I hear today, December 4, 2019 is National Cookie Day. Here’s my lazy blog post: See https://rhwdorsey.com/2019/11/26/a-very-brief-rant-on-national-cake-day/ Same difference (smile)!
Thanks for visiting! Happy Holidays!
National Cookie Day
Category: Uncategorized
SEVEN THINGS TO HELP WITH THE DOLDRUMS
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines doldrums as “a spell of listlessness or despondency.” Life experience has taught me the things which helped me cope when I was feeling down and out of sorts. Here are some of the things I’ve learned to help me ward off the blues.
- REST YOUR MIND. For some like myself, concentrating isn’t always easy. In this fast-paced world, it’s easy to multitask our lives away. While we know efficiency is a great trait, being still for a time has value. Concentrate and complete tasks one at a time. I sometimes find myself all at once: checking social media while updating my budget spreadsheet and checking email with a music playlist sounding in my ear. Taking a break short break can jumpstart our minds back into focus. I used to work with numbers and spreadsheets for many hours during the workday. I found getting up and walking around the office for as little as a few minutes helped me refocus my concentration.
- GET ENOUGH SLEEP. I can’t speak to the adequate number of sleep hours required for anyone except myself – those recommendations are better left to the experts. I need at least seven hours or more of sleep per day to feel rested. When I wake up feeling refreshed, my entire day usually goes well. I’ve discussed sleep patterns with friends and family over the years. Some people in my life claim to get no more than four hours of sleep and feel great. Others claim at least eight hours of sleep makes them feel rested. I remember seeing an interview on television years ago with a nonagenarian. The woman claimed the key to her long life was getting plenty of sleep and walking daily. I’ve seen people I’ll just call “moody” who weren’t the most pleasant people when they lacked hours of sleep. I know from experience about how things like overall health, medications, and caffeine can interfere with a restful sleep session. One thing most of us might agree on is how sleep is necessary for our mind to function properly.
- MAKE YOUR OWN FUN. I pride myself on what I call ‘making myself happy.’ I think of things I enjoy and take some action. Everything we enjoy can’t always be done at a moment’s notice. However, simple things like taking a walk, reading a book we enjoy, or participating in physical activities can do wonders to uplift our spirits. Do what you love. Music listening and dancing in my home are my go-to activities for feeling better. I listen to music daily and often!
- ENERGIZE. I can remember learning the fact food is fuel for our bodies in science class as a child. The nutrients in certain foods provide boosts of energy throughout the day. Eat recommended foods high in nutrients (you can Google them). Certain food increase energy, and, in turn allow us to do activities we enjoy.
- MOVE YOUR BODY. Whatever works for you! If you jog, run long-distance, or walk you know the benefits these activities provide toward feeling better. For those of us with physical limitations, modifications to popular exercises work the same way. Dancing in my home, most times alone, is one of my favorite things to do. The body’s release of endorphins is said to be responsible for those good feelings we get when we move our bodies.
- PRACTICE RELIGION OR SPIRITUALITY. Whatever your belief system, connections to a greater power or with our inner selves can go a long way toward boosting one’s spirit.
- SEEK HELP. If you’re sad more than normal and find your daily life is affected, seek professional help. We know ourselves better than anyone else. Today’s plugged-in society comes with the benefits of websites, text lines, support groups, and toll-free numbers to seek help. Here are a few links that may help.
- https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-HelpLine/Top-HelpLine-Resources
- https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
- INTERNATIONAL: https://ibpf.org/resource/list-international-suicide-hotlines
This is strictly an opinion piece and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment.
Thanks for visiting.
A Very Brief Rant on National Cake Day
The holiday season in the United States is here. Mass media ads for Pre-Black Friday deals have hit the airways, television, and online. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet! Enough about the inevitable because I want to take issue with National Cake Day this 26th day of November 2019.
Who decided to name a National Day where cake and all its variations are celebrated two days before the day, we Americans traditionally overindulge? Dessert cakes, coffee cakes, cake donuts, cupcakes, cookie cakes, and cheesecakes are being discounted at vendors throughout the country. I personally have no fears about my food intake on Thanksgiving Day. I enjoy the day with my family eating delicious food to my heart’s content with no shame. It’s only one day. With that said, I realize this time of year brings with it endless celebrations involving food more than any time of the calendar year. Now starts the time of year I struggle to avoid gaining potential pounds which will be harder to take off in the coming year. The weight loss struggle is real and I only fret for recent health reasons. I love myself and my life enough to attempt healthy eating for most of this festive time – with Thanksgiving being the exception. (health nuts, save your comments – I’m good)
So National Cake Day, I’ll pass.
