Snowballing, Rebounding or All Five

One step forward 

Three back stumbles 

"HEY! What's going on?"

 If I could clear the sand from my eyes, would I notice the layers? 

 Or would I be looking at it all from the other side of the room? 

 What would I see? Would I see me or would it seem reflected from the eyes of a fly? 

Is there a difference?

KKD 
all rights reserved

Excerpt from:

Before I Scream: Deep thoughts from the sober and strange lady in the glasses, 

Karla Domanski, 2022

I'll Tell You Three Things

 She wasn't supposed to go to the party. She was supposed to be on bed rest for at least six months. However, the party was being thrown by her best friend and she was aware of how many of the invited guests would not be there. She insisted on being there for her friend. 

There were plenty of seats, including a gigantic sectional sofa. She sat with other guests but didn't participate in the chatter or the games. Every once in a while she would say something like "really?" or "that sounds nice", but she was quiet and a bit afraid she seemed like a snob. 

Photo by Adam Jang on Unsplash

There was a short break in the middle so a few could go outside and smoke. That left a few of us sitting inside. Well, except for me. Somehow I found myself standing in front of three grown women, giving a lecture on how society "norms" should accommodate people who were convalescing. She should have felt comfortable asking for the corner and one side of the sofa to lay back and participate from a comfortable spot. A person in her position should not feel she has to make a choice between fun socialization or comfort when there is a way for her to have both. 

I'm Not A Speaker...

Then I realized all three strangers were looking at me. Not only were they looking at me, they were LISTENING. AND I was actually COMFORTABLE with it.  As far as impromptu speeches go, it wasn't all that enlightening, but I hope what I had to say influences and spreads to many more. 

Let's make it normal to include everyone without making them feel as though they are a special case. 

Let's keep it real. 

Side note: The party was a Pure Romance party. If you are a woman who has never attended one, let me tell you it is not what you might imagine it would be. Go to one. You'll love it. 

We're All In The Same Boat - A Continuing Review

Let’s Discuss Some Classics! 

Three Men In A Boat can be read in a Kindle compilation of classic books everyone should take the time to read. I'm not making money on it. The book is free and the link can be found at the bottom of this little piece. :)

This is a humorously philosophical book that begins with the narrator discussing how he knows he doesn’t have long to live because of the number of illnesses with which he suffers. He knows he has them because every circular containing ads for medicines lists the same symptoms from which he suffers and he has looked up symptoms in his book on diseases. Among his afflictions are typhoid fever, gout, liver problems, and zymosis. However, he does not have Handmaid’s Knee and this actually puts him off a bit. He goes so far as to check his pulse and heartbeat. At first, he cannot detect either of them - which is very troubling. 

Convinced he will be a prize to medical science, he visits his doctor, describes all his symptoms and endures the tests to confirm his self-diagnoses. The doctor writes out a prescription and hands it to him:

1 lb of beefsteak

1 pt of bitter bear every six hours

1 ten-mile walk every morning

1 bed at 11 sharp every night

And don’t stuff up your head with things you don’t understand. 

The prescription makes him feel better and after several weeks, he is pleased to still be alive. 

Now, he is in a boat with two other men who have their own symptoms of various diseases, although he is sure that one man doesn’t have the problems. He just needs a good psychiatrist. 

 

I have not finished the book yet, but I will have it read by tomorrow. Still, I think I can tell you where the phrase “All in the same boat” came from and I am astounded at how little people have changed throughout history.  Back then, it was advertisements and books that scared readers. Now, it is advertisements and Google. ;-)

So far the book is a good one. Within just a few pages, I have smiled, laughed, and spent time in consideration of the human condition. 

Three Men In A Boat was written by Jerome K. Jerome and was published in 1887. 

Find it on Amazon:

Note: The Kindle book is free and I do not make money from zero :)

This Is Not What I Wanted And I Cannot Read Chinese

 What I ordered:

What I received:

Puppies For Sale - NO REALLY (not)

So, months ago I heard about a scam where people used Facebook to sell their puppies, but convinced buyers to send deposits and then blocked them without an address. 

I forgot. 

They were English Bulldogs. She was from a town not half an hour away, and I just knew I wanted one. I couldn't afford one, but it was late, I was tired, and they were going "fast". Fortunately, my Cash App caught it and stopped the transfer for my security. The next morning, the woman (who knows, really, I think it was a guy -- and English was not his first language. I offered to bring all the cash to the house with me: "We can be there in half an hour".  

