Otherwise Entertained (3)

Tony was not one to pamper her most of the time. He liked to introduce her to new things. Things Morgan would never do on her own. He took her to horror movies, like Magic, Halloween, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but he would not hold her when she awoke with nightmares. He thought she was being silly and childish.

He took her to concerts and introduced her to music she had never listened to before. The first concert was Boston, and one of the most memorable was Pink Floyd. Black Sabbath and Nazareth were haunting. Morgan became a real fan of Rock-N-Roll, which her parents had limited when she was growing up. There had been the 45’s left over from her older brothers, but those were not like the music Tony liked.

After they began playing Dungeon & Dragons, there were frequent trips to Lennox Square to pick up accessories for the game. Tony bought figurines for her to paint and hex pads so she could map out her own world. Morgan found the dice he bought interesting because one six-sided seemed to always roll good scores for her characters.

On one trip to Lennox Square, Tony bought the first pair of Nike tennis shoes she ever owned. They were the first brand name sneakers she had. Morgan loved them; not realizing the brand would become a staple in her life for years to come.

When they moved into the tiny one bedroom apartment they had very little furniture, but it was okay because there was not much space to fill. One day they bought a poster of an owl and a frame to hang in the bedroom. It was the single most artistic thing in the place. There was a small Buddha figurine in the bathroom, but it made Morgan queasy because of the admonition against idols in the Bible.

They did not eat at home a lot because Morgan was not a very good cook. She had never learned many culinary skills because sharing the kitchen with her mother was not easy. Tony knew more recipes than she did.

She spent many hours obsessively tidying the apartment or writing poetry while Tony was at work. The bright red Cadillac Coupe De Ville took her where she needed to go. She was thankful her brother had found it for her and her parents had given it to her. It was the best first car she could imagine, even though it was years old and had required a lot of hard work to bring its luster back. Morgan had done all the labor by herself. She loved Katie Scarlett for her bright chrome, shiny red finish, and supple white leather interior.

No one warned her that everything could change in a heartbeat. Time passed with the briskness of a setting sun…

Doodling

You can easily imagine what has captured my mind, if you have read recent posts… I hope I can continue the story. Not the best cover concept, but I have not been practicing the artwork much. Photography is easier.

Always,
Jo Ann

The Beginnings Of A Story

I do not know what this will lead to, since I am not really a story writer, but even a poet can dream of writing books…

Otherwise Entertained

She was married, and happily, but being married at seventeen sometimes presented a problem. There were other guys who seemed just so tempting and after all, she had never had many boyfriends. How could she? She was only seventeen.

Sometimes the situations in the game brought her character in close proximity to the other guys. As the only female there, sometimes the characters naturally flirted. Dungeons & Dragons was only a game… She kept reminding herself it was not really real. What happened in Ambazzar could not bleed over into the world she lived in every day.

She had always been the bullied one, the outcast, the last picked for the game. When suddenly one guy began to pay attention to her, she had lost her head. She fell deeply and madly in love with him immediately. She did not know what he said behind her back, like “I put a flag over her head, and did it for my country.” When he asked her to marry him she accepted, no questions asked.

Now she wondered if she did the right thing. When someone else spoke to her softly and caught her eye, she thought perhaps she had made the choice too quickly. Little did she know what the future held, none of them did, or someone would have changed it.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, October 24, 2013

Otherwise Entertained (2)

She knew what some of them were thinking… She did not blame them. She would have probably had the same thought about someone else, but she was not pregnant. She was simply in love. She begged her parents to sign for her to get married even though she was only sixteen. In fact, she threatened to kill herself if they did not allow it. She was a child, acting as a child, but she believed herself an adult.

The wedding was beautiful, not well attended, but beautiful. Only later when she looked back on the photographs would she notice one contained a wasp on her veil. She would then think of Shakespeare, but that was later.

Her husband doted on her at times, and other times he was not so kind. The unkindness could be overlooked because after all, they had wonderful times. The concerts, the name brand shoes, the books he bought, all made her feel special. No one outside her family had ever done such things.

There was alcohol, fast flowing and wild, that made her reckless and subdued her conscience. There were things they did she had never imagined.

Magic users, fighters, thieves, paladins, halflings, and orcs became a big part of their lives. After she finished graduation requirements they moved out of her parents’ house. The apartment was a little place, but she made it a home the best she could.

Time passed enchanted and the future beguiled her…

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Thursday, October 24, 2013

Now I am wondering if this is worth pursuing. I would love to hear your thoughts and any suggestions you may have.