Thanks for reading!
Below is a picture of a Chocolate Chip Bundt cake I usually make for a family member every Spring (a perfect time, in my opinion, for a National Cake Day).
Speaking on Rain, Writing, Loss, and Hope
Speaking on Rain, Writing, Loss, and Hope
As the month of June 2019 is nearing its end, I’m wondering how Spring passed by so fast. I remember the rain, rain, and more rain most of this year. I wanted to make sure it wasn’t my imagination we’d had a very wet year in southwestern Pennsylvania. Effortless research online led me to this recent article written by a local meteorologist. I can’t say I was surprised at the precipitation level reported. The article* informs my region had precipitation on 72.5% of the days this year. That figure doesn’t include the fifteen days since the article was published. There’s been even more rain since that time. I need to mention today’s forecast shows three of the next four days with rain. I’ll leave any complaining right here as I acknowledge other areas in my country experiencing worse rain. There were massive flooding events around the world and here in my country over the past months. Lives were lost. I don’t make the mistake of forgetting I’m blessed. I took a snapshot recently of the grass and trees outside my door after a rain (featured above). If you look carefully at the beautiful green scenery, you’ll see a visitor behind the fence spying on me. 😊
With the beginning of Summer starting this past weekend, I feel 2019 slipping away fast. Working on multiple writing projects were the things occupying my time in this second quarter. Daily, weekly and monthly writing goals are a welcome part of my life. What I enjoy most is sharing this journey with like-minded writers and readers. The Twitter #WritingCommunity is filled with supportive writers and readers. A recent Twitter non-scientific poll I ran had 75% of the respondents as solely fiction writers. I’m in the minority 20% that write both nonfiction and fiction. I’m still working on finding my true audience. My style is eclectic like me. I believe finding the happy medium between doing what one loves, caring for yourself, and attending to those you love can be tricky. At this point in my life it’s important I focus on all things that bring me joy.
The past year brought the passing of family members and friends. These losses are happening more frequently than ever. The deaths notifications remind me of my mortality. As I get older, I cherish the personal relationships of family and friends more. My faith keeps me grounded with a peace I wouldn’t trade for anything. My hope is to live every day grateful for the offerings life presents.
Do It
Go ahead and eat the cookie.
Go a little over budget.
Watch the mindless reality show.
Laugh at yourself.
Gaze at the moon.
Cheer loudly for your team.
Hold your loved one’s hand often.
Hug your family every chance you get.
Cherish your friends.
Love fiercely without regret.
Say “I love you” out loud.
Life is a moment long.
© Copyright 2018 R.H.W. Dorsey from “Second Act Writings: An Eclectic Poetry & Prose Collection.”
* https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2019/06/10/pittsburgh-weather-2019-rain-how-much/
Think It’s Rained A Lot In Pittsburgh This Year? You’re Right
National Smile Day! :)
What’s in a smile?
Merriam-Webster defines the facial muscle responsible for producing a smile (zygomaticus major) as : “a slender band of muscle on each side of the face that arises from the zygomatic bone, inserts into the orbicularis oris and skin at the corner of the mouth, and acts to pull the corner of the mouth upward and backward when smiling or laughing.”
I’ll not go into how many muscles are used to smile versus a frown. There’s seems to be conflicting data relating to that question.
What I can say from experience is that smiling seems to be infectious. Have you ever walked into a public place and made eye contact with someone who was smiling? Does noticing a person smiling cause you to grin or smile? I’m not sure what the phenomenon is, but it’s truly a thing that happens. It may be that those of us that can relate to smiling in response to seeing a smile want to share in the joy. Sharing in others joy is something the world could use more of, in my opinion. Our need to share in another’s joy could be on a conscious or unconscious level. Or, it may be as simple as enjoying the view. If only for a moment, our smiles make us feel better. Walk into a place with people laughing hysterically and I dare you not to put on a grin or start laughing yourself. I’m sure there are people that would be unmoved by the previous scenario above. “Variety is the spice of life….” as William Cowper was quoted.