"I will send the address when you send the deposit again (different name)."

So it went on, I told them what I thought, they insisted they were not tricking me. I asked for a picture of the woman in the profile photo holding one of the puppies. Nothing. I asked for a video chat.  (Yes, fully knowing they were scammers - I played with the man(?) woman (?). 

"I'm not with them right now."

"Keep the pup. Not interested."

"I'm not making tricks. I am not tricking people out of their 'hardearned' money."

"Send me your address and I'll meet you at your house with money in hand."

"I need you to send money in cash app". 

"Karma is real, buddy. Best of luck to you. By the way, your English needs some work."

Blocked and reported. 

Two weeks later the same profile was selling "Yorkers".  Nice job, Facebook. 

I must give two thumbs up to Cash App, two thumbs down for FB security, and a slap on my own face for falling for it. 

I had even named him or her: This was "Stanley" or "Ruby". 

Don't send puppy deposits through any cash apps. Seriously. 👀

 

I'll Take That Medium, Please

I have had an account on Medium for three years now, and I have just started using it. So far, I've written three posts. The goal is to write at least one post a day for the next two months and post AT LEAST three times a week every week thereafter. I have set the goal according to what I have been reading about how to make money on Medium. Views = $$$ and the more you write, the more views you get. There is no promise of riches, but from what I've seen already, a good supplemental income can be found on Medium.

 What I like: 

• I have power over what I write and how often I write. 
• There are thousands of excellent writers on Medium and I enjoy trying to read them all. 
• There is something for everyone! Any interest you have is expressed on Medium.
• A membership costs $5 a month. Even if I didn't write, the $5 is worth the chance to read.

  Find Me and Join Here

Online Learning - Alison vs Coursera

I have enjoyed learning on Alison, but I have also found that there are some courses that are substandard. It is almost as though they are accepting any type of course rather than paying attention to how it is written and laid out. Does that mean learning on Alison is not worth it? No. It means that if you really want to learn and get good recognition for your learning, you need to be careful to examine the courses you are taking. I did not finish my last course and I don't regret it, either. I found that I already knew most of what was being taught and I easily identified where they went wrong. I want to learn what I don't know, not what I do know. I also want to be confident I am getting the most from my membership. I have learned from content writing courses and a deep reading course. I feel that I was given relevant information presented in such a way that it was interesting and learnable. That is why I will contine to look at courses. So why am I talking about all this? Well, I am now taking courses through Coursera. The courses on Coursera are taught by colleges and universities. There are many free courses with certificates for a fee, but there are also degree programs available. You can earn your degree by paying for each class on a monthly basis. You may be surprised at the low cost of tuition. If you do not want to earn a degree, diploma, or certificate, you also have the option of auditing classes. Alison's certificates and diplomas cost less, but one must be cautious about finding the best. Coursera requires more study time. Of course that is to be expected when the courses are taught by experts and professors. I find it comforting. I don't know about you, but I expect to have to work hard to learn important things. If it is too easy, then what is the point? While some links I offer are affiliate links (I get credits towards paying for certifates for sign-ups), I am not using this blog to make money. Here is where I talk. Sometimes I vent, sometimes I brag, and sometimes I just dream. Although I'm not selling, I do hope you enjoy what you read and follow my ramblings. I would also love to hear from you. Check out Alison Check out Coursera

Oh, Alison, Alison - I'm Learning Online For Free!

 Regardless of an inability to pay, I love to learn. Alison offers a myriad of free courses online. You can earn certificates and diplomas in specific areas and I truly enjoy taking the courses. However, while the courses are free, the certificates and diplomas (proof) do cost money. Let's get this straight: I'm not complaining. I understand that is how they make money and it really is a good deal. 

 I have earned 3 certificates and am working on a diploma. Most of it is actually a review of things I have learned already, but it has definitely been worth reviewing - even though some of it has been very repetitive. Ugh. I still recommend Alison for those who want to show extra knowledge to their current and/or prospective employers as well as those who simply wish to learn for their own self-enrichment. 

