Writing prompt ~ happy?

I happened upon this writing prompt while looking for something else, and it appeals to me.  Let's try it.  I'll write in this post about what makes me happy today.  You can either write in the comments or write on your blog and come back to link it in the comments so we can come read it.  What do you think?  Would you be willing to try it with me?

What makes me happy today?

Clawdia 5-26-17

― Here's where I'll post my happiness list.
― Maybe I'll keep adding to it all day, as new things occur to me.
― Having three children, seven grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren makes me happy.
― Clawdia makes me happy ... most of the time ... well, except when she doesn't.
― Living at the Crown Center for Senior Living makes me happy.
― Seeing people helping others makes me happy, and a lot of that sort of thing happens here at the Crown Center.

― Flowers around the Crown Center make me happy.  Thank you, Schnucks and residents who helped make the flowers into bouquets for the lobby, the Circle@Crown Café, the dining room, the offices, the hallways, the link desk.
― Fried okra makes me happy; it's my favorite food, but only if it's fried in corn meal (not flour) the way my mother used to make it.
― Blogging makes me happy.  I blog about books because I read, so I should add.......

Kiki 10-9-10

― Reading makes me happy.  I'm the kind of person who would, of course, have cats who read, too.
― Kiki made me happy.  She's the cat who lived with me until she died in 2012.  Read what Kiki wrote about my happiness.
―
―     Evening update:
―     Nobody at all commented,
―     even though I did share
―     this link on Facebook.
―

Do you know me?

I'm about to post this on Facebook, to see how many people REALLY know me.  Before I tell you my answer, what do you think I love?  How much do you know me, especially those of you who know me only through my online sharing?  So often we imply that you can't possibly know much about me if you don't know me in person, but I think I know a few of you quite well.

My answer takes us to the TWO of TWOsday:

First, I love words.  As a child I loved words and wanted to know more words.  It started on the day I looked up at my uncle as he asked my cousin Nancy, "What grade are you in?"  She understood the question, I guess, because she said, "First grade."  I was puzzled and confused because I could plainly see that she was in a ROOM.  And what in the world is a "firstgrade," anyway?  I determined to learn all the words in the world.  Nancy, by the way, is four years older than I am.  As an adult, I figured that day would have been early May 1943, the day of my grandmother's funeral about a week after my third birthday; Nancy would be at the end of her first grade year in school.  My uncle was wearing a suit, and we were standing in my grandmother's living room.  I know, because I can still see my grandmother's chandelier behind his head.  Wanting to know WORDS is my earliest full memory.

Second, I love books.  Anyone paying attention can easily see that loving books is simply an extension of loving words.  My parents read to me and promised that I, too, would learn to read when I went to school.  (Notice that we could add "like Nancy.")  Though I don't remember the first day of school specifically, there were two family stories of my first day of school.  (1)  While our mothers stood around the first grade room watching, Mrs. Curry called each child up to her desk and asked, "And what are YOU called?"  Knowing I was a wordy person (see?), my mother expected me to explain that I was called "Bitsy" at home, a nickname given to me by my other grandmother because I (her first grandchild) was such a tiny baby.  But no, I simply said, "Bonnie."  And I've been Bonnie ever since.  I was never called "Bonnie" because that was the name of my mother's only sister, and we lived with her.  (2)  I came home very upset that my parents had lied to me.  I went to school, but they did NOT teach me to read that first day.  Very disappointing.  Very!

UPDATE from Facebook comments:

• Sandy R. ~ Books
• Jeannie C. ~ your cat.
• Helen M. ~ reading (and she commented below:  "On FB I only said 'reading,' but here I will add:  your multiple generations of family, books, reading, religion and reading about religion-related topics, words, and Clawdia."
• Toni H. ~ To read ....................................amor
• Carol H. ~ Your books and cat
• Jae Tea ~ Friends (and books and cats).
• Donna C. ~ ("liked" books and your cat, then said)
  I'd add dinner out and study of other religions.
• Sylvia J. ~ ("liked" books and your cat and reading)
  I could add, your children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.  If I have lost track and you have great-greats by now, add them.
• Meg T. ~ Books and book clubs!
• Stephanie T. ~ Books!!
• Fartema F. ~ Books!!
• Jan H. ~ Books!
• Maggie S. ~ Books
• Francesca O. ~ Cats.
• Kay B. ~ People
• Charlotte E. ~ Books
• Barbara L. ~ Words

Kiki 1-19-12

I've known and met all of these people face-to-face except Jeannie and Helen and Jan, and I've "known" each of them online for several years.  There seems to be a consensus that I like books and reading and my cat.  Carol gave me Kiki, who died in 2012.  Kiki's and Clawdia's photos are on the sidebar, but here are a couple of other pictures I like of each of them.

