Tag Archives: Life is a Melting Pot

September 2, 2025 · 7:15 pm

Freshly Mown Grass: A Journey Back in Time

Do you ever smell a certain, familiar scent and suddenly remember a small art of your childhood you totally forgot about?

When I saw the question, “Do you ever smell a certain, familiar scent and suddenly remember a small part of your childhood you totally forgot about?” I knew instantly what it was…fresh mown grass.

Growing up in Michigan, I remember the smell of our freshly mown lawn on Saturday or Sunday summer afternoons. Once the yardwork was complete, Dad would come inside and watch the baseball game. This makes my memory multi-sensory, a combination of scent and sound.

The smell of freshly mown grass always takes me back to those summer afternoons, but it doesn’t feel complete without the sound of a baseball game playing on TV. Should I mention that this is an old-fashioned console TV that only receives four channels, has a TV antenna, and you had to walk over to the TV to change the channels or adjust the antenna? I know, I’m dating myself. That shows how far back this memory goes.

I don’t have any other scent-based memories that have such a substantial impact on me as freshly mowed grass. I will admit, if I hear a baseball game playing on TV, I miss the smell of grass. In my mind, they go together. What scent transports you back to your childhood? Share in the comments below.

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Filed under backyard, home, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, summer

Tagged as baseball, console TV, family, Grace Grogan, journey in time, lawn care, life, Life is a Melting Pot, memories, Michigan, mowing, mown grass, scent

August 22, 2025 · 6:39 pm

Writing Prompts Are Everywhere

Friends connected to my personal page on Facebook know I have an addiction to what I refer to as image quotes. Little sayings and thoughts that hold deep meaning or inspire a laugh. They can also serve as writing prompts.

Just once, I want the opportunity to dramatically swipe everything off a table to make room for a giant map that I'll use to explain the plan.

Take, for example, the one to the left. You can picture this happening in a movie or in a book. What would be the reason for such a dramatic move in your own writing? Is it a treasure map, a guide to a search and rescue mission, or a plan for renovating a house? Let your imagination go as you put your thoughts on paper.

Years ago, when taking a course on writing for children, we were advised to save pictures from magazines we liked and put them into a book or folder for use as writing prompts. I probably still have that collection of magazine photos somewhere. I don’t think I could ever bring myself to toss them.

That may be why my phone is full of memes for sharing. I’ll admit that some are political, some inspirational, and some just fun, with the intention of evoking feelings and responses from a diverse range of people. When you are struggling with your writing, whether it’s a book, magazine article, or blog, flip through Pinterest, Facebook, magazines, or anywhere else you find inspirational images and save a few to inspire your stories.

Happy and Keep on Smiling dolls sitting on a bench

Look at this cute image of two smiley-face dolls sitting on a bench. They display the words ‘Happy’ and ‘Keep Smiling,’ but what is their story? Why are they sitting on that bench? Are they friends? Siblings? Strangers? Write a story about them.

There are many thoughts out there on memes that create memories of the past. Anything from the sound of the National Anthem followed by all TV stations going off the air to the idea of having to run and answer the phone because it was connected to a wall with no caller ID or answering machine. You had to answer, or there was no way of knowing who it was or what they wanted.

The purpose of a writing prompt is to get your mind rolling. By taking the focus off writer’s block and getting the mind rolling, your thoughts will soon exceed the speed at which you can type them. Keep in mind, it is only a starting point, and your story can go as far away from that beginning as you want.

Some writers develop their writing, which begins with a prompt, into something they later publish. Others consider it throwaway writing, where it allows them to experiment with a variety of topics and techniques without worrying about perfection or failure.

I was in a writing group for a while, where they did a fun thing at each meeting. About half an hour before the meeting was scheduled to end, a writing prompt was given. It was usually a sentence or two or an image. We were then given 15 minutes of quiet writing time to craft a story based on that prompt. At the end of the writing period, we would go around the room and each person would read aloud what they had written. It was fun and engaging to see how stories that started from the same prompt varied significantly in content.

Another area of writing prompts is the ideas you come across when reading. A couple of years ago, I visited a museum in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and purchased the book “The Grey Eagles of Chippewa Falls – A Hidden History of a Women’s Ku Klux Klan in Wisconsin” by John E. Kinville. The information about a woman’s Ku Klux Klan group inspired my curiosity and led to the sale of an article published in the Freshwater Reporter, “The troubling persistence of Michigan’s Ku Klux Klan” [ https://freshwater-reporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/FreshwaterReporter_Jan24-web-2.pdf ]

I have also had other articles published as a result of prompts I received while reading about history. A recent example was when I read “The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street” by Susan Jane Gilman. In the novel, she writes that the creation of soft serve ice resulted from a flat tire on an ice cream truck. My mind kept going back to that incident, so I looked it up, and she had taken creative liberties in the story, but the basis of fact was there. I used that prompt for an article that will be published in the upcoming issue of the Freshwater Reporter about the history of ice cream.

The possibilities are endless once you open your eyes and mind to the numerous prompts that are around you. It can be two children on a playground, a family dining out together, or an image of an older man on a tractor. It was the meme about sweeping everything off a table to make room for a map that inspired me to write this blog. I shared it on my personal Facebook page a week or so ago, but it kept creeping into my brain. I even started a story with it that became a throwaway, and that led to this article.

If you have been following my blog for a long time, you know it has been a while since I last wrote. The time between blog posts has been significantly stretched over the past few years. When I look back, I feel bad for getting wrapped up in life and not writing more. At the same time, my ‘Life is a Melting Pot’ life means that after swirling around in that pot, I have now grabbed onto the spoon, climbed up on the edge, ready to dive in with a broader variety of writings and more frequent posting.

If you have been with me for the long haul, Thank You! I hope you’ll enjoy the new format and pass my link along to your friends. If you are a new reader, Thank You! Please sign up to receive an email notice each time I post a new blog.

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Filed under communication, Life is a Melting Pot, Writing

Tagged as blogging, books, fiction, Freshwater Reporter, image quotes, images, inspiration, Life is a Melting Pot, memes, memories, publish, The Grey Eagles of Chippewa Falls, The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street, The troubling persistence of Michigan's Ku Klux Klan, Women's Ku Klux Klan, writers block, writing, writing group, writing prompts

March 25, 2025 · 9:42 am

Super Bowl Advertising–Could the Cost Be Better Spent?

I recently heard a comment that a 30-second spot for advertising during the 2025 Super Bowl was $8 million. In addition to the game-time advertising, Fox Network, which aired the game, also sold pre-game ad slots for about $4.5 million each and post-game ad spots for around $4 million each. Fox sold out its ad inventory early. Some companies, including Busch Light, ran two ads during the game, doubling their costs.

Super Bowl advertising is expensive because the advertiser has the potential to reach about 100 million viewers. While the added revenue generated by these ads is great for the big-name companies that can afford it, I wonder how many people those companies could help by using those funds in another way, especially when I learned their actual bottom-line cost.

In 2025, 57 commercials aired during the game, earning the Fox Network approximately $456 million in game-time advertising revenue. The year 2025 was record-breaking, and the combination of pre-game, game-time, and post-game advertising generated almost $700 million in revenue for the network.

Fox makes that for the advertising spot, but the cost for the companies who advertise is considerably higher, and so is Fox Network’s revenue. The ad agency cost for Super Bowl work is an average of $3 million to $6 million, film production costs are $3 million to $4 million, and post-production work such as visual effects, sound, and editing is around $1 million. Music licensing expenses are between $3.5 million and $5 million.

Those advertising costs do not include the fees that must be paid for the ad spokesperson. A non-celebrity will run about $250,000, a B-list celebrity about $1 million, and a more realistic celebrity appearance is between $3.5 million and $5 million.

In addition to those production and celebrity costs, advertisers need to spend additional funds on digital and social media ads and any additional activations, which adds another $3 million to $10 million to the final cost.

Now, remember that $8 million 30-second ad? Fox Network requires advertisers to commit an additional $8 million for media commercial time for the upcoming year, which means that the 30-second spot is a $16 million commitment.

The final cost for purchasing a Super Bowl Ad is about $40 million per ad. With 57 ads sold during 2025, that works out to about two billion two hundred eighty million dollars ($2,280,000,000).

I realize my thoughts about how that money could be better spent will never materialize because Super Bowl ads generate a lot of revenue for advertising companies. That doesn’t stop me from wondering what would happen if those companies produced low-cost commercials notifying watchers that rather than spend $40 million on creating an advertisement, they spent the minimum advertising contract and created a simple ad to inform consumers they have donated the difference in expenditures, approximately $24 million, to homeless shelters, food banks, soup kitchens, building low-income housing, natural disaster relief, etc.

If you saw an advertisement like that, would it make you more or less inclined to purchase their products? Think how beneficial this type of action could be to the citizens of this country. Making this country great means helping others improve their lifestyle and achieve success. Is a $40 million commercial helping America? Could those funds be used better elsewhere?

As of January 2024, the Department of Housing and Urban Development reported over 771,000 homeless people in the U.S. Reasons for this status include ending COVID-19 relief programs, higher housing costs, and immigration to big cities. People experiencing homelessness include almost 150,000 children under 18.

According to the Working Poor Families Project, 47.5 million people in the U.S. live in low-income working families, including 23.5 million children. In 2011, more than four in 10 working families were low-income working families in Arkansas, Mississippi, and New Mexico. Between 2007 and 2011, low-income working families increased by 5% in Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, and South Carolina. These families spend more than one-third of their income on housing and, in doing so, exceed the accepted guideline for affordable housing.

What are your thoughts? Please comment below.

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Filed under Coping, decisions, events, impressions, Life Changing, reality

Tagged as advertising, Affordable housing, celebrity, charity, Department of Hoursing and Urban Development, digital-marketing, donation, Fox Network, Grace Grogan, homeless, Life is a Melting Pot, low income working families, marketing, production, revenue, social media, Super Bowl, Working Poor Families Project

April 14, 2023 · 2:52 pm

Looking Forward Means Looking Back

One of the downfalls of living and traveling full-time in an RV is only seeing my grandchildren once a year. While planning my 2023 travels and time in Michigan, I find my mind reminiscing back to the fun I had last summer with my grandchildren, Austin, Corbin, and Alexandria.