Have you ever been mildly upset and have someone try to make you smile? There are all sorts of medical data available related to smiling causing a reduced stress response. Check out the article on Medical News Today.
I’ve heard and read over the years that laughing adds time to human life. Whether that information is factual or not, the laughing starts with a SMILE.
By the way, Happy National Smile Day! Enjoy 😊!
R. H. W. Dorsey © 5/31/2019
https://www.merriam-webster.com/medical/zygomaticus%20major
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/248433.php
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Non-scientific Writing Community Polls on Twitter
- Photo by Element5 Digital on Pexels.com
I enjoy Twitter polls and can hardly resist scrolling past them (no matter the subject). There’s something about being part of a poll that I just dig. (I’m a Boomer). I thought it would be interesting to get an idea of what writers think, feel, use in their craft, etc. For the last five weeks, I’ve polled the #WritingCommunity on things that piqued my curiosity. I participated in the polls, as well. The writing and publishing processes are dynamic, and I wanted to see what’s fresh. Some of the polls I ran had only a handful of responses – but some data is better than none. Of course, since this is a ‘non-scientific’ poll, the results are technically misleading. I could even go so far to say some responses may have been for sport (see the poll on 3-12-19 below). At the present time, I’m content being a part of the #WritingCommunity on Twitter.
TWITTER WRITING COMMUNITY NON-SCIENTIFIC POLL
(Total votes are listed after polling data)
- 2/21/19: Writers, how often does your WIP change genres?
- 36% Sometimes; 18% Always; 46% Never (11 votes)
- 2/22/19: How much time do you spend reading books every day?
- 25% Less than 1 hour; 50% 1-2 hours; 0% 3-4 hours; 25% Over 4 hours (4 votes)
- 2/28/19: Novelists, do you create an outline for your novel?
- 36% Always; 27% Never; 37% Sometimes (11 votes)
- 3/1/19: What writing software are you using, if any?
- 30% Scrivener; 41% Word; 20% Google Docs; 9% Other (44 votes)
- 3/6/19: Have you ever completely revamped your WIP before publishing?
- 75% Many times; 25% Once or Twice; 0% Never (4 votes)
- (I’m filing under questions just stupid enough to ask)
- 75% Many times; 25% Once or Twice; 0% Never (4 votes)
- 3/12/19: Have you ever taken an online writing course?
- 64% No; 18% Yes; 9% I’m a Genius; 9% Currently taking a course (11 votes)
- (I’d love to meet the geniuses one day)
- 64% No; 18% Yes; 9% I’m a Genius; 9% Currently taking a course (11 votes)
- 3/16/19: What are you currently writing?
-
- 80% Genre fiction; 13% Literary Fiction; 7% Other (15 votes)
-
- 3/20/19: Are you planning a book launch?
- 60% Not sure; 30% No; 10% In Progress (10 votes)
- 3/26/19: What to do when writing and losing focus?
- Total 39 votes: 31% Exercise; 23% TV; 31% Read; 15% Other (39 votes)
- 3/30/19: Which of the 4 genres would you buy a book?
- 41% Literary; 0% Nonfiction; 7% Poetry; 52% Crime (27 votes)
Tweet comments were posted on some polls (summarized below)
- 2/21/19 Poll: “…while it might change, it’s never too far from where it started.”
- 3/1/19 Poll: Other writing software noted in poll comments: New Novelist; OpenOffice; Zenwriter; Hemingway; Grammarly.
- 3/26/19 Poll: Activities when losing focus noted in poll comments: watch videos; housework; write something else; nap; physically move to a new space to write.
- 3/30/19 Poll: I purposely used the four categories of my personal interest in this poll. Two people commented:
- Sci-Fi
- Crime Fiction and a split between contemporary Lit.
What did I learn? I learned that I was almost always in the lower percentage of the polls. I embrace being different so very much!
What was I surprised by? 64% of those that answered had never taken an online writing course – I’m one of the 64% (the only poll where I was with the majority).
As much as the poll was unscientific, it helped me interact with the writing community.