Always,
Jo Ann

Creativity Continues To Visit

Today seems to be one of those days I am given a multitude of words. I hope you will read this blog entry and the one before it. They might have a positive effect on you and that would be exactly what I wanted…

First, I want to ask you to do me a huge favor, click on the following link and like Hope’s picture on Facebook: Douglas Oaks Animal Hospital Costume Contest Hope. We are trying to win an annual exam worth $115 from Hope’s vet. This would help me a great deal because it is always a struggle to afford this expense. You do not have to be my friend on Facebook to help, just like Hope’s photo by following the link. I would be so grateful for your help.

This is a copy of the picture you should like on Facebook. Hope really wants to win…

Live Life Fully Alive

Things come at you
So very fast,
Do not overlook
The ones meaning
The most to you.

Discard the weeds
Which would tangle up
Your purposes and
Weigh you heavy down,
You have no need of them.

Devote your moments
To those things you love,
The ones that feed
The creativity of your mind
Giving you sustaining strength.

Make plenty of time
For the people who
Support your dreams
And encourage your heart,
They are precious treasure.

There is no time to waste
On meaningless negativity
Or most hurtful hate,
Make yourself positive,
Live life fully alive.

Forgive others, for peace
Within your heart will
Only then reside,
Be kind, helpful, generous
And reap bountiful returns.

Things come at you
So very fast,
Do not overlook
The ones meaning
The most to you.

The littlest things can make a big difference. You never know when the smile you share will lighten someone’s heavy heart. The kind word you say could heal a wound. Everything you do matters, so make sure you spread love abroad in this world. The soul you touch could later touch your own.

Let all you do be done prayerfully, ever mindful of God’s presence with you and in the world. You are never forgotten by the Creator of the Universe. He has His eyes upon you continually and He lavishes you in His unconditional love. Not a moment passes without His notice of you needs, your desires, your dreams. Christ holds you in His hands always. Let His great peace surround you and be kind wherever you may travel.

Walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and you are apt to get blisters… Walk a mile beside someone and you are apt to understand what troubles them and how to help them… Be a friend, not just a spectator to another’s life… God will amply bless you for your generosity… No good deed goes without reward!

Embrace Your Gifts

You may not think so,
But you are a being
Blessed with creativity.
You were meant to
Live fully well and
Achieve your fondest dreams.
You are gifted with
So much talent,
You must firmly believe.
No one can make you
Do what you need to
Accomplish besides yourself.
You are a wonder
Filled with great passion
Able to do creative magic.
Just apply yourself,
Make a conscious effort,
You bring beauty to life.
Do not hide the fire
Burning within your soul,
Set it free, it will make you whole.
Give your heart a chance
To reach out to the world
Creating things of lasting value.
You may not think so,
But you are a being
Blessed with creativity.

I hope you will create something to share with the world today. You have unique gifts to contribute to other people’s lives. Anyone can engage their creativity if they only make an effort. You have the talent and ability.

This post is a little different than some, because I have already blogged today. Please visit the previous post.

Always,
Jo Ann

Ramblings Of A Sleepless Mind

You are not required to stay up all night to reap the benefits of my activity. Please just follow along…

I want to start up my business again, but I don’t have any capital to begin… I guess dreaming is the best I can do. I wish I could win the lottery, but somehow I think that is unlikely since I do not buy tickets… If wishes were horses, beggars would ride…

My dog, Hope, has expensive tastes, she likes pistachios. I can hardly afford them for myself, what am I supposed to do now that the dog begs for them whenever I get the bag out?

What’s on your mind? Funny you should ask, because I have been thinking about trying to start my magazine up online. It would be a literary and art magazine showcasing a wide variety of talent as it was when I published it in print form. I do not know if I have a wide enough network to gather submissions, and I am not sure I have the discretionary time to afford all the effort required, but I am considering it. I have the prerequisite software for it and I think I might be able to secure web hosting… Am I ready to take the reins as editor and publisher again? It is not an easy job, for writers are sometimes troublesome, but I like a challenge… I wonder if I am too old to begin doing it again. It is a huge task and requires diligence… So that is what is on my mind…

Have you ever noticed that as a usual thing every other version Microsoft releases is great? Take Windows 98, great; Windows Millennium, not so good; Windows XP, great; Windows Vista, not so good; Windows 7, great; Windows 8, not so good; Windows 8.1, decent… Why do we beta test for them on every other release? Seems like their software engineers would get it together every time. Maybe they need to quit rushing out versions and wait until they have a solid release…

I just realized it was after 2:00AM… I am wide awake and feeling creative. Why is it that nighttime seems to be the time of ideas for me? I want to be a morning person, but it just does not work for me. I am a hopeless night owl. The daytime world just does not have the appeal of after dark… Is something wrong with me? I wake up when the sun goes down… not the greatest attribute.

