Tag: blogging

Dogs Have Personalities

dog_german_bad_dogOn the way to work this morning we stopped at a red light. We could feel the stare of someone on the side of us. You all know the feeling, when your hairs stand up on your skin like antennae. My husband noticed it first since he notices everything. He can somehow see everything you’re doing in your car. So, turning slightly to the left there he was. All fury and bursting with energy. Tongue hung over the front of his mouth and …wait, “did he just smile at me?” I think a dog just smiled at me. He may have winked too. I’m not very good in the doggie breeding category so I don’t know what kind of dog he was but as long as he knows that I know his secret. It all started back in 2007, before which I was a cat woman. As a child I treasured the company of tiny paws and purring sounds. The ease of having them to jump up in your lap, petting had never been so fun. But today cats are just kind of creepy. They’re always sneaking around and peeking around the corner. Showing up at the oddest times, “where did you come from?” Destroying something I’m sure. Anyway, back to the story.

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Lady and the children Top to bottom: Faatimah (in pink), Autumn (hips), David, and Menelik

So yes, 2007. My husband and I, (unwed then) received a puppy (Rottweiler) from some friends. Technically she was a puppy but didn’t really look like it. She was almost my height so I was never really convinced. The dog absolutely loved to lounge on the couch downstairs from which she was strongly prohibited. Did she obey? No. She jumped up on the sofa every chance she got and crossed her little paws like she was the queen of the castle. I mean sure she guarded things but sista girl needed to get one thing straight: I am the woman of this house. We named her Lady because aside from her obvious doggy demeanor she was everything but a dog. As you can see she loved to take pictures and happened to be very photogenic. I don’t know who she thought she was (to my knowledge America’s Top Doggies didn’t exist). She handled herself nice and dainty like. I kept trying to tell her she wasn’t as petite as she thought she was, but what I said didn’t seem to matter. She walked around the house like she was made up of feathers though company made it very clear we’d adopted the most dangerous animal known to man. So did her appetite. That didn’t stop her from switching across the floor though, moving her butt from side to side like she had hips. I didn’t play that though, no male doggie company until you are of age young lady. Although now that I think about it, I’m sure she lied about her age.

PS_Hotel_KingRoom_newThe straw that broke the camel’s back was in ’09. We’d traveled from Chicago to Dallas in my husband’s truck with little Miss thing in the backseat. What a trip that was. Upon our arrival we checked into a hotel that would allow for pets. Usually I just got my mother to doggy sit but that wasn’t happening this time. The last time mama came over Lady made it very clear that she could take care of herself. Needless to say my mother wasn’t very enthusiastic about doing this again. So we check into the hotel and although very nervous about leaving her there, we decided to take a risk. It was a business trip and we did not have the time to stick around. Amidst all of the fun we were having, we forgot about Lady in the hotel room. It was dark when we got back and I braced myself for the destruction we would have to pay for on account of this child we left to her own devices. But when we opened the door laughter escaped us. I think we laughed for a good 15 minutes straight. We had one of those comfortable sofa chairs and the dog was sitting on the chair with her paws crossed and watching television. I couldn’t make this up if I tried. Nothing was out of place. Nothing chewed on. The only thing this prissy little lady wanted to do was sit uninterrupted on the most comfortable spot in the house. I eventually accepted her for who she was and went out and bought this neat little electronic device that could be used to trim your dog’s nails, since Lady made it very clear that she’d never had a mani pedi before.

So now I know the secret: 101 Dalmatians was not just a movie. If your a dog lover listen to me very closely, this is not a joke: all dogs have personalities. They talk when your away and act like people as soon as you turn your back. I’m just warning you.

Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Rainer Maria Rilke

Smile, it’s Writer’s Quote Wednesday :). Don’t be shy, Join us:

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http://silverthreading.com/2015/01/21/writers-quote-wednesdaypoet-victor-hugo-2015-4/

This week, I quote Rainer Maria Rilke:

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There are two books I always carry with me: 1). The Bible and 2). Letters to a Young Poet. Don’t laugh, but I thought Rainer Maria Rilke was a woman before I saw his picture! It was Sister Act 2 when I first heard his name, so I looked into it to see if Sister Mary Clarence really knew what she was talking about. Here’s my diagnostic of this quote.

Primarily, Letters to a Young Poet has some of the most inspiring quotes concerning life and love. There is such profound truth here. We tend to go through life expecting to be given the answers to every question in the momentary whim to which we seek them. It never occurs to us that we are not in a position to handle the answer to that question. But if we focus on living, and we live, we will stumble upon the answer at a time when we are wiser and more mature. We will understand it then, though we may not understand it now. 