My 2022 visit was a fast-moving nine-day visit. I decided that because of the difference in their ages and interests and not having much time with them, it would be fun to do a couple of things together in the nine days I was there. I also wanted special one-on-one time so each child got their own day.

I took the three of them to a small, local railroad museum. The museum was interesting but didn’t hold their attention for long, so I suggested ice cream. I was surprised to learn Corbin doesn’t like ice cream, so he got a pop to drink instead. I thought it was cool when an Amish horse and buggy came down the street as we ate our ice cream at a picnic table.

*Austin and Alex on a railroad car outside the Clare Railroad Museum; Corbin and Alex view a display inside the museum*

When I commented on the horse and buggy, Corbin (age 12) informed me that the Amish do not believe in modern technology. To them seeing this is common, everyday stuff. I realized how much when I was on my way back to my campground and saw a horse and carriage tied up to a hitching post in front of Dollar General.

Alexandria (Alex)

Alexandria was the first to go solo, and her bubbly, social butterfly 7-year-old personality is always fun to watch. She is a girly girl, and that shines through when shopping for clothes. We went to the dressing room with six outfits to try on, and I told her we would buy two for school. That was a fantasy in my mind but turned out not reality.

After the try-on session, there was nothing Alex couldn’t wear, so I asked her which she wanted. She said she needed the grey flowered fleece pants and top because they are soft and warm. The yellow-flowered dress and leggings are necessary because it is bright and sunny. The third dress and leggings she wanted because it was cute. Oh, and by the way, Grandma, I need shoes. We were at Kohls and did go to the shoe department, but they didn’t have any in her size.

Here’s a comical side note—Alex recently informed her mom that she needed new shoes because when she went shopping with me, I wouldn’t buy her any! It has been seven months since I took her shopping. She never said anything to me about not getting them. Still, my daughter’s comment has me clued in about not making any mistakes this time because they will not be forgotten!

Alex selected McDonald’s for lunch, and she talked continuously through the entire meal. I had to tell her to stop talking and eat so we could get to the museum. The Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum is a fun, hands-on museum for kids 10 and under and has eleven galleries created around the school curriculum.

*Alex enjoying the dentistry exhibit and climbing wall at Mid-Michigan Children’s Museum*

With everything from car driving, medical and dental areas, scientific activities, wall climbing, water activities, art center, large tinker toy building, play kitchen area, play farm area, and more, she was on the go constantly. She took home artwork she made and a toy from the gift shop. We were there for about four hours and closed the place down.

Austin

Austin was 16, so his school shopping was in the young men’s department. I and several other mothers and grandmothers hung around the doorway of the men’s fitting room, checking on how the clothing looked on the teens trying on clothes for school. Heaven help the adult male who wants to try things on during school shopping season.

Austin got a couple of outfits for school, then selected McDonald’s for lunch. He is quieter, so conversation is at a minimum with him. After lunch, we went to the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History.

*Austin standing beside a sign outside the Castle Museum of Saginaw and viewing a display inside the museum*

The museum has three levels of exhibits and displays, covering the Saginaw Sports Hall of Fame, lumbering, and automotive. There are some hands-on exhibits and many displays with informational cards to read. I’m sure there are things we missed or skimmed over when we were there. Their gift items are minimal, and Austin wasn’t interested in any of the items they had.

Corbin

Corbin, at age 12, loves astronomy, so I purchased tickets for a program at the Delta College Planetarium. We arrived a little early and explored the exhibits they had while waiting for the program to start. The program was interesting and designed for kids exploring space, but informative and interesting. The gift area had pencils and pencil toppers in an assortment of designs, so Corbin picked three sets for himself, then selected some for Austin and Alex.

After the program, we walked across the street to Wenonah Park, which displayed several flags. I was impressed that Corbin could list their origins; I didn’t know them. After spending a few minutes at the park, Corbin suggested we head to lunch—I guess he was hungry.

*Corbin viewing display inside Delta College Planetarium and in front of the flag display at Wenonah Park*

Corbin suggested Taco Bell, saying he thought I could use a break from McDonald’s. He was right, but I would have gladly gone if he suggested going there. As Corbin ate six cheese rollups, he got a huge thumbs up from me by saying, “People like us who aren’t fat can eat here.” I don’t meet the “not fat” classification, but it’s nice that Corbin views me that way.

After lunch, we went to Kohl’s, where we got him a couple of outfits for school. He was easy; he knew what he liked and wanted to wear. The only dispute was when they didn’t have a character shirt in the right size, and he tried to convince me one that fit like a second skin was fine. I told him there was no way I was buying it in that size and that he would need to find something else.

Saying Goodbye

Paul and I met my cousin and her husband in Cadillac for lunch. Another day my daughter, Caroline, accompanied us on a trip to Traverse City, where we visited my grandparent’s farm, which is now Market 72, a public venue for events. We then met my other cousin and uncle for lunch.

The above is the farm of my paternal grandparents, Louise and Dominick King, built by my great-grandfather in 1918 on M-72 in Traverse City. You see the front and back of the house, the view of the barns from the back porch, and Caroline standing under weeping willow trees between the sideyard and one of the farming fields.

As my time came to an end, Paul and I went to dinner at Texas Roadhouse with my daughter, son-in-law, and three kids. The dinner was over too quickly. It was the last time I would see them for another year. I was moving the RV downstate to stay in Port Huron before heading south to Arizona. I took a few family photos of them and departed with sadness.

*Austin, Rob, Caroline, Corbin, and Alexandria*

Blake’s Family Day

After I left the Clare area and was in Port Huron, Caroline called and asked if I would like to attend Family Day at Blakes’s Big Red Apple in Macomb. My son-in-law has been working the Halloween weekends there for several years, so they always attend the employee family day.

This was a fun outing, with a haunted hayride, a zombie paintball hayride (my son-in-law is a zombie), a 3-story haunted barn, a petting zoo, a pedal car track, and other activities. Of course, no trip to an apple orchard would be complete without purchasing apple cider, donuts, and caramel apples.

Alex leads the way, with Corbin and Austin following behind on the pedal vehicles. Corbin and Alex enjoy the bounce pads. Austin, Alexandria, and Corbin stand by the “How Tall This Fall?” display at Blake’s Big Red Apple.

And with that, my yearly visit with my grandchildren was officially over. Now I look forward to 2023 when I have booked a longer stay of six weeks in their area. I am looking forward to spending more time with them.

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Filed under children, Discoveries, events, Family, grandchildren, kids, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, Michigan, play, summer, travel

Tagged as activities, amish, Arizona, Blakes Big Red Apple, Castle Museum of Saginaw History, clare, Delta College Planetarium, family, Full Time RV, Grace Grogan, Halloween, hands-on, haunted hayride, Kohl's, Kohls, life, Life is a Melting Pot, Macomb, McDonalds, Michigan, Mid-Michigan Children's Museum, railroad museum, school shopping, shopping, Taco Bell, Texas Roadhouse, travel, Traverse City, Wenonah Park

November 7, 2022 · 4:30 pm

What Is Our Future?

When I look at what is happening within the United States over the past few years, combined with the conduct and verbiage of political figures and citizens, I believe it won’t be long before this country finds itself in the midst of a civil war.

Civil war includes conflicts over government control and may involve military coups, insurgents from within the government, and challengers from outside the established government. Civil wars also include ethnic conflict and aspirations for social transformation.

Why do I believe we are headed into a full-blown war within our country? Look around you; there is hostility and violence everywhere. People within the government no longer believe in the very foundation this country was built on. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their Powers from the Consent of the Governed.”

Part of allowing the governed to determine rights was placing control of elections on the states. It also prevented many citizens from being able to exercise that right. Initially, only white men who owned property could vote. Over the years, amendments expanded rights to blacks and other minorities, including women and non-property owners.

Leading up to and following the presidential election of 2020, we saw many things this country’s citizens fought hard to overcome come back to fruition. A desire to overturn the government and eliminate our freedoms began when the President of the United States began putting into his followers’ minds the belief that the election process is unfair. That the election was stolen.

How can an election be fair only if you win but not if you lose? That was his way of thinking, and people believed him. Now other republican candidates are following his example and have said they will only agree with election results if they are the winner.

Has anyone given consideration to what Trump’s claims of a false election cost the taxpayers?

When Trump refused to accept his loss and filed 62 lawsuits in federal and state courts attempting to overturn the election of Biden to the presidency. Trump was defeated in 61 cases. The only “win” was in Pennsylvania, where a Judge ruled that voters cannot go back and “cure” their ballot after failing to provide proper identification within three days of the election. This ruling didn’t change the outcome of the election.

As of February 2021, Trump’s election fraud lawsuits cost taxpayers more than $519 million. That is money out of your pocket to subsidize his refusal to recognize the will of the people.

Trump’s refusal to accept election results caused violence at the Capitol on January 6^t. The main goal was to prevent the reading of the electoral votes to officially declare Joe Biden the winner of the presidential election. That was a direct attack on our government. Trump’s goal was to remain in office, thereby destroying the very basis on which this country was founded in 1776. Had they been successful, the freedoms you know today would no longer exist.

Trump’s rhetoric about a false election still rings out today, with other republican candidates saying they will only believe the election results if they win but not if they lose. You can’t have it both ways. Either we have a good election system, or we don’t. It can’t be fair “only when I win.”

That isn’t to say a candidate cannot question election results. It has been done many times in the past by both parties. The difference is whether the losing candidate accepts the findings or whether they refuse to accept defeat and continues fighting.

Social media hostility has become a very real problem in this country.

Studies and interviews with policy experts, activities, and social media industry professionals show that platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook do not cause political polarization, but they do exacerbate it. When people view political content on social media, it makes them more upset and angry, causing them to develop stronger support for their own position.

In 2018 there was a major overhaul of Facebook’s recommendation algorithm. As a result, Facebook became an angrier place. The new algorithm prioritizes controversial content, resulting in otherwise peaceful people becoming trolls because of social media interactions.