I should have known coffee in the afternoon was a mistake, but did that stop me? Not in the least did it dissuade me… Sometimes I disregard the better part of my judgment. So I am up and feeling full of energy halfway through the night…

Why am I still in this place when I really want to move forward? Maybe fear is stopping me, but what is that about? I fear failure, because it is very hard for creatives to succeed. I fear success, because it would overturn all sorts of things in my life. I want to perfect things before I bring them out before others, and that keeps me in a stalled state, because really I can do nothing perfectly.
I am determined to get past these barriers to achieving the life I want, but it is hard… One step I can take is being positive, another step is to gather the material for what I want to accomplish. These are easy things and I should be able to do them, one small step at a time.
I am capable and I believe that my dreams can become a reality, so as I advise others, I must make the effort and continue going forward…

Going With The Flow

Rolling, that is what happens
When you allow time to wash
Over you without resistance,
You roll forward creeping into
Places you never realized you
Were really meant to go.
Time overtakes you and takes
You over the rough spaces
Where intention would not
Allow you to succeed without
A great deal of extra effort
You might unwillingly expend.
Your perfectionism cannot
Hinder you because the momentum
Comes from beyond yourself,
You drift on currents that lift
Your fragile spirits up higher
Than you ever imagined going.
You roll, a creative force,
Unstoppable, moving through
Both time and space with only
One idea to carry you onward,
A positive declaration that you
Will finally accomplish your dreams.

Adjusted the settings on my mouse… Now this clunky mouse works like the best I have ever had. Who knew tweaking the software could make such improvements? Now I think I love the Logitech M705. It is like having a whole new mouse.

Just fixed a cup of coffee because I have decided I want to stay up all day… Should be no problem, the night is nearly over and daylight will soon arrive. Now if only the coffee cup cools down enough that I can drink from it…

Mom gave me some pens she has not used. Ink pens! Gel pens! I love free pens… My Mom is the greatest! Happy, happy, happy!

If you wish to achieve, you must first believe! You can exceed any goal you have decreed! Just continue forward and your effort will manifest what you are working toward!

Coffee! In a seasonal cup, coffee, what more can you ask for?

Fulfilling A Need

What do we want?
Poems!
Where do we get them?
We make them!
How do we do that?
We engage our creativity!
Who benefits?
The people of the world!
Why does it matter?
It wakes people to happiness!
When can we do it?
Now, because time is slipping by!
What do we want?
Poems!

Invitation Only

Come! Whispered on the air,
Inviting you to join
Others already there…
Come! Such gentle care
Exhibited for all,
Do you want to share?
Come! Do you dare
Accept the invitation,
So very fair?
Come! Do not delay
Make your choice right away
While you have the chance today!
Come! Christ beckons,
The Spirit encourages,
Come as your heart reckons!
Come! While time makes way
Because the moments flee quickly
Hearken now for seconds slip away.
Come! Your choice cannot wait,
Be fast to answer the quiet call
For it urgently decides your fate.
Come! Whispered on the air,
Inviting you to join
Others already there…

These are the nighttime, early morning, ramblings of a restless mind. You should join me at Jo Ann J. A. Jordan on Facebook if you would like to follow my adventures there… Lots of things make it there that never see the blog. I only put it all here today because I thought you might like to experience the process.

I am grateful:

1)   I have equipment that helps me reach my creative potential.
2)   I am old enough to choose my bedtime, most of the time anyway.
3)   People still visit my blog, even though I am no longer doing the Creativity Project.
4)   Life is a gift we can enjoy in the moment.
5)   People are a precious blessing when they touch my life.

As a prompt, write a how, what, when, where, who, why poem. If you need an example, reread the one I did above. If you are a visual artist, instead of poet, picture something that explore at least one of the aspects. I know you can do this, and I bet you will enjoy it. Your creativity is at least as bountiful as mine.

Thank you so much for visiting Chronicles and reading this post. You might find it enjoyable to browse the archives. There is much material contained there. If you like what you found here you can subscribe for email updates by entering your address in the space provided.