This book itself began as letters Rainer wrote to a young man who was interested in the art of poetry. These letters have been combined into what can be easily mistaken as a book of poetry itself, as it reads.

About the Author: (from Wikipedia)

MTE5NTU2MzE2MzU4MDg0MTA3“René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke (4 December 1875 – 29 December 1926) — better known as Rainer Maria Rilke) — was a Bohemian-Austrian poet and novelist, widely recognized as one of the most lyrically intense German-language poets writing in both verse and highly lyrical prose. Several critics have described Rilke’s work as inherently “mystical”. His writings include one novel, several collections of poetry, and several volumes of correspondence in which he invokes haunting images that focus on the difficulty of communion with the ineffable in an age of disbelief, solitude, and profound anxiety. These deeply existential themes tend to position him as a transitional figure between the traditional and the modernist writers.”

Love me not Hypocritically

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Do not share my joy when I’m whole
And not have compassion on these holes
Cuz
I’ve seen some wars and I admit
Some of these memories are like scenic routes to civil wars
Some of these
Bruises are footsteps soldiers left on my self-esteem
Some of these
Birthmarks led to scripture
You see
Some of these injuries are walking Deuteronomy’s
do not love me
Hypocritically
Do not praise my sunshine without offering me shelter when it rains
Cause trust
I’ve been left out in the cold
That
Forming crease in your face, yea I’ve seen it before
Do not
Love my sun rays just cause you aint seen my floods
Do not accept my heart until you know that there are earthquakes
that left its cracks in my skin
Till you can understand that
Tornadoes left destruction lying desolate in my memories
Do not weep for me
Hypocritically
If you can’t share my joy
And my pain too
Do not praise my strength
then abandon me in those moments I aint too strong
Don’t mutter my lyrics and throw rocks at my song
Do not love me whole
Without having compassion on these holes
Unconditionally
Do not love me
Hypocritically ……

Blogging 101- Introduce Yourself

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No, I’m probably not going to take this course. It’s not something I want to do at this time, but I will be taking part in some of its prompts from time to time. Truth is I’m still a new blogger but I’m not new to blogging. I’m new to blogging at this rate, in this form and with this much interaction which has been extremely cool (yaass). I’ve been at this address since August, but I have done some blogging before going back two years so I’m not that green. When I saw the “Introduce Yourself” prompt though I considered diving in. Not necessarily because of the course itself, but because I think it’s a great way to re-establish my goals for this blog and to strengthen my relationship with my readers, especially those of you just coming aboard.

I know Pearls Before Swine is an awkward enough title, so let me briefly explain what it means and how it relates to this blog and me as an individual. For a more in depth explanation however please visit my about page here:

http://atomic-temporary-72317077.wpcomstaging.com/about/

as well as this previous post about the meaning of my subtitle:
http://atomic-temporary-72317077.wpcomstaging.com/2014/11/24/truth-is-stranger-than-fiction-what-it-means/.

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Available now on Amazon.com

Pearls Before Swine is first the title of a book series I began a year ago. The story surrounds the discovery of forbidden magical diamonds and their connection to the alleged rape of Ja’mella Jones, a famous hair stylist on the West side of Chicago. This project was the initial inspiration for this blog.

The Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

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Pearls Before Swine is also a phrase taken out of Matthew Chapter 7 verse 6 of the bible which obviously indicates that I am a bible believer. I am not a Christian, but I believe in the bible from Genesis to Revelation and it is the foundation to which my life is built. While I do not consider myself religious in nature it hasn’t stopped people from referring to me as such which is annoying, but I don’t sweat it. I know a lot of people are not used to disassociating the bible from religion, to understand that it is not a religious book, but that it is a history book, an instruction manual for all of mankind. In short, I am a spiritual centered individual and you will often see me reference this spirituality in my writing. Don’t expect me to preach to you though, I believe more in the actual putting to practice of the bible than the quoting of scripture. I believe the physical is important because we live on the physical, but I also believe the spiritual is important because it is higher than the physical.

Symbolically Speaking

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I chose Pearls Before Swine as the title to this blog because I love to write symbolically, objectively, and metaphorically; being able to compare objects or use them as symbols to stand-in for a much more complex, and generally more abstract idea. Experimenting with the creativity that embodies this form of writing is most exciting. I notice that one of the most interesting ways that people learn is by way of symbols because it appeals to the subconscious, and I enjoy incorporating this into my writing. It is the reason for both the title and subtitle of this blog. Pearls Before Swine and Truth is Stranger than Fiction encompasses my style of writing, my inspiration, my poetry, my mission, and my foundation.