In addition to making people angrier than normal, those angry people are more likely to believe false information on social media. Hostile people in political discussions share misinformation. This doesn’t mean they believe what they share, but rather they refuse to admit their original belief was wrong. This behavior contributes to a disproportionate amount of misinformation, toxicity, and violent content because it is easier to inspire anger than positive emotions.

Studies in the United States and Denmark reveal that people who behave like jerks online are also jerks in person. People obsessed with politics are often frustrated, offensive, and angry, ranting about politics in person and online. The majority of these political posters are status seekers who crave a higher social status. Their main goal is to intimidate others into recognizing them, which serves their own personal agenda.

Discrimination Still Exists

The country has come a long way from the days of slavery, but discrimination still exists against people because of race, gender, religion, and for being LBGTQ. Violence against Jews in the U.S. has been the highest since the 1970s, with 2,107 incidents of harassment, vandalism, and violence against Jews in 2019.

The negative attitude about people who are not white dates back to the original days of voting, when only white male property owners could cast their votes. Some of this hatred has been invoked by our former POTUS blasting discriminatory comments about Mexican immigrants being criminals and rapists, proposing a ban on Muslims trying to enter the U.S., suggesting a Judge recuse themselves because of their Mexican heritage, joking about the Trail of Tears, pandering white supremacists at a Virginia rally, and claiming Kamala Harris doesn’t meet V.P. requirements because of her black heritage.

This kind of behavior should never be tolerated by anyone in this country. Trump claims he is “the least racist person” in the country, but his behavior says otherwise. The real danger is when he makes racially discriminatory remarks, his words impact those who follow him and negatively impact their behavior. Even though he no longer leads this country, his base follows his every command, which is dangerous.

This country was built on free-thinking people. If people do not think for themselves and follow one person’s commands, freedom will cease to exist, and the United States will become a dictatorship.

The Border Crisis is Real

There is no denying the high number of undocumented people crossing into our country. However, one must consider the failures of the prior administration regarding our border.

Before his 2016 election, Trump claimed he would build a border wall, securing our borders at less cost. That was a false claim and ended up costing taxpayers more money than ever before. Trump stifled competition among would-be builders, resulting in the wall costing five times more during the Trump administration than during the 16 years of the Bush and Obama administrations.

The reason for such as substantial cost increase? No bid contracts were awarded to a small group of pre-selected construction firms owned by donators to either Trump or other republican campaigns. Had contracts been submitted for competitive bids, costs to taxpayers would have been substantially less.

2007 to 2015 (Obama Administration)—the government spent $2.4 billion to build 653 miles of the border fence, including gates, roads, lighting, and other infrastructure
By October 2020, the Trump administration spent $15 billion in contracts to build 738 miles of the border fence—$20 million per mile. This is contracts paid, not fence built
As of October 2020, the Trump administration completed repairs to 360 miles of fence in California and Arizona—no new fence was built

The biggest immigration problem is in Texas, where drugs and immigrants cross the 1,200-mile border along the Rio Grande.

When Trump was unsuccessful in using proper channels through congress to fund his wall, he declared a state of emergency, shifted billions of dollars from the Department of Defense and Treasury Department, then waived 10 federal contracting laws when attempting to fulfill his campaign promise. Oh, and Mexico hasn’t spent so much as a penny on it.

Destruction of Public Lands and Depletion of Water

The majority of the Arizona-Mexico border is on public lands the government set aside for special protection because of ecological value. This includes the San Bernadino National Wildlife Refuge, Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, San Pedro National Riparian Conservation Area, and the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.

Construction crews for Trump’s border wall spent months dynamiting, drilling, pumping, clear-cutting, and excavating public lands in numerous spots, including Guadalupe Canyon in Arizona. This was only to build roads for construction equipment. The beautiful Saguaros of the Sonoran Desert, protected by law, were lying in heaps next to construction areas. The damage is permanent. Natural migration of javelina, deer, bobcat, mountain lion, and bighorn sheep, and access to their natural water supply is impacted by steel beams installed along main migration corridors.

Natural water supplies are depleted because of border wall construction. This includes the Quitobaquito, a rare desert spring in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Between February 2020 and February 2021, 45 million gallons of water were withdrawn. Artesian-fed wetlands and springs in the San Bernadino National Wildlife Refuge were losing about 700,000 gallons per day as of February 2021 due to construction pumping.

This is only just a touch of how much damage to our water supply and natural wildlife this wall has caused. If you haven’t seen the beautiful national parks along our southern border, it’s too late. Trump destroyed them.

The Bottom Line

The problems above and other issues, including abortion, changes in voting requirements, intimidation at voting polls, police brutality, and more, are inciting the citizens of this country. The anger that Trump incited, leading to the January 6th attack on the capitol, continues and will likely lead us into a civil war.

Look back 10-20 years and the events taking place in this country compared to now. Did you feel safer in 2010 than you do now? If so, that is an indication that the country is floundering.

I’m not going to tell you whether to vote republican or democratic. That is your choice. The proper choice is to look at each individual candidate. What do they stand for, and what are their beliefs and goals? Do they align with your desires for this country?

If the answer is yes, they are the candidate to vote for. Ignore their political alliance, and vote for the best person, not the party. That is how to maintain a politically sound, safe, and free country. That is how we prevent another civil war.

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Filed under border wall, Election, Life is a Melting Pot, nature, reality, Trump, Voting

Tagged as border crisis, border wall, civil war, discrimination, Election, facebok, false election, freedom, Grace Grogan, Life is a Melting Pot, national parks, political alliance, political polarization, public lands, social media, Trump, Voting, water supplies, wildlife refuge

October 15, 2021 · 7:48 pm

Grandkids Keep Life Fun

As if going on the road doing full-time RV was not bad enough for a long time away from my three grandchildren, COVID-19 kept me out of my home state of Michigan for more than a year. I finally got to spend a fun three days with Austin, Corbin, and Alexandria over Memorial Weekend 2021.

The weekend kicked off when my 6-year-old granddaughter, Alex, ran out to greet me. Throwing her arms around me she said, “I missed you, I haven’t seen you in YEARS!”

It was true, I hadn’t seen her since June of 2019. We have facetime calls on the phone, and I send postcards to all three grandchildren as I travel, but it isn’t the same. The boys, being 15 (Austin) and 11 (Corbin) are more reserved. It was nice to see them in action and how they have grown.

The Saturday I arrived we drove down to Mt. Pleasant to a park the kids like. It has a huge playground area with all kinds of activities. Austin brought his scooter to ride since a lot of the playground equipment is well below his age group. I had fun taking pictures of the kids running around and enjoying the various activities. I could totally understand Corbin’s reaction when I suggested he climb to the top of the monkey bars where Rob, Austin, and Alex were for a picture. He looked at me and said, “it’s a long way up there.” That’s okay. I don’t like heights either.

Sunday we drove to the Children’s Discovery Museum in Mt. Pleasant. The museum is small but packed with lots of activities. Rob built a couple rockets for the kids to shoot off over and over, which they enjoyed. The kids had fun with everything from the lightroom, watching the effects of air propulsion in a tube, viewing exhibits through a microscope, water movement, digging for dinosaur bones, and more.

Mid-day we took a break and went to Texas Roadhouse for lunch. After eating I took Corbin and Alex back to the museum for more fun. Caroline, Rob, and Austin headed back home to handle a few things there. It was almost closing time when Corbin, Alex, and I left the museum.

Monday was the holiday. Caroline, the kids, and I intended to visit the train museum in Clare, but unfortunately, it was closed. The kids did enjoy climbing up on the train sitting in the yard before we left and headed up to 4X Adventureland in Harrison. We “played at” 18 holes of putt-putt. We didn’t keep score, which was a good thing, or we might have been there all day!

The boys did not want to go on the go-karts, but Alexandria did, and she wanted to ride with me. Caroline rode her one vehicle, and I had Alex with me. They have a fake steering wheel for the passenger, and I noticed she was accurate in making her turns. We were the only two vehicles on the track, so I had fun driving the entire time with the pedal to the floor, drifting at the corners.

I had forgotten how low go-karts sit, and when I was sinking down into my seat I made a comment to Caroline I hoped I could get out. Boy was that no joke! Caroline hopped out of her car and came over and got Alex out of mine. The problem is I have a bad left leg from an accident 10 years ago, plus that ankle is fused. That combined with the second steering wheel on the right gave me no leverage to push myself upright out of the driver’s seat. One of the workers removed two screws and took out the fake steering wheel. That gave me just enough room to get the leverage necessary to slowly raise my body into a standing position. Talk about embarrassing! I’m sure glad they were not busy.

McDonald’s to go eaten in a picnic pavilion of a park curbed everyone’s hunger. From there we picked up bathing suits for Corbin and Alexandria. Austin did not want to go swimming and decided to stay home. Caroline and the other two kids came over to my hotel. The kids swam in the pool for about two hours. It was a great way to finish off the day.

Sadly, the kids had to return to school on Tuesday and that was the day I was driving back to Port Huron. I will not likely see the kids for another year. The long weekend was not entirely over because Caroline met me at Dow Gardens Tuesday morning after dropping the kids at school.

Dow Gardens was a spot I had never been to, and neither had she. I was surprised at how large the place is, which is 110 acres. It was early in the season, so many of the flower gardens were not yet planted, but others were in full bloom. We enjoyed relaxing on the porch of The Pines, the home built by Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow in 1899. It was the only home they ever owned and where they raised their children.

The beautiful reflections of the red bridge in the water, could not be missed. We accidentally ended up in the garden maze and got turned around, even though we had a map. We took the bridge from the gardens to the Whiting Forest, then had a yummy lunch on the patio of the café before going up onto the canopy walk.

The 40-foot high, 1,400-foot long canopy walk is the longest in the nation. Don’t let the map fool you, the walk has only one entrance/exit. It appears on the map that you might be able to enter one area and exit another, but we found this is not true. It actually has arms that are each a dead-end. We were looking at the green trees, I’m sure when fall colors are out the view is spectacular.

