daily prompt

Expensive

Name the most expensive personal item you’ve ever purchased (not your home or car).

Bud and I went to a music store to pick up guitar strings one day. He looked longingly at the Martin Guitars on display as he always did. I asked which he’d choose if price didn’t matter. He said he’d always wanted the Martin HD28. I summoned the sales person and bought it on the spot. Bud was stunned. I turned out to be a joyous choice. He got serious about learning and has become quite good. It’s brought us both many hours of enjoyment. I’m glad I bought it. I

t’s harder to be happy about the banjo he bought himself.

Literature

What was your favorite subject in school?

I loved reading. I used to tear through the stories in my reader. My favorite reader was Runaway Home. The father took a year off work to paint. The reader detailed their adventures while traveling the country in a camper. It seemed like a dream come true. I did not enjoy the reading aloud in class. I read ahead while trying to pay just enough attention to hear when I was called upon. It must have been misery for the poor readers waiting for their turn to read. I dreaded it along with them, knowing they’d have to laboriously stumble through a paragraph or two. I stayed in trouble for dashing through my work so I could pull a library book out of my desk.

Screen Time

How do you manage screen time for yourself?

Managing screen time is a non-issue for me. I budget my time like money. Needs come first, then wants. The internet is a tool for my use, not my taskmaster.

Time

Do you need time?

No. I don’t have to try to squeeze too much into a day anymore, something to be grateful for. When my children were little, I got up at 5:00 am and cooked a hot breakfast while I dressed for work. I usually folded a load of clothes and put another in the washer. My daughter always wanted grits and eggs so that involved some cooking.

At 5:00, I handed off to Bud. He got the kids up, made sure they were dressed in clothes we’d put out the night before, and on the bus..

Upon arriving home, I put clothes in the dryer and another in the washer, then started dinner while Bud and I tag-teamed on homework, dinner, and baths. We usually shared family time till bedtime while I entertained myself loading the dishwasher or folding a load of clothes.

By 9:00, we were usually grateful to settle down to a cup of tea or coffee and a little evening relaxation. Of course, I put on a load of laundry on the way to bed.

No one knows what they are signing on for when starting a family. I am grateful for my family then and now. Time is relative.

Life

What will your life be like in three years?

Who knows? I hope it continues the way it is. In the seventh decade as in the first, there could be lots of changes. I’ll hope for the best and deal with hope for the best.

Appreciation

Invent a holiday! Explain how and why everyone should celebrate.

Appreciation Day would be a good idea. We all interact with people every day that really help us: store associates, customer service people, mail carriers. The list is endless.

WordPress

What are your favorite websites?

WordPress is my top website. I write constantly and make entries under drafts as they occurred to me. At my convenience, I flesh out the ideas. At some point I complete my story.

Of course, I cannot help checking my statistics. The comments are the icing on the cake. I have made so many good friends on WordPress.

Pompey

What historical event fascinates you the most?

The devastation of Pompey resulting from the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A D has fascinated me since I first learned of it. The images of its residents frozen in time made them victims to me, not long lost faceless humans. I felt a connection to those fleeing the terror of the eruption. It was all to clear they were fully aware they were doomed. No one, man or beast escaped the wrath of Vesuvius.

Hatred

What’s something you believe everyone should know.

This is a hard one. I don’t want to get political but everyone should educate themselves before they vote, If a candidate espouses hatred and marginalizes others, they are looking out for themselves, not the people.