I hope your day meets your expectations. Generally you get out of the hours in direct proportion to what you invest, so make each moment special.

Always,
Jo Ann

I Am Still Here, Are You?

Things have been interesting, but I am sure you know that within your own life. Tonight I wrote a journal entry and thought I would share it with you all.

As I said I have been writing poetry…

Another Blessed Day

The sun has risen…
It is just another day…
Another day that
I am alive and able
To give my own smile away.

There is happiness
To share with those encountered
Along life’s bright way…
There is goodness in moments
That make up another day.

God travels with me
As I walk the paths given
Through another day…
I must share His love freely
With each one who comes my way.

Friends, family, and
Even strangers cross my path
All without knowing…
How much they really mean to
Me on this another day.

The sun has risen…
It is just another day…
Another day that
I am alive and able
To give my own smile away.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, August 16, 2013

Today has been a reasonably good day. I hope yours was enjoyable. Now take a few moments to engage your mind in creative tasks. You are definitely able to achieve anything you desire if you put your heart into the task. No one can keep you from making things happen unless you allow them.

I am grateful:

1)   I was able to go out for a pleasant time last evening.
2)   When people want information they often rely on me.
3)   Writing is something that comes naturally to me.
4)   God gifted me with an abundance of creativity.
5)   Even though I am growing older, I still enjoy the simple pleasure of reading.

As a prompt, write about something that made this day a gift to you. Recognize the blessing granted you and write a poem, story, journal entry, or simple note that celebrates the uniqueness of this day. I have no doubt you can create something wonderful.

I am very grateful you took the time to read this blog entry. You might find you enjoy browsing the archives and might also want to subscribe to the blog by entering your email address in the space provided above.

Always,
Jo Ann

Some Things I Created Today

A poem in comment on current affairs:

Expression Of Exasperation

They fight endlessly,
They refuse to compromise,
They hold our nation
In a state where progress is
Held in complete abeyance.

Politicians do
No work for electorate,
They simply will not;
Every day the country falls
Further into great distress.

Can we the people
Continue so quietly
While disaster falls
Upon those who sacrifice
Life and limb for our freedom?

Is freedom truly
Manifest in lofty halls
Where reasonable
Voices are not allowed to
Debate or even discuss.

I fear we have let
The very few work toward
Destruction of all
Created by patriots
Who wanted better for us.

When rulers cease to
Serve the interests of those
Who raised them up to
Prominence the time comes to
Cast them out of their places.

Come now citizens,
Rise, throw off the iron shackles
Of a government
Gone willfully against us,
Vote wisdom into power.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Saturday, October 12, 2013

An older photograph and a poem created today:

A photograph taken at dusk today and a thought:

I hope you are well. I encourage you to engage your creativity and make something wonderful to share with the world. I am convinced you have greater ability than you may even realize and that you can reach further than you estimate.

As a prompt, take a picture of your own, past or present, add some relevant text. Share it with others, or post it where it will encourage you.

I am grateful:

1)   No matter what happens, God will never desert me.
2)   I am blessed beyond what I deserve.
3)   My son, Alex, is on his way home.
4)   We still have a home, food to eat, and drink to quench our thirst.
5)   I am strong enough to accomplish my dreams with Christ’s help.

Be a blessing wherever you travel. Even if your belief system is different, you can brighten someone’s life with your kindness, compassion and smile.

Always,
Jo Ann

One Year And Counting

This month marks a year that I have volunteered to create the Sweetwater Camera Club’s pages in the Chapel Hill News & Views. Over time the task has become easier. I enjoy the work. I also update the website of Sweetwater Camera Club. Here are the Contest Winners Page and the Featured Members Page for this month.

I hope the club will choose to have me continue in my position for a long time.

Always,
Jo Ann

A Review I Think You Should Read

If you are buying electronics, such as computers, I highly recommend you buy from Sam’s Club. I have used HP products bought in their stores for years now and have gotten good service from all of them. One advantage of buying there is their Electronic Help Desk or Tech Experts. For the life of your product you receive free technical support from them. I have found them very knowledgeable and able to assist with a variety of problems. Another advantage of buying at Sam’s Club is their excellent and affordable warranty plans that cover your products after the manufacturer’s warranty has expired. I have used these services and been very pleased. These two advantageous services have saved me a great deal of trouble and expense. Any electronics you buy at Sam’s Club are eligible for these programs. Check them out next time you are going to make a purchase. Their prices are also very competitive.