National Pound Cake Day
NATIONAL POUND CAKE DAY
Today, March 4th is National Pound Cake Day among other named days. *
According to my journal, I last baked the pound cake noted below in the Spring of 2017. I was living away from my home state temporarily at a Fisher House in the state of Virginia. A close family member was recuperating in a hospital at the time. A lady I’d met months before at the house gave me this recipe. I’d made pound cakes for years with a sour cream addition. The variation of using heavy whipping cream instead was a recipe I was eager to try. The cake turned out well, and I must admit other people at the house thought the same.
I’ve lived in the northeastern United States my entire life. My time in Virginia on that trip lasted close to a year. I had the pleasure of learning the so-called ‘southern hospitality’ was a real thing. The Fisher House was a home away from home. It was always a delight to get a warm welcome from a house guest after a long and sometimes emotional day at the hospital. Most houseguests got a chance to return the favor in kind. I’d have to say it was rare that there wasn’t prepared meals, snacks and fresh baked goods waiting for the guests at the end of their day. Houseguests and staff alike shared in the hospitality that made the time at the house bearable as the hospital patients recuperated.
I don’t have nutritional information for this scratch recipe. And hey, do you really want to know anyway?
So, in the spirit of National Pound Cake Day, here’s my contribution.
(*By the way, today is also National Hug a G.I. Day. My G.I. has been hugged today and he loved the pound cake!) 😊
Whipping Cream Pound Cake
Ingredients:
5 or 6 eggs
½ pint heavy whipping cream
2 sticks of softened butter
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
2 ¾ cups granulated sugar
(A Bundt pan can be used for this recipe, but I use the tube pan to get better results for this heavy cake)
Grease a large tube pan with a light layer of shortening and dust with flour.
(Notes: I used 5 eggs, the original recipe called for 3 cups of sugar; this makes a large cake – if desired, a reduction by half in the ingredients would make a smaller loaf pound cake)
DIRECTIONS
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs (preferably room temperature) one at a time beating each into the mixture, then repeat the process with each egg.
Add the vanilla extract.
Stir in equal amounts of flour, then whipping cream and stir. Repeat adding whipping cream and flour until the last amount of flour is mixed into the batter.
Bake at 300 degrees F. for 1 hour 45 minutes (I preheated the oven for only 5 minutes or less before baking)
Check for doneness with a toothpick or clean butter knife.
National Clam Chowder Day
Photo by julie aagaard on Pexels.com
Today, January 25th is National Clam Chowder Day. I promised on a blog post last year that I’d revisit the subject of National Days. Better late than never, I always say. The 25th of February is also National Chocolate Covered Nut Day. I prefer chocolate covered nuts much more than clam chowder, but I learned clam chowder was a more interesting subject.
Are you aware that clam chowder has over nine variations? I mean, who knew? Maybe clam chowder lovers were aware, but not I. Not being a huge clam chowder fan, I can say that I’ve eaten clam chowder at times throughout the years. As a child and into adulthood, I only knew about two types of clam chowder: Manhattan and New England. I always preferred the Manhattan chowder for its tomato base and flavor.
Why does clam chowder deserve a special day? While I can’t answer the question, I believe the issue is not as subjective as I’d originally thought. National ‘Singles Awareness Day’ was observed just last week. If you’re single, aren’t you aware of it every day of the year? If you’re single by choice, shouldn’t you celebrate it every day? Maybe ‘National Singles Day’ would be a better term. Semantics, I know. National ‘Fun at Work Day’ is observed later this week. I wonder how many employers will buy into making the work day ‘fun’ for employees without sacrificing their bottom line? A day of fun at work is possible for some professions, though. When you consider there are ‘National Days’ slated for just about anything, naming a day for a chowder with multiple variations might be reasonable.
Besides New England and Manhattan clam chowder, I’ve read about variations of clam chowder named Rhode Island, Delaware, New Jersey, Hatteras, Minorcan, Long Island, and Puget Sound. It seems the different areas of the United States add or omit ingredients to the chowder, thus giving it a unique name that stuck with the region. While I won’t go into the details of all the variations, I found one interesting variation I’d like to try. Hatteras clam chowder is prepared with celery, carrots, potatoes, onions, and clam juice. My own favorite potato soup recipe has almost all the ingredients of the Hatteras variety, less the clam component.