Clawdia 5-26-17

Beginning ~ with a single day

"This book was written in a single day.  A single 24-hour period, with no advance notice."

Those words were written by Po Bronson, a member of the writers' group who put this book together.  The beginning of the actual "content" of the book, however, begins with something even stranger:

"What can happen in a second"  (No, there's no period at the end of that fragment.)

I'm a writer, and books like this intrigue me.  Here's the book information so you can begin to make sense of what I'm saying.

642 Things To Write About ~ by the San Francisco Writers' Grotto, 2011

This collection of 642 outrageous and witty writing prompts will get the creative juices flowing in no time.  From crafting your own obituary to penning an ode to an onion, each page of this playful journal invites inspiration and provides plenty of space to write.  Brimming with entertaining exercises from the literary minds of the San Francisco Writers' Grotto, this is the ultimate gift for scribes of every stripe.

Here's one of the 642 prompts.  I'll even write about the subject, inviting you to leave something similar in the comments.

"Five things you see out the nearest window."

I can think of two ways to respond.  Here are some of the activities I notice:

1.  I see a mother skipping down the sidewalk with her young child.
2.  I see a rabbit hop across the driveway of the preschool across the street.
3.  I see a bird resting on a telephone wire watching the same scene I'm watching.
4.  I see someone trying to parallel park on the street, leaving the car with one wheel on the grass.
5.  I see a man coming from the other direction, walking his frisky little dog.

Another response is to describe the scenery:

1.  I see other apartment buildings, but none as tall as my 10-story building.
2.  I see my car in the parking lot below my sixth floor window.
3.  I see a preschool, with its parking lot in front and its playground behind a tall fence out back.
4.  I see Walgreens on the corner, with its parking lot half full of cars.
5.  I see trees beginning to bud too early because it's supposed to snow tomorrow.

I could write a story, which is the whole point of this exercise, I presume.  I could have the mother and child encounter the man with his little dog.  Or have the person parking stumble upon leaving the car, maybe dropping an armful of papers (nope, that's isn't what I saw).  I could imagine the child noticing the bird or the bunny rabbit.  Or I could develop a whole plot, with people coming and going from the apartments I see, interacting with each other.

What do you see out a window?

Gilion at Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays.  Click here for today's Mister Linky.

From here to there ~ writing prompt

The prompt at Weekend Wordsmith this week is "from here to there."  This globe shows how close the state of Maine is to the continent of Africa, but the words make me think of my friends with "interesting" spacial problems.

When we first met, my friend Donna told me that, if she ever says "turn right," I should probably turn left, instead.  A few days after that advice, we were on our way to or from a restaurant and she said, "Turn right."  (Honestly, I'm not kidding!)  I did, and we were on our way up a ramp to an expressway and had to go miles to the next exit before I could get us turned around and back to where I goofed by taking her advice.  That experience did make me a believer, and I learned to question her driving directions.

My friend Ginnie is so spacially challenged that she doesn't drive out of a parking lot until she sets her GPS.  Since she hears the device's female voice so regularly, she has named it Jill.  I've been with her often enough to know that Jill always waits too long to give Ginnie instructions at one particular location, so I tell Ginnie to move into the left lane half a block before we hear Jill say, "Make a left turn onto XYZ street."  If Jill ever quits working, I could apply for her job.

What about you?  Do you have any good "from here to there" experiences to share?

Scribble, scribble, scribble

Mad Woman in the Forest, who happens to be the renowned author Laurie Halse Anderson, has been posting prompts for writers every day this month.  Today's prompt speaks to me, somehow.  What would YOU — or your character, if you were writing a story — throw in the backpack?

I think the most striking statistic about Hurricane Irene so far is CNN’s statement that the storm will affect 1 in 6 Americans. (I’m still trying to wrap my head around this.) We are far away from the danger; might get some wind and a little rain. We’re used to losing power frequently, so that’s not a problem. I sure hope those of you who are in Irene’s path stay safe, snug, and dry.

In case your power is about to go out, let’s get busy right away with tonight’s Irene-inspired prompt.

Ready… Make sure that you pack a notebook (the kind made out of paper) and sharpened pencils in your go bag. Natural disasters provide all kinds of inspiration and you need your tools! (It’s easier to write in the rain with pencils than pens.)

Set… “To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” Maya Angelou

Today’s prompt: Your character has five minutes to throw his most important possessions into a backpack, because the hurricane has changed course and he and his family must flee. What goes in the bag? Why? And what is hidden in that small wooden box that he pulls down from the top shelf of his closet when no one is looking? Be as detailed as possible. This is a chance to show character by the decisions he makes.

Scribble… Scribble… Scribble…

I'll try to come up with something and connect to it with this link.  You are welcome to share a link in your comment, rather than trying to make a list here.