When I speak of their Electronic Help Desk or Tech Experts being helpful, I am not just complimenting them unreasonably. Within the last week they have helped me solve computer problems with both my Windows 7 and Windows Vista machines. The finger print scanner on my Windows 7 machine had quit working a few weeks ago and I finally called Sam’s Help Desk. The technician helped me uninstall the old software, download a newer version from HP, download drivers, and get the scanner working properly again. My Mom’s Windows Vista machine would not start Windows and I called them. They advised me to power cycle the laptop by removing the battery, unplugging it, and holding down the power button. Then we ran a system utility that I had already run without power cycling the machine. It found disk errors this second time and repaired the computer. Now it works properly again. They are very helpful and courteous. A plus is that they are based here and speak English well. This is a free program offered to anyone who buys any electronics from Sam’s Club. Maybe you would know these things without assistance, but I find it great to have an ally in keeping my equipment running properly.

Earlier this year I had a power supply fail on a machine that was beyond manufacturer’s warranty. I called it in to Sam’s Club technicians and because I had their extended warranty they free overnight shipped me a brand new one without charge. This is another example of how good their service programs are.

No company is perfect, but I have been buying equipment from Sam’s Club since the early nineties. Their products and services have always exceeded my expectations in quality and reliability. I give them my highest recommendation.

Always,
Jo Ann

Thoughts, Poems, Pictures, I Would Like To Share

Please indulge me as I write about my son…

He is not perfect, but he is my joy. I wish he were not so far away. I miss him more than I like to think about. We talked on Voxer this morning, which made staying up all night worthwhile. He is writing a book, and unlike mine, I fully expect it to be published. He makes me believe I might even be able to write something publishable. He inspires me.

Aptly Suited

You were chosen
To be exactly
Who you are in
This time and place.

Your experience
Has made you quite
Perfect for the tasks
Given you to do.

No one else in
All of Creation
Can fill your special
Place so completely.

No matter what you
Think, no matter how
You feel, it is clear
You are exactly ideal.

Called to be part
Of this time and space,
Someone who has an
Influential place.

So make the best
Of your many talents,
Take advantage of
Your wonderful gifts.

Leave a trace of
Yourself in all things
You accomplish here,
Helping create reality.

Who knows who may
Be watching, depending
On you to go forward,
Leading courageously?

Be light within
The darkness where some
Fear greatly to tread,
You make the difference.

Never let those
Positive words leave
The center of your mind,
For you matter so much.

Positive Uncertainty

You never know,
It is absolutely true,
You never know
When time will end
For those you love,
Or even yet for you.

So make the best
Of every moment,
Letting your love
Shine clearly through
In everything you do,
Because you never know.

Just because you
Have become angry,
Or you carry hidden hurts,
Does not mean you
Should not forgive, make up,
Because you never know.

Live your life to the best
Of your highest ability
And share your heart freely
With those who touch
Your existence so many ways,
Because you never know.

You can be a blessing
If you will only choose
To share your love abroad
With every single person
And creature every day,
Because you never know.

You never know,
It is absolutely true,
You never know
When time will end
For those you love,
Or even yet for you.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Wednesday, July 31, 2013

The other side of the persona that makes up who I am…

Guilt And Shame

Tell me why I must
And always how I can be,
Because I cannot
But see where this failure is
Held within the depths of me.

I am not ever
And never could I yet be
The perfect answer
To the prayers lifted for
Who I should in their truth be.

I am illusion
And perhaps a delusion,
Not a reality,
I am someone no one else
Can completely imagine.

I am the broken
And crushed reed once left standing
In the cruel wind,
Who cannot survive the fall
Or the awful loss of grace.

I hang my head low
And wish I could hide away
So no one else sees
The tears that constantly fall
Because of my great mistakes.

Tell me why I must
And always how I can be,
Because I cannot
But see where this failure is
Held within the depths of me.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, August 12, 2013

I am grateful:

1)   Depression does not always dog me.
2)   I am blessed beyond measure.
3)   I have not lost my faith in others despite the fact I often feel incompetence rules.
4)   Technology has allowed me to do more than I ever imagined.
5)   Dreams do come true.

As a prompt, write about a person, place, or thing that inspires you to fulfill your potential. You have an infinite ability to create, just put your heart, mind, and soul into it. I believe in you…

Please come back here again. I am not writing quite as often as I did with my Creativity Project, but you can definitely explore the past entries and perhaps find something encouraging.

God Bless You in all your endeavors.

Always,
Jo Ann

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