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Liquid
For this week’s photo challenge, let’s keep things fluid.
Photo taken by myself; Terry Shepherd
Weekly Photo Challenge
5
Category Archives: DP Challenge
Daily Prompt, One Word Prompt
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The word for today is Treasure.
There are different thoughts that come to people’s minds when they hear the word treasure. Examples may be;
Money, coming into money, having more than you did a minute ago.
Children’s giggles, to us grandparents, there is definitely a treasure to the ear when we hear a baby giggle.
Others may feel a treasure is inside their home. The collections of trinkets gathered throughout their years.
Maybe getting to go out to a special restaurant with a loved one; brings back a multitude of treasured memories.
To some, the most prized treasure in their life is the Bible; sitting on their nightstand with the purple bookmark, waiting to continue on reading this night.
To some children, I would think getting some soupy rice and a cup of clean water is a treasure.
To many of us, being broke until next pay day, but knowing the bills are paid, is a delectable treasure.
To a teenager, who has worked hard, being handed his own keys to the car he paid for all by himself, is certainly his highest treasure at that point in his life.
To the cancer patient who hears the words, You are now cancer free, has to be about the best and biggest treasure they have ever had, and yet they are holding nothing in their hands.
So, what about you? What does treasure mean to you?
Song/ The Daily Post
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#DiscoverWP
For this week’s challenge, tell us the story of your special connection to one song (or another discrete musical composition, from a jazz tune to a techno track or opera aria). When did it start? How has it changed over time? Does the song’s meaning reside in the melody, the lyrics, the performer’s voice — or some other intangible element?
Years ago when I was 13 years old; my favorite group was The Carpenters. I listened to song after song. While most of my other friends were into heavy metal; I preferred the soft rock and remain true to my heart today, many years later.
I remember a Friday evening, I was allowed to go to a football game with friends. Mom dropped me off at the school. The game was boring and we were losing, so my group of friends decided to go to one of their homes, and of course I followed.
I always had my cassette with me and after listening to the rock crap long enough, I asked if we could play my music. They knew what I liked and yet tolerated my taste. They put the loved music on.
I grabbed a friend’s hairbrush and stood up on a footstool. I sang my heart out to the song, Close to You. I didn’t care who laughed or left. I was in another world when I heard Karen Carpenter’s voice, and back then, my voice blended so well with hers.
Today, when I listen to this song; I smile. I can go back to earlier days and remember the care-free days of laughing and enjoying life. I will always treasure that evening. By the way, I never told mom I left the game. I was back at the field by the time the game was over.
Think Global/ The Daily Post
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/think-global-act-local/
Daily Prompt
Think Global, Act Local
“Think global, act local.” Write a post connecting a global issue to a personal one.
A number of countries and companies have long been worried that the costs of tackling climate change (prevention, mitigation, adaptation, etc) will be prohibitive and would rather deal with the consequences. They often assume (or hope) the consequences will not be as bad as scientists are predicting.
Climate change problems also affect people’s health directly, as well as impacting the environment. For example, fossil fuels used by cars in heavily congested areas lead to additional pollutants harmful to human health. Tackling climate change by limiting fossil fuel use and investing heavily in alternatives has the additional benefit of improving health, and even possibly reducing traffic congestion. This is the view of some major reports recently released.
Eighty percent of the forests that originally covered the earth have been cleared, fragmented, or otherwise degraded.
The world’s forests and oceans are natural regulators of carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere — which is a greenhouse gas. While forests are regarded as sinks, meaning they absord carbon dioxide, it is hard to rely on forests to soak up increasing pollution, while forests are increasingly being cut down!
Water is life and without water there is very little and in most cases no life at all. When you talk about lack of water in developing countries, most times people think about lack of water for domestic purposes besides drinking but the problem is worse in some developing countries. In some poor countries around the world, people walk several miles a day just to get a cup of water to quench their thirst and the saddest part is that, children and those who cannot walk such long distances often suffer and die from severe dehydration.