If nothing else, clam chowder and its many varieties are interesting enough, in my opinion, to have a National Day observance. My opinion counts – at least on this blog. Personally, as a writer, I’m looking forward to National Tell a Fairy Tale Day tomorrow.
If you like clam chowder, which one is your favorite, and why?
References:
https://www.homeandplate.com/blog/2015-2-hatteras-clam-chowder/
https://nationaldaycalendar.com/february/
https://www.ehow.com/info_8355520_different-kinds-clam-chowders.html
Creativity While Writing
What spurs your creativity while writing?
Very often during my writing process, I take mini-breaks to update social media or read the news, etc. Today, a subject about music and writing came to mind.
Music has been an important part of my entire life. There’s something to the saying about music being the “soundtrack” of one’s life. Name me a few top ten songs on the ‘Pop’ charts during my childhood or young adulthood. I’ll probably be able to tell you what was going on in my life just by the mention of the songs’ title.
Sadly, music for the past decade or more hasn’t had too much of an impact on my memory retention. Almost exclusively now, I find myself listening to songs from twenty or more years ago.
Music gives me inspiration at the beginning, middle and end of my day. I thank my parents for always playing records and having music available during my early years. If ever I were on the proverbial desert island, I’d want an endless soundtrack of music to enjoy.
One of the MC’s in my current short story collection is thinking of The Carpenter’s song “Close to You” when she meets who she thinks is a potential love interest. I listened to the song for inspiration to help me along with the MC’s feelings at that moment.
At other times, I take a short walk outside just to breathe in fresh air and my stories are rejuvenated.
What inspires your creativity in the writing process?
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Writing Rituals
I’ve read about writers who have very detailed and specific writing rituals. My rituals aren’t as detailed as I’ve heard others claim. I could probably imagine a space that would make my senses pop if I put more thought into the process. For now, what follows is my writing ritual at the present time.
I have space in my home where most of my writing gets done. The lighting is based on the time of day and how I’m feeling. If I’m having a not-so-good morning, shades are closed, and the lights are set to low. When I’m raring to go, natural light and hydration are all I need. In the evenings, lights are set to as bright as possible. Due to various reasons my writing space needs to be mobile. The constants are my paper notepads, pen, pencil, laptop, electronic tablet, and a beverage.
Silence, while I’m writing, is now a must. Silence helps with my creativity and clears thoughts in my head. However, silence in my surroundings isn’t always possible. A frequent pre-writing ritual of mine is doing meditation. Guided meditation with audio files or silent meditation helps me start the day or clear my thoughts toward the end of the day. After meditation, I listen to a few of my favorite songs while I check email and update social media.
When I was younger and away at college, I could write an entire essay with music blaring all around. I know those days are gone forever. There’s enough mumbo jumbo going on inside my head without adding music to the mix.
I’ve changed habits over time and my current writing rituals will most likely change in some way going forward. I normally do what works for me at the present time.
What’s your writing ritual?
Mulberries
I remember the tree that stood only yards away from my grandmother’s front yard when I was a child. I called it ‘the berry tree’. I’ve since learned the berries I loved to pick and eat where I stood were actually mulberries.
I’ve been wanting to do a history book relating to the section of town where my fondest memories of childhood exist. The street where I grew up is no longer considered a street. Trees on the hillside have grown where the houses use to stand. The street is currently blocked off with concrete barriers. Its name is only referenced on historical maps of the city.
I came across an online forum where people were commenting on various city streets’ history. The area where my grandmother’s house stood was mentioned. The consensus was that it was a forgotten street and houses probably never stood on the street. The comments had to be from people too young to remember or ones that didn’t research. I had to set the record straight, of course. I commented that people did live on the street. Cars actually drove up and down the street that served as a connection to a busy avenue. The huge sinkhole or “cave-in” as we called it back then, closed the street off to thru traffic. That event was the beginning of the end. However, people lived on the street on the street for another twenty-five years or so after the cave-in.
At some point, I’m going to dig through old pictures I took as a child/teenager who loved cameras. I hope to find snapshots that show the house and street that’s forgotten. Most adults that lived on the street at the time are long gone from this earth. If the pictures can’t be found, I have my memories which are still clear enough to tell the story.
R. H. W. Dorsey - Author / Novelist 
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