It was great spending the day with my daughter, Caroline, without the interruptions of anyone else. It has been a long time since we were able to do that. We said goodbye about 2 pm so she could return home before the kids arrived back from school, and I continued my journey back to Port Huron. I am now on the road traveling again, but looking forward to my next visit to Michigan.

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Tagged as 4X Adventure, activities, clare, daughter, discovery museum, dow gardens, family, go-karts, Grace Grogan, grandchildren, harrison, Life is a Melting Pot, Memorial Day, Michigan, mt pleasant, putt-putt, swimming, Texas Roadhouse, train museum

October 25, 2020 · 11:09 am

5 Problems With Social Media

The most frequent use of our phones is social media. The average person picks up their phone 58 times per day, which includes sending or looking at text messages, checking email, placing calls, playing games, and social media. The total daily time spent on smart phones averages between three hours fifteen minutes to four and a half hours on their phone every day.

Social media is addictive. I became multi-connected for the purpose of promoting my photography and writing. The most addictive for many is Facebook, with a few others close behind.

What are the problems with social media? Let’s take a look.

1. Addiction

Social media is used for everything from personal connections to business promotions. It has become a necessity of life. The problem is many people are unable to walk away from it, even for a short period of time. Those are the addicts.

You see them everywhere. Have you ever been in a restaurant where people are sitting at a table together, but everyone is on their phone? Why are they unable to put down their phones and converse with each other?

We all know people who if you make a comment and tag them, they respond immediately regardless of whether it is morning, night, or the middle of their workday. They can’t resist the “ping” that tells them they have a notification for something.

Addiction came to my attention recently when I responded to a political question on Facebook. The poster said, “you didn’t answer within 12 hours.” She had a time limit on when anyone could give an answer!

That shows she is addicted to social media and assumes everyone else lives their lives wrapped up in it as well. I hadn’t looked at Facebook posts within that amount of time so my answer was, to her, invalid due to being “late.”

I will admit, I sometimes will “share” things to Facebook without going into the program, so I probably fall into a posting habit trap.

2. Brain Saturation

Social media is a means of sharing information that 50 years ago no one cared about. Do we really need to know that someone is out to dinner and where? Do we need to see a photograph of what they cooked for dinner? Is it important we know they got their hair cut, had a pedicure, got new glasses or went to the doctor?

That is there life, not ours. This is the type of useless information we now know about everyone we are connected to. We are all guilty of sharing those tidbits at least part of the time. Probably now more than ever due to social distancing orders. Social media is now providing us with human connections that we are unable to get on a more personal level.

3. Lack of Face-to-Face Interaction

While this is a benefit during the Covid-19 pandemic, it also creates social distancing. Zoom meetings are a wonderful way of connecting from the comfort of your own home, and remote work is great, especially when you live on the road as I do. The concern is whether we will become withdrawn from society as a whole.

Will face-time phone calls replace getting together? Will we remain socially distanced by having our conferences and meetings held remotely, or will we return to in-person gatherings that require more forethought and planning? Hopefully it will become a combination of the two.

I think the virtual meetings have benefits. There are those who are unable to make it to in-person meetings due to health or distance. Those virtual meetings add personal human connections to their lives. However I also think nothing can replace in-person interactions we have without the assistance of a computer or phone.

4. Cyber-Bullies

Social media brings out the hostility in people. When you are not looking at someone face-to-face it is much easier to be rude. This has happened frequently during the presidential race, most likely inspired by our own president using social media to cyber-bully everyone from people in his own administration to leaders of foreign nations.

I have been called racist, old, a murderer (when discussing right-to-choose re abortion), idiot, ignorant, etc. all because of my political views. Would those same people have said those things to my face? Most likely not. Have I said things on social media I most likely would not have said in person? Yes.

The point is, social media provides a protective barrier that allows people to let down their guard and be rude to people in a way they otherwise would not be. This is especially true because the majority of people are connected through groups, etc. to people they never have and probably never will see in person. If you wouldn’t say it in person, you shouldn’t say it on social media.

5. Personal Privacy

There are people that post all their personal issues online. If they have a fight with their spouse, it is out there. If they have an encounter with someone at the grocery store, they rant about it online. Have a dispute with your neighbor, it is out there for the world to see. Your child runs into a problem at school, everyone on Facebook knows about it.

People have lost their desire to keep private matters private. They no longer consult with their best friend for support, they now post it on social media for 200 of their closest acquaintances to chime in on and/or share with their social media acquaintances.

Everyone should give consideration to the delicacy of the information they are sharing about their personal relationships prior to posting.

So Where are We Now?

Social media is here to stay. We are a cyber-connected world now, and if you haven’t embraced it thus far, eventually you will be forced into it. The world revolves around our ability to be online for banking, paying bills, work, and communicating.

What social media platforms are you connected to? What are your favorites? What is it you like about them? Enjoy cyber-life, but don’t forget about real life in the process.

My Social Media Platforms:

I invite you to check out some of my pages and subscribe to my blog and/or YouTube channel.

Facebook Photography Page – I share photographs I have available for sale, sometime videos I have posted onto YouTube, and other tidbits of information on my Times Gone By Photography Facebook page.

Facebook Grace Grogan, Writer Page – Where I share links the genealogy column I write for The Lakeshore Guardian, links to my blogs that are posted here on WordPress, and other things connected to writing.

Fine Art America – this is the place to view all my photographs I have available for sale, which can also be placed on various items such as shower curtains, throw pillows, mugs, beach towels, tote bags, etc.

Fine Art America – Ron Grogan – This is the page my deceased husband had for viewing and selling his photography, which I continue to manage

Pinterest – a collection of tidbits, including links to my writing and photography

LinkedIn – my business profile, I also share my photography, blogs and genealogy column here. https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-grogan-0870a433/

WordPress – this is where you will find my personal blog, Life is a Melting Pot

Instagram – This is where I post photos, mostly pictures taken with my cell phone or older photos from the past.

Twitter – I am not a frequent user, but do share my videos, photographs, and blog here. https://twitter.com/glgrogan?s=03

YouTube Channel – Rolling Thru North America Travel With US! is a joint page with Paul Cannon and contains videos and slide shows of our travels throughout North America.

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Tagged as addiction, brain saturation, cyber-bullies, cyber-connected, face-time, facebook, Fine Art America, Grace Grogan, instagram, interaction, Life is a Melting Pot, linkedin, personal, photography, pinterest, platform, posting, privacy, remote work, Rolling Thru North America Travel With US!, smart phone, social media, twitter, wordpress, writer, youtube, zoom

June 21, 2020 · 5:38 pm

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED …WHAT IF?

Have you ever looked back on decisions made in your life and wondered What if I had made a the other choice? What would my life be like now?

Of course, the preponderances about how your life would have been different are all fiction, and they can be good or bad. So have some fun, wonder what if and see what you come up with. Here are a few of mine.

What If Wondering…What if I had made the other choice?

What if I had followed my dream of studying journalism and become a “breaking news” action reporter? I didn’t because I let my mother talk me out of it. Call is sexist, call it the era in which she was raised, or call it a mother being a mother.

But what if I had forged ahead on my dream? Would I have written great articles that resulted in a huge demand for my services? Would I have graduated from newspaper writing to televised reporting? Would I have traveled the world to exotic countries or dangerous war zones?

I will never know the answer, but sometimes the speculation leads to regret. I wish I had followed my dream. Now I write from the comfort of a motorhome while traveling throughout North America. I’m not a high-demand reporter, but I am having fun.

What if I had married my boyfriend from high school? We had been together off and on from the time I was in 7^th grade until two years after I graduated high school. My parents didn’t like him. Friends assumed we would end up married. Heck, we assumed we would end up married.

Then I met the man that would become my husband. Ron and I were married 34 years when he died. If I hadn’t met Ron, would I have eventually married Brad?

Speculation is yes, but it wouldn’t have lasted. It was too volatile of a relationship. Good for a few months, then separate for a few months. He wanted commitment, but he didn’t want commitment.

Brad wasn’t ready for anything that required him to settle down and not play the field. Sixteen months after I met Ron, we married. I think on this one the What if would not have ended well. I think we are better as friends.

What if I had applied to Ford Motor Company when I had the opportunity? Ron was a Ford employee, and somewhere around 10 years into our marriage each employee was allowed to sponsor one application. He asked me if I wanted it and I turned it down.

I had always worked for small, family businesses. I was happy in that small, close-knit setting. He had complained about the red tape it always took to get anything accomplished in a big corporation.

Looking back, I may have made a huge financial mistake. What if I had applied and gotten hired? I would have worked at a higher pay scale, had my own benefits, and had my own pension upon retirement.

At the same time, maybe I didn’t make a mistake. From an emotional standpoint, I have never regretted working for small family-run businesses throughout my career. If I had taken that job, I might still be working but close to retirement.

If I had been hired into Ford I would never have had the opportunity to go to college and become a paralegal, another job I loved doing. I am now living and traveling in a motor-home full time throughout Canada and the United States. I work remotely during the hours I want.

I don’t have the benefits and financial security that job would have brought me, but I don’t think the What if would have led to as much personal happiness as I have enjoyed. That leads to my final scenario.

What if I had downsized into a Condo? After my husband passed away, I spent 2-3 years in a bit of a muddle both emotionally and financially. When I began to look at things closer I realized I was living beyond my means and needed to downsize.

While I pondered between moving to a smaller house or a condo I started separating my belongings into what I would keep and what I would put in a moving sale. Then the offer came.

Paul asked me to come on board with him and travel full-time in a motor-home. After analyzing my finances I realized it was feasible and changed my plans. I notified my boss I was leaving and started planning for the biggest downsize of my life.

Was it good decision? Yes. Travel between August 2019 and April 2020 went as planned, and we saw a lot of area. Covid-19 led us to the decision to stay put in Yuma, Arizona during the stay-home orders. We will remain here until August, when we finally hit the road again with stops planned in Port Huron, Michigan; Knoxville, Tennessee; and South Padre Island, Texas before we head back here to Yuma, Arizona for the winter.

So What if I had downsized into a condo or small house? I would still be doing cold Michigan winters and working full-time in an office. I would have spent the stay-at-home period isolated in my home by myself.