“While many liberal politicians are trying to pass legislation to prevent further global warming, they are facing harsh criticisms from the conservative media. Many Fox News personalities as well as radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh and several conservative internet blogs have claimed that the recent north east snow storm is proof that global warming is a myth. Global warming is a term that many suggest was made popular by former Vice President Al Gore. In 2006 David Guggenheim directed a film titled “Inconvenient Truth” which was a informative film about Al Gore’s message of man’s responsibility for global warming. Many advocates say that the proper term would be “climate change”.
Global warming suggests that through man made pollution, we are damaging the planet’s ozone layer, increasing the sun’s affect on planet earth. Global warming has many supporters, including thousands of scientists who claim to have proven that the issue is real and should not be ignored. Recent studies have shown that the temperatures of 2009 were among the top warmest temperatures since satellites started keeping records. A similar study also suggested that the previous decade, 2000-2009, was the warmest decade in almost 2000 years. Global warming supporters believe that there are several ways to reduce the threat of climate change. These methods include transitioning our main energy sources from coal and other fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources such as solar power, wind power, hydropower, biomass energy and geothermal energy just to name a few.
Well, what do you think? Do you think cutting down our forests and building for power and money are hurting us on a personal level or is this all due to progression of countries?
Use it or Lose it/ The Daily Post
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/use-it-or-lose-it/
Daily Prompt
Use It or Lose It
Write about anything you’d like, but make sure the post includes this sentence:
“I thought we’d never come back from that one.”
It was snowing. It didn’t usually snow in my area but a rare cold front come storming at us, leaving a lot of us to fend for ourselves. I had a job I had to go to. I worked at the hospital which was twenty minutes away from my house.
I was the head nurse on floor three. People depended on me. I had stressed so much during the night. I didn’t want to drive in this weather; but yet the patients and other staff needed me.
I prayed a lot, asking God to allow me to do what I needed to do with his courage and strength. Morning had come. The snow had not stopped. My neighborhood was so quiet. Not many could get out of their driveways.
The police scanner I had was pretty noisy. I listened to it while making my coffee. Ambulance runs. It seems that mammas had babies during storms with no way to get to the hospital. Elderly were afraid and often had more heart attacks during these stressful times.
I made up my mind I was going to go to work. God would lead the way for me. I finished my coffee and grabbed a granola bar. Getting dressed I kept telling myself it is going to be alright, I am not alone.
Heading out the door with my purse, lunch and keys in hand, I made it through the drifts of snow to my car. The car started a little sluggish but it started. Humming to myself and taking in the beauty of the virgin snow I waited for the motor to warm up.
Feeling safe I headed out the driveway and onto the side road. This road was a beautiful road to travel in perfect conditions. Trees so close to each other it always made me feel like I was on the path to heaven.
Today it was not like that. I saw a few deer. I saw bare branches falling to the ground as the ice coated the delicate life waiting for Spring to arrive to dress them up in vivid, green colors.
A deer ran out in front of me and I swerved to miss hitting it. My car didn’t understand what I was doing and it took a leap towards the edge of the road. It hit a barbed wire fence and bounced back. Turning a 360 it ran head on into a tree trunk. It hit the tree hard enough to jerk my body back and forth once, hitting my head on the steering column.
Dazed, I looked into my visor mirror and saw a trickle of blood running from my forehead. I looked around the car as if someone was in here with me. I didn’t see anyone. I saw the front of the car was crunched.
I tried opening my car door and it opened. I slipped on my gloves and took my car keys and proceeded to get out of the car. Feeling dizzy and almost dropping to the snow, I decided against getting out and sat back down.
I prayed, dear God, I asked you to guide me to work. I am scared, and even though I know thou art with me, I need you to rescue me Lord. Please hear my prayer. Amen.
I sat there in the quiet, warmth slipping away from inside the car. I was afraid to try to start the car for fear of a gas leak somewhere under the hood. I watched the snow falling and took deep breaths keeping myself calm. I knew God would hear my prayer.
