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As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? How close or far are you from that vision?
When I was little I was going to grow up to be a doctor
But that didn’t happen as my mind was deterred
Then later I wanted to become a mom
But I thought, I’m not married so how dumb
When…
]http://dailypost.wordpress.com, DP, DP Challenge
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? How close or far are you from that vision?
When I was little I was going to grow up to be a doctor
But that didn’t happen as my mind was deterred
Then later I wanted to become a mom
But I thought, I’m not married so how dumb
When in high school I did reach
The conclusion that I wanted to teach
I wanted to be a therapist for teens
I’d help them find a way to not be mean
But in the end no college degree
What was going to happen to me
I ended up helping a sick old soul
And this took up those college holes
And now today I think I am done
Caring for others much more than one
Trying to open closed doors today
Trying hard to find my way.
Written by,
Terry Shepherd
5.30.2014
http://dailypost.wordpress.com
You walk into your home to find a couple you don’t know sitting in your living room, eating a slice of cake. Tell us what happens next.
I walk into my home and there is a pair of strangers sitting at my kitchen table. They are eating the cake I was planning on having for my dessert tonight.
My eyes widen and my voice heightens. ” Who are you and why are you sitting…
http://dailypost.wordpress.com
You walk into your home to find a couple you don’t know sitting in your living room, eating a slice of cake. Tell us what happens next.
I walk into my home and there is a pair of strangers sitting at my kitchen table. They are eating the cake I was planning on having for my dessert tonight.
My eyes widen and my voice heightens. ” Who are you and why are you sitting in my house eating my cake? I am going to call the cops right now. Don’t you go anywhere. Just sit right where you are.”
The two sit there looking at me as I start to panic and reach for the phone. They look at each other and shrug their shoulders and go back to taking another bite of my delicious hand-made cake.
I replace the phone in its cradle and look at these two nuts. Evidently they are not dangerous. They are just plain idiots. What the heck is going on here? Why aren’t they afraid of me standing here?
I start to walk over and as soon as I am standing at the table’s edge, I begin questioning them. ” I asked you who you are and how did you get in?” The two look at her again but say nothing.
I pull up a chair, obviously I have nothing to be afraid of. I start spitting bullets, trying to let them know they need to remove themselves from my home. I watch their faces for indications they are going to leave, but nothing.
The man starts raising his hands and I jump up from my seat. I turn, knocking over my chair, but head to my knife drawer to pull out the most dangerous looking one. Looking back to make sure I am not being followed I see both the man and the woman making finger gestures at each other. Their hands were working quicker than a man drawing out his pistol.
I stop and suddenly remember a conversation I had not too long ago with a friend of a friend I had met. Her parents were deaf. These people must be deaf also. They aren’t hearing a single word I am saying.
I walk out of the kitchen and go back to my bedroom. Closing the door I pick up the phone and call the police. Not to turn these two in; but to see if there is any information on them.
I hear someone on the other end say ” Hello, Sergeant Carter here, how can I help you?”
” This is Sue Brown and I just came home from running some errands. When I walked in my front door there was a man and a woman sitting at my kitchen table. They are eating a cake I made. I think they are deaf. I am pretty sure that they are using sign language with each other. Do you know anything about these two? They don’t seem to be dangerous.”
” Oh Sue, I am so glad you have called. We have been looking for Bob and Mary. They live at the Lake Facility here in town. They are deaf. They went for their usual walk this morning around the facility, but somehow they managed to unlock the gate and they took off for a longer walk. I bet they are hungry and felt free to walk in your house and get something to eat. Don’t you keep your doors locked?”
” Yes, I usually do, but I was only going to be gone about half an hour so didn’t bother locking up today.”
” Well half an hour or hours, you should always keep your home safe from predators Sue. I will send an officer over to pick them up. Did they do any damage to your place?”
” No, they just ate my cake, but I will make a new one. It will give me something to do while I kick myself in the ass for being so stupid and presuming I know the future of my day. Thank-you officer. I will sit with them until your officer arrives.”
I lay the phone down and walk back to the kitchen with a calm attitude. I pick my chair up off the floor and sit down in it and smile at them.
DP, http://dailypost.wordpress.com
You’re throwing a party — for you! Tell us all about the food, drink, events, and party favours you’ll have for your event of a lifetime. Use any theme you like — it’s *your* party!
I would be so excited during the planning stages. I would rummage through recipes that would be easy and yet look like I worked myself to death making them. I would go online to…
DP, http://dailypost.wordpress.com
You’re throwing a party — for you! Tell us all about the food, drink, events, and party favours you’ll have for your event of a lifetime. Use any theme you like — it’s *your* party!
I would be so excited during the planning stages. I would rummage through recipes that would be easy and yet look like I worked myself to death making them. I would go online to party supplies and pick out the best my money could afford.
I would draw on paper the way I wanted tables and seating arrangements made. I would go to neighbors and ask to borrow tables and folding chairs.
Whew! With all this done I would then begin to spread the word. I would tell my family, blogging and Facebook friends my plans. I would smile big and the excitement would be heard in my voice.
I would definitely be waiting for RSVP’s to start coming in so I knew how much food to purchase. Of course I learned years ago that if you want fifty people to show up; you need to invite 100, and of course I had done this.
The days would be counting down. I would be going to the second-hand stores. I would be buying little trinkets, vinery, anything I could find that I thought I could put together with my brain-thought and hot glue gun.
While waiting the clock ticking down I would be busy doing the crafts. Pretty candles in glass bowls with colorful marbles in the bottoms. This would reflect the light of the candles and give off a soft glow.