Instead I have traveled to many of the spots I may never have ventured to on my own, and there are many more to come. Some think I made a huge mistake to pack up and go before I reached retirement age. You know what I think – Better an Oops than a What if.

What are your What ifs in life? Do you regret the choices you made? Do you think your life is better because of them? Comment below on your what ifs in life.

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Tagged as Arizona, boyfriend, career, condo, decisions, finances, financial, ford motor company, full-time, job, journalism, knoxville, Life is a Melting Pot, marriage, Michigan, motor home, Port Huron, relationship, RV, security, South Padre Island, speculation, tennesee, Texas, travel, What if, writing, Yuma

March 25, 2018 · 5:12 pm

First Day of Freedom

Imagine six years of life where your movements are controlled, where you have no privacy, where you can make phone calls out but no one can call you, your mail is read prior to you receiving it, where you can never go visit, but must wait for people to visit you. That is the life my son led from the time he was 24 years old until he was 30.

When he received notice in December that he had received parole he began counting down the days. March 20th seemed like it was in the distant future for him. For me it went fast. I was trying to get things done prior to his release, and of course I made the six hour drive to pick him up.

Patrick was released from Newberry Correctional Facility in Michigan’s upper peninsula at 8:00 am March 20, 2018. Although he is on a tether for the first six months of his two year parole, and he must abide by curfews that in the beginning are tight, it is considerably better than the spot he was at. So how did Patrick spend his first day of freedom?

Patrick — this single photo is on the OUTSIDE of the prison.

Our last prison photo

I picked him up at the correctional facility, we loaded his belongings into the car and than took our last two prison photos, a “selfie” of the two of us, and then one of him in front of the facility. Every time I (and my now deceased husband) visited we paid to have photos taken of us together and one of Patrick alone, so this was our last prison photo shoot.

Our first stop was a gas station/McDonald’s combination where he got a McGriddle sandwich — also one of my favorites. When he asked if he could have bacon added to the sandwich the girl responded “you can have whatever you want” and Patrick responded “those are words I’m not used to hearing.”

I had purchased him a cell phone, but phones have advanced considerably in the past six years. He was on the phone talking as we were crossing the Mackinac Bridge and I heard him say that the water looked really cool with the ice on it and “if I wasn’t on the phone talking to you I could take a picture.” He got instructions on how to stay on the phone and take a photo at the same time.

Two years ago my husband/Patrick’s father passed away, and I had obtained permission from the parole agent to make a few stops, Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly being one, where Patrick saw his father’s grave-site for the first time.

Reading the tile on his father’s grave

We then headed to Fort Gratiot, he did not have to check in with the parole agent until the next morning, and we had permission to go shopping at Kohls to get him some clothes and then out to dinner. We ended up spending about three hours in Kohls.

Patrick tries on a hat at Kohs

Patrick helped me pick out short outfits for my grandchildren’s Easter baskets, then we shopped for clothing for him. He had changed sizes while incarcerated and had to try on a few things. A pair of tennis shoes, four pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, one shirt (couldn’t find many he liked), some boxers, and socks and we felt he had a nice start. I had already purchased him a nice pair of fleece pants, hoodie, polo, and a v-neck t-shirt prior to picking him up. During our shopping Patrick had to exit the building and stand in an open area of the parking lot so the satellite could take a picture of him/his location. He was told that happens frequently in large department stores or malls if in for a while.

Next stop was Red Lobster. Lobster Fest is going on, and we had the same meal — two different kinds of lobster and green beans with mushrooms, and of course salad and biscuits. The place was quiet, the service was good, the food was fantastic.

Dinner at Red Lobster

We were on our way home when my daughter called and said her boyfriend had the truck torn apart and needed to pick up a hose to complete it, could I swing by, pick him up and take him around the corner to the auto store. I went by her house, dropped off Patrick, picked up Rob and took him to the auto shop, then went back around and dropped off Rob and picked up Patrick and we came home and unloaded the car.

The evening was finished off with Caroline (my daughter) and her three kids coming over for a while, and then Patrick and I watched a bit of TV. It was a wonderful day for me, and I’m sure a great first day of freedom for him as well.

Austin and Corbin

Caroline and Patrick

Patrick and Alexandria

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Tagged as boyfriend, cell phone, clothes, curfew, deceased, dinner, First day of freedom, Fort Gratiot, freedom, gas station, GPS, Grace Grogan, grave, Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly, kids, Kohls, Life is a Melting Pot, Lobster Fest, Mackinac Bridge, McDonalds, McGriddle, Michigan, Newberry, Newberry Correctional Facility, parole, Patrick Grogan, photos, pictures, prison, Red Lobster, release, selfie, shop, sister, six years, tether, travel, upper peninsula, visit

January 2, 2018 · 9:51 pm

Freedom on the Horizon

For the past six years my son, Patrick, has called me every week, sometimes more than once a week, and each time we engage in a 15 minute conversation. He always calls me. I am not allowed to call him back. We try to exchange as much information as possible in those weekly conversations. Things that need to be handled, questions, and some general fun information on what is going on in each other’s life.

This past week Patrick called me in the middle of the day while I was at work. It was a very special call and he was bursting with good news. He finally received notice on the outcome of his parole hearing, which I talked about in All We Can Do Is Wait. He is being paroled! On March 20, 2018 I will be picking Patrick up from the prison and driving him home.

He will be on a two-year parole and is being released on a tether. It is a six-hour drive home and Patrick will need to report to his parole agent here in our county that same day. He will need to get a driver’s license. The majority of his clothes will not fit as he has gotten taller and broader in the past six years. Patrick was twenty-four when he went in, and will be thirty when he comes out.

Patrick and Grace taken during prison visit October 30, 2017

Patrick and Grace, October 30, 2017

It is exciting to have Patrick coming home. In the time he was incarcerated he lost two daughters (my granddaughters) to foster care/adoption. He also missed the funeral/memorial services of one grandmother, two grandfathers, and his father (my husband). In addition to a general loss of freedom, those who are incarcerated can lose much on a personal/emotional scale as well.

We are both looking forward to the day of Patrick’s parole with excitement, but I think also a bit of trepidation. Neither of us are the same people we were when he was arrested all those years ago. There will be an adjustment period as he will be living with me initially while he gets his feet under him. My home will need to meet the requirements of his parole. He is used to living under the constant scrutiny and control of a prison and will now have the ability to enjoy freedom within the confines of his parole requirements. He is used to living with all men. I am used to living alone. It will definitely be an adjustment.

The countdown has begun. Seventy-seven days to go, but who is counting. Freedom is on the horizon.

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Filed under anniversary, celebration, communication, Coping, decisions, Family, habit, home, impressions, Life Changing, Life is a Melting Pot, parents, reality, time

Tagged as age, All we can do is wait, clothing, conversation, driver's license, freedom, grow, hearing, horizon, Life is a Melting Pot, parole, patrick, prison, release, telephone, tether, thirty, twenty-four

November 22, 2017 · 8:23 am

Tradition with a Twist

As we celebrate Thanksgiving the minds of many is already on what has to be done in preparation for Christmas…the shopping, baking, decorating, and the traditional Christmas card mailing.

I have noticed over the years that the number of cards received has dropped tremendously. Is it because people are too busy to bother? Is it because people think an email “Happy Holidays” is as good as a traditional snail mail greeting? Is it because the price of Christmas cards has become so outrageous, and then once bought and prepared the postage still has to be purchased? The words Tradition and Change

It could be any or all of those reasons, but I tend to believe the cost of cards has had a huge impact on the traditional sending of the card. The last time I purchased cards, which was several years ago, it was over fifty dollars just for the cards. I had always sent the traditional card with a newsletter on our happenings for the past year typed and included, and usually a bit of a handwritten personal note on the card as well. Then life happenings put me in a position to change all that.

In 2010 I did not get my traditional cards bought and the holiday crept up on me. Still I did not want to miss the traditional sending of the holiday greetings, so I did it with a twist. I used my Publisher program to make a Christmas Greetings newsletter. I set it up to read like a newspaper with various topics and column headings and included a few pictures of the family as well. A separate column was set up where I wrote about each of my adult children and my grandchildren. Other topics might have been travel, house remodeling/upgrades, and other such items. I then mailed the newsletter, with no card, in regular #10 envelopes. I folded them so that the “Christmas Greetings” header was visible when it was pulled from the envelope to give it a bit of holiday feel.

My newsletter was well received. People enjoyed getting lots of news on the family. I also heard that the newsletter format was liked because it was a rather long letter, but they were able to pick up and read various columns and then sit it down and finish later without loosing where they had been. I have not purchased any Christmas cards since then. Every year I continue to do the Christmas newsletter. It is printed back-to-back, which cuts down on paper. Some years it is one sheet (2 pages), other years it has been 2 sheets (4 pages). A red pickup truck with a Christmas tree in the bed drives down a snow covered driveway toward a large farmhouse decorated for christmas. The ground and trees are covered with snow. A dog walks across the front yard. Red bows and wreaths hang from the mailbox, a pinetree in the front yard and the house.

What has happened over the years since I started this? Last year I received three “letters only” Christmas greetings. So far I am the only one using newspaper format, the others were written in the traditional letter style, but they were full of information and happenings from throughout the year. I enjoy receiving Christmas newsletters. It is nice to hear about what people you are away from are doing, and it is more personal than a standard card. It shows you took time, put effort into the greeting, even if it is a letter that has been printed and photo copied. It still took a bit of time to compose that newsletter.

As we enter the holiday frenzy I challenge you to do tradition with a twist. If you have already purchased your Christmas cards, then enclose a short newsletter about the past year inside each. If you have not purchased cards, consider composing a Christmas Greetings newsletter and mail those out to family and friends instead. You may find, as I did, that in a couple years you start getting those in return as well. Tradition with a Twist!