I don’t remember when it happened or how long I had been there but the next thing I remembered is waking up in one of ER rooms. A doctor and nurse were standing over me.
“Well Missy, you gave us quite a scare for a minute. Do you know where you are”? I nodded my head. “What happened”?
“Well you were brought in here by a man we have never seen before. As cold as it is outside he walked in here with you in his arms. He was dressed in sandals, and a long tan, colored robe of some sort. His hair was long and he had the deepest, brown eyes. He said nothing and seemed to know the hospital well. He brought you to this bed and laid you down so gentle. We assessed your injuries and then turned to thank the gentleman thank-you; but he was gone”.
Missy laid there thinking about the words the doctor had just said. She thought to herself, I thought we would never come back from that one; but I should have known, God would never leave me alone.
Undo/ The Daily Post
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Daily Prompt
Undo
If you could un-invent something, what would it be? Discuss why, potential repercussions, or a possible alternative.
I know you are going to think I am crazy when I write this post, but I am a crazy gal. I like the word, FAMILY. Family to me represents the good up-bringing I had. The sitting down at the table together as a family; holding hands and one of us kids saying grace.
The routine of baths after dinner, homework and if we got finished in time we were allowed to watch TV with mom and dad. Bedtime came at the same moment Monday through Friday, and an hour later on weekends.
We had a routine. We always knew we could depend on our parents. We knew the rules of going to school and what our chores were on the weekends. Family, a strong unit, somewhat broken from technology of cell phones and computers.
Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if there were guidelines as there were when we were bring raised. Perhaps time limits on cell phone use and computer time. Not only do the kids today not go anywhere without their cell phones, most of them have computer technology on the phones.
I can’t begin to count the number of times I have entered a public establishment and notice zero smiles. I don’t see people looking up at me and with a nod of the head acknowledging my presence.
Kids, parents, adults, elderly, almost everyone has updated with the times. What happened though? The term, family, the eating, praying, talking together, the guidelines, chores, what happened to family? Without our even realizing it, we ever so quietly traded good habits into a phrase of it’s all about me.
This is sad, more young girls pregnant, elderly respect has been lost to the seas. Looking out for our neighbors has slipped right past us. Maybe it is the era I was brought up in. So for this prompt, I would undo the technology of cell phones and computers, if even for one day. Stand up and take notice. Drink that coffee with a smile. Go outside and smell those flowers. Wave and say hello to your neighbor, just for one day.
The Daily Post/ The Art of Symmetry
Re-Springing/ Your Step
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Daily Prompt
Re-springing Your Step
Tell us about the last experience you had that left you feeling fresh, energized, and rejuvenated. What was it that had such a positive effect on you?
Actually today was that time when I felt rejuvenated. You will never believe the reason why; not even if you made 500 guesses. Ok, let the drama sentence drop and go forward explaining.
Well as of January 1, 2015 I had a new health insurance that kicked in. I won’t say their name in case they stop by and kick my ass for telling on them. So anyways, when I first got a hold of this insurance company I liked what they were trying to sell, but before I placed the SOLD sign in my front yard, I asked questions. Twenty questions to be truthful. Remember that game? Examples of questions that I was asked as a punk kid were; who is the first boy you kissed. Oh wait, I think that was Spin the Bottle and my mom came in my bedroom and heard the question and put a stop to the spinner on that game.
So after asking and receiving answers, just like a prayer I guess, I took and signed my John Henry on the dotted line. I wait patiently for January 1 to roll around so I can get off of straight Medicare.
Yeah, popping balloons and having a ciggy, the day arrived. I went to the doctor the insurance stated would be my choice of preferred doctors. I sat for forty-five minutes waiting for my name to be called.
“Hello, Terry, please come with me.” Oh crap, I hurry and put my cell phone away, and the magazines I had glanced at. I guess I had made myself at home while waiting. I swear when I looked up at the lady who had called my name, she was tapping her foot, anxiously awaiting for me to follow her. I cleared my throat thinking, ” Listen lady, who has been waiting on who.”
