit Unconscious Mutterings.

1. Crankiness : no chocolate
2. Backpack : airport security
3. Clone : original
4. High ground : ethics
5. Dreams : hopes
6. Lovingly : honestly
7. Mistake : oops
8. Carson : City
9. Errand : list
10. Dozen : eggs

Love poetry? Check out Simply Snickers, a brand-new weekly poetry prompt. Try your hand with weekly prompts! Or, look into The Meme Express for daily blogging prompts.

Click here to visit Linda Ann Nickerson’s poetry and humor blog, Nickers and Ink.

Click here to subscribe to an RSS feed for this writer's helpful Helium content. If you wish, click here for a free subscription to this author's online AC content, so you won't miss a single post!