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Tagged as cards, Christmas, christmas cards, communication, holiday greetings, holidays, letters, Life is a Melting Pot, newsletter, shopping, tradition, tradition with a twist, writing

October 24, 2017 · 10:13 pm

Making Decisions

Life gets busy and we tend to let time move past without really analyzing where we are in life compared with where we want to be. It is when we take the time to step back and re-evaluate our position that we are able to determine our next step in accomplishing our overall goals. This applies to anything in life…employment, relationships, finances, hobbies, etc.

For the past twenty months since my husband passed away I spent time reducing some of my expenditures, rolling over investments without really paying attention to them, and learning to pay bills. I initially developed a budget but I did it without a clear understanding of my overall financial situation. I realized I wasn’t in the best of situations, yet allowed myself to float along for a while. Decisions by successful people

One to two months ago I started taking a harder look at my budget, my overall financial standing, and where I am compared with where I want to be at retirement. The process while a bit stressful was also very enlightening. I enlisted the assistance of a trusted friend in reviewing what I had to see if my thought process was on track and solicited suggestions. The realization was that I need to make some changes, and I need to make them faster than I originally thought in order to secure a better future for myself.

While parts of the decision making put pressure on me to accomplish some tasks faster than I originally anticipated, the completion of those things will put me in a better position both financially and mentally to move forward with my life. The decisions to make major changes in ones life are not easy, but they can also be enlightening. While there will be difficulties along the way, and some of my decisions will also impact others, once the dust settles down things should be better for me and others.

decisions2 So what am I doing? I am going to downsize by sorting my belongings and accumulations of the past 36 years into keep and sell piles, and I am going to downsize out of my home and into something smaller and more manageable for me, both in upkeep and cost. I am changing financial advisors in the anticipation that my investments will provide me with better earnings for my retirement. I am going to forgo some of my activities and/or volunteer positions so that I have less commitments and more time to devote to things that I need or want to accomplish, such as the downsizing, running my photography business, and my writing.

Life is always evolving, always changing. If you have areas you believe need improvement or with which you are unhappy, take a hard look at things and make changes that will provide you with the lifestyle and overall happiness you deserve.

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Filed under Activities, assumptions, communication, Coping, decisions, Discoveries, exploration, habit, impressions, Life Changing, Life is a Melting Pot, mind

Tagged as busy, change, commitments, decisions, difficulties, downsizing, emotions, finances, financial, home, life, Life is a Melting Pot, upkeep

August 25, 2017 · 12:18 pm

Desirable Age

What is the desirable age? That is a matter of your perception of age, your life as it once was, your life as it currently is, and your life as you want it to be. The desirable age changes based on where you are in life and your personal life experiences.

When you were a child time moved slow. School started in September and it took forever for Halloween to arrive, even longer for Thanksgiving, and that stretch until Christmas was an eternity. As you got older and had a better understanding of time and more responsibilities time moved faster until suddenly one turn of events led to the next in the blink of an eye and you are constantly questioning where time has gone.

age - each year is precious Have you ever found yourself wishing you could go back to the carefree days of your youth? Do you remember a time when you wished you were older? We all experience desires to be an age we are not for various reasons.

As a young child it was exciting to become older. We proudly announced out age, thrilled with the advancement another birthday had afforded us. “I’m Five,” “I’m the oldest,” “She’s too little to do this.”

Proud displays of advancing age and accomplishments. Age brought wonderful benefits. the ability to cross the street by yourself, ride a bike, walk downtown, earn money babysitting or getting a part-time job, driving a car, dating, and the list goes on. Who can forget that ever desired ability to reach the age where you can purchase alcohol? Everyone started their life and lived the first 21 years of their life with the ever present desire to be older.

Then you become and adult and suddenly life hits you smack in the face. You have to work, if in college you may have work and school work. You have bills, responsibilities. Maybe you’ve gotten married, had kids, or both. What happened to those wonderful days of high school that you once desired so much to be rid of? You hit the age of 25, you are now a quarter of a century old. Where has time gone? You’re on a downhill roll, approaching 30. Remember when 30 was old?

age - quote by eleanor roosevelt Those mid-range years of 30-50, you are working, raising kids, trying to have a life. Time flies by. They tell you to plan for retirement but seriously, when you are only 30 retirement is decades into the distance. Why worry? Spend and enjoy. By the time you reach 40 you are taking life more seriously. Retirement plans are in place and you may even dream of the distant future with ideas about how you will spend your leisurely days of retirement. Realistically you are counting the days with a mixture of excitement and dread until your children move from needing constant care to the teen years where less constant supervision is required but there is the potential for stepping onto the wrong path due to peer pressure and temptation. Then they graduate from high school, enter into college and/or the working world. Will they marry? When will they have children (your grandchildren)?

You have become an empty nester. Some feel lost without children at home. Some enjoy the freedom to once again not have the responsibilities that they have carried for the past 18-20 years when raising a family. You are still working, you still have responsibilities, but you have freedom like you haven’t had since young adulthood. You have reached an age in your life where you may just say “can I just stay here, like this, forever.”

age - old age is 15 years older than i am It is a wonderful point in life. You are still young; retirement is a long way off. You can enjoy activities on a larger scale, whether it be travel, boating, fishing, extreme sports, hobbies, or any other thing that captures your attention. Life is a comfortable combination of relaxation and excitement. Some people may desire their youth, some may desire retirement, but overall it is a mid-range point in which time is flying by as you enjoy life.

Retirement age is a combination of state of mind and age from birth. Those born in 1960 or later like me do not reach full retirement age until 67, those born 1959 or earlier full retirement age is 65. Early retirement can be taken at 62. Those ages reflect when you can begin collecting social security benefits. For those who are widowed you can collect widows benefits at age 60, provided you have not remarried prior to reaching that age.

That desirable age depends on where you are in life and what has transpired in your lifetime. What you think is desirable or undesirable now may change depending on what happens in your life. In fact that is what inspired me to write this blog. I was recently talking to someone and told them I have a reached a point in my life when I wish I were a few years older. Why? Age - life your life and forget your age

I was widowed at 55 but can not collect widows social security benefits until age 60. While I may or may not collect them at that point, it is frustrating to realize I cannot receive that benefit for several years. I have also come to realize that there are numerous discounts on travel, dining, and other perks that I am unable to take advantage of because I am just a few years too young.

Life experiences v. desirable age. At 54 I had no desire to reach retirement age, I liked being younger. I used to joke with my husband, who was nine years older, that getting the senior price for him and having to pay full price for me was what he got for being a “cradle robber.” Ron was already retired but I was employed full time. We purchased a motor home with the idea of me working a few years and then going full-time RV, traveling the country together. Then Ron developed cancer, lost the battle, and I became a widow at 55. I lost 100% of his social security income; I can’t collect widows benefits because I’m not old enough. Live experiences v. desirable age, I am now looking forward to reaching age 60. I may or may not collect at that point, but I know the option is there should I want or need to. age - success by age

I can not say what someone who is in their 70’s or 80’s desires. I haven’t lived that yet. I know many people in those age groups are very active. Remember age is a matter of the mind. It is my belief that if you think and behave like someone who is younger, your active lifestyle will keep you young, and for that you will have a more fulfilling life.

So what is the desirable age? In reality every age is desirable. Every age has its benefits, its “perks.” The innocence and energy of children, the desires and dreams of youth and young adulthood, the freedom that comes when you become an empty nester, the time and ability to fulfill dreams after retirement. Enjoy your life. You are at a desirable age.

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Tagged as activities, Desirable Age, enjoy, Grace Grogan, Life is a Melting Pot, middle age, old, perfect age, retirement, senior citizen, teenage, todler, youth

August 17, 2017 · 12:45 pm

It is Me

It is always interesting when you read things that are supposed to be a part of your personality and discover they are accurate. Astrological signs, the zodiac, those predictions that say because you were born in this month on this date, this is your personality. I am a Libra. It is Me.

Libra I Balance With today’s internet if you search out something on any sight it will suddenly start popping up in massive quantities. That was the case with traits of my sign, Libra. What surprised me was how many of those quotes accurately reflect my personality.

“Libras can take forever to make a decision.” Anyone who has known me for long will attest that this is true. Why? Because the Libra sign is the scales, we like things to be in balance so we must carefully weigh all the odds, then review them, then think about it, then ponder over whether or not we are making a good decision that will keep everything in balance. Now you may think everyone does that when making a major decision, and I agree with you on that. But with us Libras it can be a minor decision or a major decision. Each receives equal consideration, so don’t ask me to make a snap decision between plums or peaches, I need a minute to ponder the positives and negatives of each option.

“Libra knows and feels way more than they express, let things go way more than they should; feel deeply, love hard and aren’t shy about taking the hard road.”
This is so true. Again, we don’t want to rock the scales so we may be thinking and acting one way, but feeling totally the opposite because we don’t want to cause a disruption. It is better, or easier, to go along with what someone else wants and keep everything peaceful and flowing than to object and cause a dispute. Keep in mind this can be the process with both negative and positive things. I may be feeling something positive, but what if others don’t agree with that, better to keep it to myself and not risk an upset.

There are several thoughts about the Libra personality that play into each other, and as you read through these you may see a flow. Libra over thinker

“A Libra will act as if everything is okay even when things are falling apart.”

“Libras are good at ‘saving face’ meaning they can have more turmoil going on in their lives than you can imagine but guess what? They won’t let you see them sweat.”

“A Libra bounces back and recovers no matter how heavy the weight you place upon them.”

Those three quotes easily relate to each other, and anyone that has known me for very long knows that I fit that personality. I have lived for years with constant turmoil of some kind or another. The majority of people I encounter have no idea what has gone on ‘behind the scenes’ in my life. When in conversation I have mentioned a small portion of what I have encountered people sometimes wonder how I am able to function. What the heck am I supposed to do, give up on life? No, I do what the Libra personality says I do, I act as if everything is okay when inside I’m falling apart. I don’t let anyone see me sweat, I keep a smile on my face and purge forward. Because I am determined to maintain a positive attitude I always bounce back.

When a Libra is finally tired of the bullshit they won’t look back and you will be history.” We Libras may prefer to keep everything in balance, but be aware, we are not pushovers. We do not like things or people that are unfair, rude, or disrespectful. We will put up with a lot, we will forgive and forgive and forgive, but eventually enough it enough. When we have been pushed to our limit we will walk away and never look back. What happens if circumstances cause us to look back? We will always be wary.