Sitting on the cold, non-cushioned, hard chair the nurse pumps my arm to see if I am alive. She sticks a gun of sorts in my ears and claims, normal temperature. She then says, ” why are you here?”
Oh Lordy I think to myself. I have nothing better to do. I just wanted to come in and sit a spell because I was bored. Instead I smiled big and said, ” I am here to get my labs ordered so I can get my new prescriptions.”
She turns to leave and says, ” the doctor will be in shortly.” Darn I wish I would have brought those magazines back with me. Tick tock the clock goes. No one enters, Hello, does anyone know I am here?
The door opens and a doctor walks in to see me. I can barely make out what he is saying but I try best reading his lips. Well we do our talking, and my labs are ordered for the next day.
I leave and come back as scheduled. I got pricked and didn’t even cry. I made a new appointment to go back a week later to find out the results. I wasn’t anxious. I am not a very good patient. I always hear the same thing. You could stand to lose a few pounds. you sugars are out of the normal range. ” But, but doc, I try, I really do. I can’t help it Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years fell into that three-month cycle.”
Then the disco ball dropped. The front office explains I am not in the preferred network and I must pay all of the lab bills. I smiled nicely while she and I stood there arguing. Hey, my mom always said you can be nasty as hell, but do it with a big smile.
Well I got my cell out and called the insurance company. Yes I did, I knew I was right. After three times of bitching because no one would answer on the other end I finally got a hold of them almost three hours later.
Yep, that was what they confirmed too. The doc WAS in network, but the doc argued back so I got a new lists of doctors to call, which I plan on doing tomorrow.
I received a text from the pharmacy today stating my medications were ready to be picked up. What the F is this? $191. 00 for one medication? Why did I have insurance?
Once again I called the familiar number and I ended up calling it three times in a row because we got cut-off or they would be telling me that I had to pay the bill and would then politely say goodbye.
The last time I called and they answered. I said, ” Your commercials playing in the background about retaining good health do not pertain to me today because I have had to dial you three times and have been cut-off and if you tell me one more time that you will transfer me I am going to explode. I have a whopping headache now and I won’t be responsible for what happens next. No more transfers.”
Oh brother did she bend down and kiss my you know what. She stayed on the line and called the Pharmacy and we had a three-way call, and I was able to get all my questions taken care of.
I told the insurance lady ,” thank-you very much for all of your help.” She said, ” Well Miss Terry, I couldn’t sleep tonight if I thought I was responsible for your headache not leaving.”
We both flew into hysterical laughter. We wished each other a good day and I hung up feeling like I was Super Woman, Super Man and the President. I stuck my hands in my pockets and threw my head back and walked away from the phone with a new look on life.
New/ The Daily Post
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Photo Challenge
New
Possibility. Opportunity. Potential. As another year gets underway, let’s celebrate the new.
Christmas and New Years are over; yet my dreams remain. I dream big, I dream silly; but I continue to dream. Terry Shepherd
These are my dreams.
So You Want To Be Freshly Pressed
Every day, we curate a handful of blog posts to highlight on the Freshly Pressed section of WordPress.com. Freshly Pressed posts can be about anything, but they all have a few things in common: they enlighten us, inspire us, entertain us, and get us talking.
New Skin/ The Daily Post
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Daily Prompt
New Skin
If you could spend the next year as someone radically different from the current “you” — a member of a different species, someone from a different gender or generation, etc. — who would you choose to be?
LIFE THEN AND NOW
I would choose to be a child from years gone by
Where children were shown love and taught not to lie
Parents worked hard all day long
After supper dad even played a song
Rules were followed; only told twice
Kids knew if they were being naughty or nice
Chores were expected to be done each day
It was a learning experience in every way
Sunday was definitely a day of rest
Went to church in their Sunday best
When problems arose they prayed to God
They said their words so full of love
Families stuck by each others side
Even when homes were far and wide
I can’t say I have ever lived like this
But to me it sounds like awesome bliss
For God put us on this earth for a reason
To share, to love in every season.
Written by,
Terry Shepherd
01/01/2015
Who I am 