Screenshot with a link: 

Get Your Own Alison Account

My Quiet Place

 As a dreamer, that is both a night and day dreamer, I have been almost obsessed with the idea of creative visualization. When I was thirty years younger, I collected enough visualization books to fill an entire 4 foot shelf. The topics included everything from chakras to interpretation and dialogues to scenic environments. I told myself I was using creative visualization to attain success in the so-called important things in life, but I ended up using it more as an escape from life than anything else. I suppose that in the long run I have drawn some value from it. For example, it gave me a chance to de-stress, unwind, and gain some insight into the workings of my own mind. I have often wondered if such things make me self-centered or simply more enlightened. Perhaps it has been a little of both. 

My favorite visualization is my quiet place. This is the place I have carefully put together and decorated to my tastes. As instructed in one book, I put all my senses into it. There is the scent of flowers, rain and old books, the sounds of various birds and frogs, the surroundings that give me joy, and the full sense of the variety of textures. I am hesitant to describe it in too much detail. It feels as though if I do, I am allowing you to enter. This is MY place. Well, aside from the people I invite to sit and drink coffee with me. I love the one on one time -- the discussions I have had with my deceased father, the philosophical talks I have had with Pope John Paul III (by the way, I am not Catholic), the arguments/insightful talks with friends. I love to dialogue and there is something about utilizing the personalities and minds (what I know of them, anyway) to come to a resolution or realize there are no solutions… and that is usually okay. 

I do not visit my quiet place as often as I used to.  The last time I was there, vines had covered it and dust had settled everywhere. A good clean-up is overdue. That will take some extra time. I shall create a broom and sweep the floors. Shake the rug. Clean the window. The flower bed needs to be weeded. Perhaps replanted. But the vines can stay. I love vines. I’ll add a trestle and pull them away from the window so I can watch the sun set. 

If I can remember where it is, of course. Lately I have been getting lost along the way. 

KK Domanski

AKA Scattered Daisy

Reading and Writing at Scattered Daisy

 The project is Scattered Daisy - a website built around books, writing, and a touch of other creative arts. Reviews, summaries, discussions, contests and education are the focus.  I am determined to see this through - and so everyday I work at it. I write content. I create images. I sign up for affiliate programs. I read, write, and consider.  I'm scheduled to launch on June 1st. 

Scattered Daisy

Brainstorming is the name of the game and perseverance is the key to finding the destination. 

I Can Laugh - Just Not Too Hard

I had two seizures and broke ribs in the front and back. I seized again in the emergency room. 

That happened last week - on Mother's Day. Since then, I have been on a steady diet of ibuprofen, Salon Pas, my regular anti-seizure medication and prescribed pain medication. 

What to do, now? 

Well, thank God my knee and spine aren't bothering me.  No arthritis cream for me!

Ahem.  Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock on wood.

Lost And Found In Grief

On December 9, 2020, my life was inexorably changed. That was the day I lost my sister to cancer. She was two years older than me and a big sister in every way. She drove me crazy, pissed me off, made me laugh, made me cry and was always there for me. 

 

You are loved

Grief never really leaves, but little by little, it is possible to live with the pain and still be happy. If you had told me that a couple of years ago, I would not have believed you. In fact, I would have been disgusted. To me, that would have meant that whoever you had grieved for did not mean as much to you as Valerie did to me. So who the heck would you think you were to give me that kind of "support"?  

I did lose a part of myself. I will never be the same. However, one does not have to remain lost to prove love for a lost sibling/friend/spouse...

My path is different from the one I was on when my sister died, but there are still many places to see, people to meet, and experiences to be had. 

I'm working on my book. I'm writing short stories. I'm back to freelance writing. I'm posting in my blog again. 

Hello my few and treasured readers! How have you been?

That Was Then

Those things that used to make me cry and scream out loud now bring me to hysterical laughter.

If I'm crazy, at least I know why. 😉

Do Something

When you cannot find the motivation to do anything, do something.

That is a paraphrase of a piece of advice I saw on a video about getting out of a rut and getting moving again. For the life of me, I cannot remember which video it was, only that it was on a channel provided by my Roku... which brings me to where I was at when I happened on that ray of sunshine.

I have been streaming and binge watching to ridiculous degrees lately and while some of this has been because of a dental infection, I am sorry to admit that it has mostly been a lack of motivation. I've been waiting for inspiration and apparently watching dozens upon dozens of old episodes of Cheers and Star Trek does not inspire me to do anything more than continue to watch even more TV and melt into my couch.

So: I'm doing something. I'm writing about this rut I've been in for the last few weeks and the despair I've been feeling about losing sight of what it is I have planned to do and exactly how I am going to do it. At this moment I am still at a loss.