Libras are also a good judge of character. “If a Libra appears to be shy or standoffish they’re likely observing your behavior before opening up.” I like people, but I don’t have a lot of close friends. We Libras are choosy about who we get close to. We enjoy being wild and crazy, wacky and weird, but we don’t want people who are going to tip those scales out of balance. There are a lot of people that simply don’t fit what we consider the ideal friend, and so they remain at a distance; close friends are few and we like it that way.

Leisure & Hobbies are important to us Libra. We have a wide range of interests and taking time to enjoy the fun things in life is important to our well being. While we are the scales and like things in balance, we also like to debate issues and I for one certainly go for the win. However winning or loosing is not the ultimate goal, because knowledge is gained through debate so a good discussion is always good for the brain. If you always associate with people who think just like you there is no challenge, no gain in knowledge, it is just an ongoing, never changing, boring existence.

Travel is always enjoyable. Exploring places you have never been or sometimes revisiting places you love and enjoy. For years Niagara Falls was my favorite city. That isn’t to say I don’t still enjoy it, it just isn’t the same as it was 35 years ago. I love visiting historic homes, walking in gardens, visiting areas that are cultural and stopping at scenic outlooks. No matter where you are there is always something you can enjoy, and with me, something I can photograph.

Over the years I have dabbled in various hobbies and crafts, with my most prevalent being photography. A hobby that goes with that is being a scrapbooker. I have also done counted cross-stitch, embroidery, latch hook, and miscellaneous other crafts, plus I love to write. I enjoy playing video/computer games. I do this to compartmentalize my brain. At work when I take a lunch break playing a computer game while I eat helps my brain to re-energize for the rest of the day. It gives it a break. Besides, games are fun!

“Music is often the center of a Libra’s existence.” I listen to music less now than I did when younger, and I think it may have to do with the environment in which I work or the fact that I now reside alone. I have learned to enjoy quiet. When driving alone music in the car is a must – I “dance” as I drive, singing, enjoying every minute of it. When cleaning or doing other manual labor around the house if I take the time to turn on the radio I am happier and tend to work faster. I also take breaks to dance to my favorite songs. Music just fits every mood, it is energizing and relaxing, whatever you want it to be.

This is just a slight glimpse into the many things that make up the Libra personality. The more I read the more I know. This is Me. I am a true Libra, whether overthinking and weighing the odds of an inconsequential decision far too long, juggling turmoil, sizing up someone before letting them into my inner circle, shooting pictures, playing computer games or dancing in my kitchen, I am a Libra. This is Me.

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Tagged as astrological sign, astrology, balance, cope, dance, decision making, expression, feelings, froemdsjo[, Grace Grogan, hobbies, horiscope, It is Me, leisure, libra, Life is a Melting Pot, music, over thinking;, predictions, recover, scales, zodiac

July 19, 2017 · 12:04 am

When the scales are out of balance

I am a Libra, I like balance. I don’t like discourse and true to my sign, if something is out of balance my mind focuses on trying to resolve the issue, to get everything back into balance. Sometimes it is beyond control, but the desire to know why eats at the brain.

Does this mean I wouldn’t want to know? Absolutely not. I like harmony and can sense when people around me are not in balance. If I sense an imbalance in someone and they don’t say why, I then worry that I have caused the discourse. If I know that I am the cause of someone’s displeasure, then my mind is racked with trying to figure out why.

To say that I run my life based on my horoscope would be false, but I do tend to read it quite often. What I have been doing is collecting little tidbits of information about my astrological sign, and I have learned that I hold true to the personality traits of a Libra.

We Libras like balance and equality in life. We hate conflict. We value peace and harmony. Our sign is the scales. We have a cooperative nature and tend to choose the path that will make others happy, sometimes foregoing our own personal preferences to make sure that nothing is out of balance. That desire for balance is what makes us so optimistic. We see the best in people, make the best of any situation, and overall have a positive outlook on life. That desire for balance can also play havoc with a Libra.

If the scale is out of balance there is no harmony, and we must get things back into Libras empathetic don't like when someone upset and they don't know why alignment. Because we like things to be fair and equal, if there is discourse our problem solving skills involve weighing the situation from every possible angle. We Libras love debate because it challenges the brain, develops the ability to think creatively, and it solves problems. When we feel we may be the subject of discontent that debate goes on in our head weighing every possibility, trying to figure out how to resolve the issue or obtain the answers on the “why” of a situation.

This overthinking, analyzing the situation from every angle, contemplating various solutions, trying to come up with a way to resolve the imbalance monopolizes the brain. Thoughts jumble around in the brain throughout the day and night. Frustration over the imbalance weighs heavy on the mind.

We can’t always solve the problem, but if we can reach an understanding of what has lead to the issue it helps to resolve the imbalance and allow the scales to once again align and bring the Libra brain back into harmony.

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Tagged as astrology, balance, brain, cooperation, Grace Grogan, harmony, horriscope, libra, Life is a Melting Pot, scales, unbalance, zodiac signs

June 9, 2017 · 9:09 am

I May Be Sinking

I had such big plans, a long list of things to accomplish around the house and in the yard. Things to organize, things to sell, things to clean. I had deadlines that have passed. I do have things crossed off, but the list is long and never ending.

Now I look at my list, at my yard, my house, stacks of paperwork to do, cupboards, drawers, closets and rooms to clean out and organize, things to sell or donate, and find myself frustrated at what I have not yet accomplished. I want it over and done, neat and organized, manageable without me feeling overwhelmed. I feel like I’m sinking in a mucky hole and I can’t make the climb back out. overwhelmes

Now don’t get me wrong, small accomplishments give me great pleasure. Unfortunately I frequently get a project partially done then get swung in another direction and don’t quite complete the task, so it is there dangling like a carrot in front of a horse, and I can’t quite reach it. Part of the problem is I am feeling overstretched with what I need to accomplish, but what do I give up? What do I let slide? What am I overlooking or letting slide that I shouldn’t? What if I’m doing it wrong?

The idea of letting things slide and not get completed does not formulate well in my brain. I want balance, harmony, peace. My life is out of sink. I need downtime to relax and rejuvenate, but don’t feel like I should do that when I have other things to get done. I need to get things organized in my life to bring it balance. At the same time on those occasions when I “screw off” and get away from the house, even for a few hours, I feel rejuvenated again. It is a battle of the brain, which way to go.

Then I wonder, how did I do things before? Why is it a few years ago I could find time to scrapbook, write, read, attend festivals and events, go out for the day shooting photos, go places, do things. Why am I not fitting those things into my life on a regular, weekly basis now like I did then? Is my failure to go out and do those things causing me to falter in the other areas? But if I spend time out doing things, then I’ll never get things done here.

Self-analysis can be enlightening and frustrating, it can help one reach a resolution to an issue or it can make one feel they will never accomplish their goals. In my case, I’m still sinking in that muck. If I want to get out I have to figure out how to balance my life. I have to push myself harder to get things done. I have to make a point of doing things I enjoy such as going to places where I can take pictures, attending events, or something so simple as sitting on my front porch and reading a book for an hour. I haven’t even visited my favorite spots in probably close to a year. I used to visit them all the time. Balance - harmony and life

I have to get the balance back into my life. Balance brings harmony. Harmony brings the sun and dries up the muck. Hopefully it is soon!

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March 14, 2017 · 11:34 pm

Why Write?

I have always loved writing. As a child I would make up stories and write them down. I can remember standing and reading them to my mother. I have no idea what happened to them, I wish I had them now. I remember thinking how wonderful it would be to be an author someday.

As a child I participated in an activity that all writers do…I was an avid reader. All writer’s read, and generally read in the genre in which they write. I read a wide variety, but the majority of my reading is non-fiction and memoir. Those are the categories in which I do the majority of my writing. I also love reading travel, novels, drama, history, romance and mystery. The only genres that I am not highly fond of are science fiction, fantasy and horror.

write - must read a lot and write a lot

When I was in my teens I thought about becoming a newspaper reporter and writing on-sight action news. I wanted to be in the heart of whatever was going on, to put those stories into print. Unfortunately I allowed my mother to talk me out of it. She didn’t believe it was an appropriate career choice for a female. Regrets, some. But in a way my life is circling around to past dreams, just in a different direction.

As a young mother I took a correspondence class on writing magazine articles for children. It was fun, interesting, and I l learned techniques and about the publishing world that could be applied to both adult or children’s literature. Being married with a full-time job and two children, the writing got pushed to the back and was to a certain degree lost in the shuffle. However during the years my children were young I wrote a “newsletter” for friends and family. The “Grogan Gossip” was my reporting about the happenings of our life and activities of our children. Except for the first one, I have every newsletter in chronological order in a notebook. They are fun to go back and read. Things long forgotten but saved permanently in the written format. I still do the newsletter, but only once a year at Christmas in lieu of a Christmas card.

When you are born a lover of the written word it never goes away, it just transitions over time. Writing and literature go hand-in-hand. My high school classes were filled with literature…classes in modern short stories, mysteries, American literature, Advanced Grammar and Composition, and more. When I went back to college in 2010 one of my favorite classes was public speaking because I was writing whatever I chose to talk about. It was fun!

I have difficulty expressing myself verbally, but I can easily put thoughts and feelings into the written word. I have always been that way. You simply bleed onto paper. That is the way of a writer. Once I start writing the thoughts just flow. I can start out saying “I only have time for a quick note” and by the time I am finished I may have 3-4 typed pages. Writing is as easy as breathing. writing - no time to write short letter so wrote a long one instead

While I have not yet worked my way into the world of published book author, I am writing a book about my family’s encounter with Child Protective Services that led to my husband and my attempt to become foster parents and apply to adopt our granddaughters. It is a story that should be told. Many of the injustices we encountered are a nationwide problem that most people are not aware of. That is why I am writing that memoir. It is with the hope that in reading our story others will be aware of the danger to family that Child Protective Services poses. I also hope that maybe someday my granddaughters will encounter the book and realize they were very much wanted and were taken in an unjust way from family who loved them.