Why Blog?

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I still keep notebooks and the notepad on my phone stays full. While I don’t share all of my thoughts with the world I’m always writing. Though I don’t publish a post, I’m still writing in some way. Over time I’ve kept my poetry and short stories within the private confines of my mind. It was a personal, regional thing that belonged to just me. As time progressed however I would go on to publish my first book of poetry and begin attending Open Mic Nights. Public speaking took those things that were once personal and brought them to the mainstream. As such it has helped me to come to terms with my own voice and how it is needed in the world. It helped me to see that not only did I need to share these words but the power of words when they are combined with voice, tone, and emotion. As someone once said, “a poet knows they will never trade the written word for the spoken word”. Who said it? I don’t know, read it somewhere.

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While some poems are written to be read on paper, some are also written to be spoken. I’ll be the first to tell you that feedback is as essential to the art as putting it into practice. Blogging is kind of like an internship, a way to work at what you love and receive the same kind of attention and open dialogue as you would if you wrote for a magazine. Believe it or not blogging is not a small deal; it does actually help to put experience under your belt. It is the reason some have elevated to celebrity status simply through the impact their blogs had on others. I’m not trying to do the celebrity thing, but the point is that it helps. It is networking and community management. So I do appreciate the feedback whether it’s in the form of encouragement or constructive criticism. Introducing my writing to the world stage by way of books and Spoken Word has helped nurture my writing and  speaking in ways I could not have done alone. From this perspective, I blog because I think blogging can help nurture writers the same as debates can help develop the skills of an aspiring attorney.

My mission then for the existence of this blog is to spread truth by way of the spoken and written word, to provoke thought among the limited ways we tend to think and feel, and to inspire others the same as others have inspired me.

Does Your Blog Reflect Your Purpose?

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This is a question I ask myself often. I must admit it didn’t turn out to be what I initially intended it to be, but that’s a good thing. Personally I think it’s important to be reminded of the answer to this question every now and again. It doesn’t just help me to stay focused on my objectives, but it can also help to produce post ideas. I know that the primary challenge to blogging is to come up with ideas to surround a post. The funny thing about this though is that many of you already have a lifetime worth of post right there in your head. The challenge then is not to consider what to write about, but to dig into your purpose for writing in the first place and connect that with the moment at hand. There’s this exercise I like to do when I’m stumped on what to publish each day. The exercise is that I pretty much just sit around! It looks like I’m staring out in space sure, but there’s a lot actually going on here. I’m digging into the moment. I stop and think about what is happening right now. It may just be the hum of a heater, the ticking of a clock, the whispered conversations of others or the constant stream of updates from CNN. Silently and attentively all of these seemingly unrelated happenings can easily culminate in a nice short story, a poem, or a random list of whatever.

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I’m not sure what direction this blogging thing could go. I would like to add more short stories, more poetry and more insight into the Self-Publishing world for sure. I also plan to continue with the daily quotes that concludes each days posts. Speaking of which, quotes were not part of my initial purpose for this blog. The quote thing actually came from how I usually interact on Facebook under my personal account, where I post lots of inspirational quotes. I decided later to add them here because there is more room to expound, plus I don’t like Facebook like that. As I polished my goals and plans for this blogging thing, I decided that since I like happy people, why not implement something for that purpose. So I think quotes are important to keep up with the inspiration aspect of my purpose.

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Quotes from other authors, writers, and poets are such a refreshing part of the motivation a lot of people need to keep going. Reading other people’s work is also one of the best ways to learn a new skill. And let us not forget about Recipe Sundays! For a little over a month now I’ve been posting delicious recipes to this blog every Sunday which was definitely not part of the plan. How exactly did this begin? To start, I just happen to love recipes. I’m actually not much of a cook (my husband’s the chef around here) so recipes helps motivate me to cook and to find the easiest, yet most delicious ways to do so. The Sunday part is simply because I’m usually at home on Sundays. Because of my already hectic every day schedule, Sundays have become my day to do it all, cook, clean, and anything else left lingering around during the week. I didn’t create a category for Recipe Sundays because I wasn’t sure if I could stay consistent with it, but maybe that is something I will implement to make it easier to find.

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In the end, my hope is to produce quality posts that are not just words to publish for the sake of publishing, but words of substance, of flesh and of bone. Words that don’t just capture your attention but come frequently; complete with all the hunger and thirst that is needed to stick around. I suppose my hope for this blog is that I can transform it into the living, breathing personification of all the symbolism that embodies Pearls Before Swine. We’ll see where it takes us.