Admitting you have a problem is the first step, right? Well, here I am admitting it. 

There. I did something. I might just go and do something else. But it won't involve my Roku.

Scattered Daisies

Scattered by KK Domanski (Webb) 

Childhood Memories - 1

My big sister and I are two and a half years apart. When we were little, we spent a lot of time playing together, getting in trouble together, and of course, fighting. But most of my memories are of the fun times we had just pretending. I'll write more about those times, later. Right now, I am remembering the hearth bench that used to sit along the wall in our living room. It was a wonderful bench --- long and spacey underneath. Enough room for two small children to hide.

Our bedtime was unreasonably early, especially since we knew the best TV shows were on after 8 o'clock and our mom and -sometimes our two older sisters- were sitting in the nice, cozy living room enjoying the shows without us.

So we learned to get very, very sneaky. I don't remember whose idea that was, but I am fairly sure it was my sister's idea.  Of course. It must have been. 😏   Anyway, we would make our way down the stairs, crawl on our hands and knees through the kitchen and across the dining room floor, and into the living room, being very careful to stay close to the wall and out of sight of the couch. We would hide under that hearth bench and watch shows like "Wonder Woman" and "Charlie's Angels"... you know - the best of the late 70's shows. It was unbelievably satisfying to know that we were stealthy enough to never get caught.

Left to right: My sister and me

Thinking back, I suspect that my mom probably knew we were there at least some of the time, but she let us get away with it. Or it could be that she is deaf in one ear and we had that advantage...

That is probably my favorite memory with her. Well that, or the Baby Blue Detective Agency we formed with my best friend. That was a couple of years later. We were just like Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden.  😃

I end it here because it is as good a place as any and it continues.

Sometimes Less Really Is More

My blog is due to launch in just under six weeks and I am once again scrambling on what it is that I really want my blog to be about. I know I want a blog about creativity, but I am afraid I may have bitten off more than I can chew. I have to narrow the niche. My biggest problem with that is that I have already started telling everyone about my big blog launch and how it encompasses all those fantastic creative areas. To put it plainly, my biggest problem is the fear of looking foolish before I even get started.

Ouch. I have three options:

1. Swallow my pride now and do what I know I can do. 
2. Fail miserably at trying to do more than I capable of doing. 
3. Throw up my hands, give up, and cover my head with a blanket. 

Option one sounds best - even if it is a bit chilly in here.

Caroling, Anybody?

I have never had the awesome experience of answering a knock on the door to a group of people who were there just to sing for me. I there are people who complain about carolers this time of year, but I am one of those who would love to be serenaded by people singing Christmas songs. As a matter of fact, I would probably get tears in my eyes and maybe even join in.

That brings me to the question, have you or would you ever be part of a group of carolers? I would love to say that I would, but unless I'm spending Christmas in the south, I would be far too cold to enjoy it.

Merry Christmas, everybody! If you want to carol outside my home, come on over! I'll even make you some hot chocolate.

Baby It's Cold Outside

When I grow up, I am going to be a snow bird.  

Winter is for crazy people

You know - summers up north and winters down south? I grew up in Michigan, lived in Arizona for a while, and am now I'm back in minus zero temps. I don't like it one tiny bit. 

 I am hoping my husband sees fit to join me when I go. I'd hate to do it alone. I'd miss him. 

I Want To Listen To A Story

Do you remember radio plays? I was a child at the tail-end of that wonderful form of entertainment. I used to love listening to radio plays on my mama's favorite station. It was like being read to, but watching a movie at the same time. At least that is how I described it, then. The truth was that it got my imagination running and I could get lost in the story just. Like. That.

It took a while before I gave in and  tried Audible books. I have always been a reader and something seemed, well, lazy about it. I am not a child, anymore. I can read for myself, thank you very much. That is why when an old friend of mine suggested that I should try listening to books on audio while I was busy with housework or driving, I smiled slightly and changed the subject.

Three years later, I finally tried it. I started yesterday and I have listened to two lectures on writing creative fiction and half of a novel. I want to point out that I have been busy while listening to the novel. The lectures? I take notes and then do the assignments that he suggests. I've been listening for two days and I am in love with Audible.

Honestly, I am a little frustrated at the thought that I won't have time to listen tomorrow. TWO, count'em TWO family Thanksgivings to attend. How dare my precious family time take up my audio book time? 

No, really. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving. Honest. I can listen on Friday.

Happy Thanksgiving!