I write in many formats. I titled this blog Life is a Melting Pot because my life is a jumble of various activities and I like to write about whatever strikes me at the moment. This blog is not the only regular writing I do. For the past eight years I have held the position of newsletter editor of Bluewater Family Backgrounds, a publication of the St. Clair County Family History Group. As the editor I gather content and put together the entire newsletter, writing some articles that go into it. I have been writing a column called “Who AM I?” for the past five and one-half years for The Lakeshore Guardian, and local free publication. The column is on genealogy. I am in my fourth year as an opinion columnist for our local newspaper, The Times Herald. I select my topics and how often I write a column, frequently selecting topics that can be a bit controversial. Finally, my daytime job is that of Paralegal in which I spend my days doing legal writing. All of the areas in which I write are slightly different and I enjoy each one.

writing - isn't about making money I belong to a Freelance Writer’s Group and at the meetings I see a variety of people with a wide range of interests. The group includes people who write children’s stories, adult novels, travel columns, science fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and more. We all have one thing in common…we love to write! Writers are like any other type of artist, they are imaginative, creative, passionate about their art, well-read, self-promoters and self-starters. Writing is something you do solo; you have to be motivated to write or you will never succeed. Writers love words, language, and people watching. Everything is a potential story or scene. If you spend much time with a writer you may find yourself popping up in their stories, blogs, or columns. You may not be there in name, but you will likely recognize a scene in which you have lived.

So why do I write? Because it is something I love to do. Because it is something I have always enjoyed. I did it as a child and I can continue to do it throughout my life. Laura Ingalls Wilder is my motivation. She published her first book. Little House in the Big Woods in 1932 at age 65. She completed the last book in her Little House series in 1943 at age 76. Laura Ingalls Wilder died in 1957 at age 90, leaving behind incomplete manuscripts and her diary. Some of those posthumous works were edited and published by her daughter, Rose. Her legacy is my inspiration. That is why I write.

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Tagged as adult, author, childhood, columnist, dreams, expression, genre, Grace Grogan, inspiration, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Life is a Melting Pot, memoir, reader, teenager, transitions, Why Do I Write?, Why Write, writer's group, writing

February 23, 2017 · 9:38 am

Crash and Climb

We all have a vision of how our life will be, who will be a part of our journey, our plans and dreams for the future. Sometimes that plan goes untested. Sometimes it has twists and turns, and those can lead to the ultimate crash.

When you crash you have two options — Crash and Burn or Crash and Climb. If you crash and burn you have allowed circumstances to take control of your life. Instead you need to crash and climb out of the rubble, rebuilding your life. Remap your life, make new plans and dreams. Great things can happen that would never have occurred before you hit that wall. comfort-zone-adventure-out-of-it-to-grow

During the climb you will learn new skills, new relationships will form. People will enter your life and impact you in ways you never before imagined. They may influence the way you conduct business, handle finances, travel, view life, invade your mind or leave a mark on your heart.

I hit a brick wall fourteen months ago when my husband lost his battle with cancer. I have spent the past year climbing out of the rubble and rebuilding my life. A good friend has knowingly or unknowingly guided me in the process. They have pushed me beyond my comfort zone, asked questions to inspire my thought process. Not judgmental, but thought provoking inquiries such as “How do you plan to do that?” and “What are your plans for the future?”

I am happy with my life. It isn’t what I originally planned, but that is okay. I have climbed out of the rubble and embraced the change. I have done things I never would have done prior to the crash. I have developed friendships I never would have made before I hit that wall.

No matter how good life was before the crash, embrace the change. Value the friendships. Enjoy the journey. Believe that the best is yet to come.

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Tagged as brick wall, circumstances, climb, coping, crash, crash and burn, crash and climb, friendship, Grace Grogan, life, Life is a Melting Pot, options, skills, skills relationships, vision

February 8, 2017 · 12:23 am

The Dog Ate My Homework

It was spring, sunshine streaming down, making everything warm, drawing me outside. The smell of freshly cut grass made me stop, pause and breath deeply, enjoying the clean scent. Someone had their windows open, I could hear a baseball game blasting on a TV.

My left arm wrapped around my textbook, American Government. The page of questions to answer, sheets of loose-leaf paper and a pencil lay on top of the book. At least I could enjoy the beautiful weather while I did my homework.

I saunter through the grass, enjoying the feel of it on my bare feet. I pick a spot under the weeping cherry tree, its branches full of pink blossoms flow back and forth in the breeze.

I let go of the book and supplies in my arm and they drop to the ground, disturbing the green grass around them. Not having been mowed yet, the blades of grass bend and curve around the folder and paper.

I cross my ankles and plop down beside my homework, landing in the grass in a cross-legged “Indian style” position.

I flip open the book and begin answering the questions…Name and define the branches of government. What are the fundamental goals of political parties? What is the Due Process Clause? On and on through twenty questions.

I throw my pencil on top of my answers, lay back on the grass and stare at the sky. The warm sun envelopes me and I slowly relax, closing my eyes. I feel the breeze grow stronger, I hear the papers in the grass beside me rustle. I open my eyes and sit up just as a gust of wind whips by, grabbing the sheet with my homework and whipping it up into the breeze.

I spring to my feet but I’m not quick enough. A dog goes running by and before I can move he catches my homework paper in his teeth as if it were a toy and continues running!

That little homework thief runs like mad, zig zagging down the road, through lawns, around bushes, dodging my attempts to catch him. Panting, I stop to catch my breath and so does he, just far enough down the road that he can make another get-away when needed. He watches me as if to say “ha-ha, beat you!”

I take a step toward the dog and he immediately takes off again. Entering the park he continues at a full run until he gets to the edge of the river. Dropping my homework at his feet, the dog stands guard over it, tongue hanging out as he pants.

The wind swirls around us, the paper flutters then lifts and before the homework thief could snatch it back I watch it fly out over the river, floating on the breeze. The speed of the wind slows, the paper drops toward the water, then by luck it lands on a log floating down the river.

As long as the homework stays on the log and I can figure out a way to catch it and retrieve the paper it will be saved. I walk along the water’s edge, keeping my eye on the log, watching it carry my homework farther and farther down river.

I hear a humm, and it is getting closer, louder. Oh no! This is not going to be good. No, not that! Hmmmmmmm, and sure enough, two jet skis come flying up river full throttle, zipping back and forth, creating a huge wake. The water sloshes back and forth, rocking everything in its path.

The log that is transporting my homework rocks back and forth under the pressure of the rolling river water. The log spins, twists, and my homework flies off the log and floats down into the cresting waves. Soaked with water, it spins and twists in the beating waves, slowly sinking into the water until it is no longer visible. Gone forever, wrecked and sunken at the bottom of the river.

So, that is why I don’t have my homework. It was caught in the wind, stolen by a dog, carried to the river’s edge, blown out over the water and onto a log that got caught in the tossing and turning wake of jet skis and then sunk to its death in the bottom of the river.

The teacher looked at me in disbelief. Eyebrows raised, lips pursed, and a grin slowly kept across her face.

“That story is so farfetched it has to be true.”

Now what do you think, did this really happen or do I have a very vivid imagination?

Author’s Note: I received a writer’s prompt in my email, which is something designed to get your creative juices flowing. Usually they don’t inspire me because I am normally a non-fiction writer, but this one intrigued me and I thought “why not?” After all, it is a well-known excuse and the challenge was to come up with an elaborate story as to what happened to your homework because the teacher didn’t believe the typical “my dog ate my homework” excuse. A fun break from my normal type of post.

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Tagged as challenge, dog, excuses, fiction, homework, Life is a Melting Pot, outside, river, school, spring, story, teachers, writer's prompt

September 8, 2016 · 9:13 am

Burst or Blossom

Burst or Blossom, that wonderful set of emotions that takes us through difficult times and decisions. An emotional roller coaster. You may handle those hills and valleys okay, but you probably won’t want to get on again.

That is what this past few days has felt like to me. It started Thursday and Friday when my daughter, Caroline, came over to take apart and move a few things in preparation for our yard sale. She disassembled a baby bed, moved a book case, then took apart and moved a computer. Everything was moved into a spare bedroom and by the time she left that room was packed.

On Friday while I was at work my Caroline and her boyfriend, Rob, came over and moved one computer desk out of an upstairs bedroom and put it out for the yard sale and moved a different one I had into the room. Then later Caroline came back and we worked on setting things out for the sale and tarped them to sit overnight.

During the weekend I finally made the plunge and started cleaning my deceased husband’s clothes out of our closet. I only did the jeans so far, but now that I have started I will finish. The man had 40 pair of jeans! His clothes should be put to good use, so if they don’t sell in lots locally I will donate them.

Sorting through a small portion of the items Ron had purchased or found in scrapping, at garage sales and estate sales I made a few discoveries, items that were “keepers” such as a nice pot for an indoor plant and a really neat looking nightlight/mini lamp that is now in my bedroom.

In the process of prepping for the yard sale I made some changes to the decor, and have plans for further changes. Slowly changing the house and removing things Ron liked that I didn’t care for. Making it more mine rather than ours. It is a slow process, and the changes are only minor, but after nine months I am finally ready to make them.

Labor Day weekend arrived and was beautiful weather for a 3-day yard sale. The amount of items my husband had obtained through scrap, garage sale and estate sales was massive. There is still more we haven’t even touched. When the sale was done there were some things we saved for another sale next year, some items we threw out, and some that we sent to a charity.

So, on my roller coaster ride of emotions from once again tearing up my house and eliminating possessions of Ron’s I have a choice – I can burst from all the frustration or blossom under the change and strength I gain from moving forward. Regardless of what I am thinking, I prefer to do the later. And so I forge ahead in the sorting and changing of my home.

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First Day of Freedom

Freedom on the Horizon

Making Decisions

Desirable Age

It is Me

When the scales are out of balance

I May Be Sinking

Why Write?

Crash and Climb

The Dog Ate My Homework

Burst or Blossom

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About Life is a Melting Pot

Recent Posts

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Archives

Blog Categories

Photographs by Grace Grogan