This is the theme I would be working on, soft, and relaxing. My party would be filled with people who knew how to share stories. Those who grabbed life by the horns and saw the positive in each day.
Different ages would be among each other so we could each take home with us a different view other than our own. Huge, comfy pillows tossed around on soft blankets would give some the option of being more relaxed and ease the formality of just walking in and taking a stiff, hard-back chair.
This has been great fun. The planning, putting together, the food menu. It gets me really going on motivation; but the days are now down to three days, then two. Tomorrow is the big day.
Weather expected, 70’s and full of sun. I couldn’t ask for anything more. But yes, I could ask for one more thing. It isn’t good enough that all the invites replied back with an affirmation. It wasn’t enough that I could ask for no better weather prediction.
I knew the food choices I made were top-notch. The music I had picked out to play in the background was perfect for the theme. No, the one thing I needed to do yet, was something no one could give me but me.
The problem? was myself. The night before the big party I was sick. Sick from worrying. Wondering if I had done everything right. Going over my wardrobe, trying to make sure I had picked out an outfit that wouldn’t show my fat off.
Checking the wrinkles on my face. Hashing over how much I had changed since my younger years. Would I compare with others my age? Would people whisper behind my back about my looks, or food I chose, or the decorations I put together?
I could go on and on and on. My insecurities were much bigger than the planning stages of my party. All I wanted was to get together with all the friends I had made during the days of blogging. The many friends that had stuck beside me through thick and thin during Al’s life here on earth. My children would be here so my friends could finally meet them in person.
I had succeeded in this and yet I was killing my own happiness by worrying about something that was needless. While everyone had arrived, and the music was playing, food was being eaten, pillows being sat on, I was in the bathroom throwing up and missing the entire event.
DP, Daily Prompt
Life is a series of beginnings and endings. We leave one job to start another; we quit cities, countries, or continents for a fresh start; we leave lovers and begin new relationships. What was the last thing you contemplated leaving? What were the pros and cons? Have you made up your mind? What will you choose?
I swear the prompts lately know my personal life. This isn’t the…
DP, Daily Prompt
Life is a series of beginnings and endings. We leave one job to start another; we quit cities, countries, or continents for a fresh start; we leave lovers and begin new relationships. What was the last thing you contemplated leaving? What were the pros and cons? Have you made up your mind? What will you choose?
I swear the prompts lately know my personal life. This isn’t the first one lately that the answers have been so easy. No thinking either, just writing my thoughts.
Contemplating leaving? Sure, I have done it. I do it more often. Every day I think about it. Of course it is Al leaving me and me not leaving Al. 
As the days dwindle down I find myself cautiously and fearful of what I will do next.
Oh I suppose there will be another soul out there that needs some help. I have repeatedly told myself I will never ever take care of a family member. But, I have also learned many valuable things during my brother’s illness.
One thing I learned quickly is not to take anything for granted. Yes, my parents and most of our extended family are now deceased. 
This makes it easy to say out loud that I will never care for family again.
No more getting so closely involved. No more around the clock care. I will do what so many other caregivers do. I will clock in and somewhere around the eight-hour I will clock out and go live my personal life for the next sixteen hours.
But what I learned is I get burnt when I get too cocky. When I say never, God shows me this is not in the cards. He proves to me that there is always a possibility. I ask, how? Well, he says, you do have children and grandchildren don’t you? There are still some distant family members, right?
I hang my head and say a soft yes, I guess there is, but my kids are younger than me and I am not that close to any other family. I will pass on before my kids, naturally. I have learned that I need, no I have to leave my life options door open.
I should always be ready and willing to take on the next responsibility he gives to me. I should look outside the box and not center on myself 
. Maybe illness and recovery will be in the picture. Maybe some family member will need my help temporarily.
Who knows? I can’t see the future, but I do know better to say never. God puts us here for a reason, a specific reason. When we complete his task, he either takes us home or we move on to the next task.
So sitting here at this very moment, there is a little fear about the unknown future. Yet there is going to be a huge relief that Al will no longer be in pain. I realize that all doors will be open and I will carefully look through the stained glass windows and step out in faith once again.
I get more excited as I realize that some shut doors will now once again be opened. I will be able to go see my children that don’t leave almost next door. 
Maybe a man will cross my path and God will help me to stop in my tracks and look up into his eyes.
Isn’t God amazing how he takes a little speck of sand like me and uses it to his full benefit. Yes, there is sadness, there is war, there are memories and there are good times. But best of all, there is the unknown, the new teachings. New thoughts and ideas explored, and best of all, I am alive. I have made it to one more day, one more feeling, one more experience, and one more chance.
Weekly Writing Challenge, My Funny Valentine
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Valentine’s Day for me was never what I thought it…
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Valentine’s Day for me was never what I thought it would be. Oh, don’t get me wrong. There was a time before I got married I would receive the flowers and the candies.
My mother used to make me a Twinkie Cake when she was alive.
Ingredients
Instructions
After I got married, I learned I didn’t have a romantic husband. Instead of the sweets and smell goods, I received the practical gifts. I would open up can openers, crock pots, and one time I remember a toaster.
Not that I didn’t appreciate these, but wow, they sure weren’t personal, as per say Valentine’s Day goes; but I did have good working appliances. LOL
Now I have no one in my life and I have never been completely satisfied, but am used to it. What a surprise it would be to one day open that front door and see the little guy holding out a bouquet of flowers. Better yet, how about for no reason. Who needs Valentine’s Day to receive goodies????
Who I am 