I wouldn’t. I used to think my sister’s name Christine had a nice ring to it but then again, I wanted her hair as well! She had this long and very straight hair and when the sunlight caught it, it would shine beautifully. Mine, on the other hand, was long, wavy and shiny as well but I wanted what I couldn’t have! Human nature at its best!
These days I like my name. I think it suits my persona and it is short and to the point. I was told Tia in Spanish means “aunt” but who cares. I’m stuck with it and wouldn’t change it for the world.
If I had to change my name, I would stand on my head, hold my breath and refuse to do it!
Daily writing prompt
If you had to change your name, what would your new name be?
Looks like the bromance is off! The break up is front and center and the gloves are off! One House Republican went on to say, “He’s a complete joke. He had no idea what the f**k he was doing, whatsoever.” Another lawmaker added, “Nobody really wanted him here. We couldn’t wait to get rid of him.” Musk, on the other hand, had this to say about Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” He called it a “disgusting abomination” and called for the firing of “all politicians who betrayed the American people.” The pot calling the kettle black? Little Boy Wonder is out the door and he is not taking it sitting down either!
Trump’s major interview with Elon Musk almost got derailed because of a huge technical problem but it got back on track after a 40 plus minute delay and when it did, the bromance flourished between the former president and the Space X Founder.
The former president felt so safe in Musk’s presence that he went off-script and unleashed at least 20 false claims. He ran the gamut and let loose his falsehoods with Elon Musk giving him his undivided attention. The former Commander in Chief and all around liar gripped about crime rates, inflation, Global warming (of which he knows nothing about) and anything else he saw fit to throw into the mix. It didn’t matter if they were lies or gross exaggerations. Things like that don’t matter to a seasoned pathological liar and a true narcissist.
According to NPR, he told 162 lies and distortions in his news presser at Mar-a-Lago within 1 hour. The NPR team found at least 162 misstatements, exaggerations and outright lies in 64 minutes and that’s more than two a minute. “It’s a stunning number for anyone – and even more problematic for a person running to lead the free world.” They further added that, “what former President Trump did this past Thursday went well beyond the bounds of what most politicians would do.” The Musk interview was no different.
EU’s commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, cautioned X founder and Tech mogul Musk asking him to censor the interview to avoid “the amplification of harmful content.” He went on to say that Musk “has a legal obligation to comply with the Digital Services Act to fight the spread of misinformation as the man in charge of the platform used by over 300 million people worldwide.”
Musk’s reply went like this. “Take a big step back and literally f**k your own face!” The man is not a novice when faced with censorship. In July, EU charged X for failing to respect its social media laws. He also faced recent criticism for fanning the flames as far-right riots broke out in the UK claiming the perpetrator of the Southport stabbings was Muslim which was an untruth.
How smart is Musk? According to Noam Mendelssohn, a Software Engineer, “Elon Musk is not very bright. He’s an economic and business bully in the same line as Trump, but nothing more. Any engineer worth his salt, any person with basic physics knowledge or computer knowledge can shred his ideas.” He went on to add, “His solar plans are flawed, his calculations on his TED interview are about 100x off, Tesla was not his idea, he strongarmed his way in and his hyperloop idea being even worse.” So how did he make his money? Mendelssohn had this answer. “He has a hype that is believed by simpletons and he is making his money by being a snake oil salesman.” Two peas in a pod? No wonder the bromance took off like a rocket and is till flying around in space somewhere!
Joseph Costello, Harris campaign spokesperson, had this to say about the interview.
“Trump’s entire campaign is in service of people like Elon Musk and himself – self-obsessed rich guys who will sell out the middle class and who cannot run a livestream in the year 2024.”
The interview was a flop in more ways than one. Nothing new, same old lies, exaggerated insults coming from an “old” man who is trying to give his sagging and deflated campaign a helping hand but unfortunately for him, it is going to take more than what he has in that thing he calls a brain to do that!
A friend sent me an article yesterday and it irritated me to no end! I felt my hackles rise but honestly, there was some truth to the article and later, much later, I realized that maybe, just maybe I was one of them.
LET’S DEFINE HELICOPTER PARENTING
“A term for parents who hover over their kids, always ready to swoop in and solve every problem. They’re over-attentive and overly fearful of their child’s experiences and challenges.”
GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!
I was and still am overly-protective of the little guy although he is not so little anymore. Divorce and being a single mom threw my world, my regimented world, into one that could only be described as helter-skelter! Trying to find order where there was none was a big problem. Learning to swim again after being thrown in the deep end of the pool was next to impossible and bring “parenting” into such a situation and you’ve got “helicopter parenting” in the making, in my case anyway. I wanted to protect him from the pain, the anger, the confusion, the despair and a whole host of other emotions that I couldn’t control but I could make it easier with the love I showered on him. Bring fear of the unknown into the picture and I was “warrior mom” ready to go up against anyone who so much as sneezed in his direction! However, it didn’t stop me from teaching him what is right and wrong, to stand up for himself, and to be a good and decent human being.
He has been on his own for the last five or six years, studying and taking care of things on his own. I have been there every step of the way but from a distance! It was HARD but I made it somehow. Last year, he finished up with a better than average grade and I couldn’t have been prouder. Then came the tedious task of looking for a job and never having worked a day in his life made it harder still. He took it all in stride and landed two jobs. The first one paid well but involved travel and lots of stress! He opted for the second one at a five-star hotel. He made his choice and he has been working at the hotel for two months now. Just recently, there was an incident involving a guest high on drugs and in possession of a gun! The old me screamed with fear within but I listened as he talked. It turned out that he handled it like a pro!
Early this morning, the phone rang. It was 1:30 a.m. and I knew it couldn’t be anything good. Sure enough, he said, “I’ve locked myself out of the apartment!” I gulped and the old “helicopter mom” would have asked, “How can I help?’ Instead, I let him talk. He explained he had called the building superintendent and he was on the way. Half an hour later, he was back in his apartment.
“I think that instead of helicoptering our kids, we should be strapping some parachutes on their backs made out of things like common sense, kindness, and courage.
Then we should teach them to jump.” Unknown
And be ready to catch them if the parachute fails!
Honestly, I think I did a good job of raising this young man. Sure, there are things I could have done better but he’s on his way and that is all that matters. Next week, he has his second interview after acing the first one. This could be his forever job. Fingers and toes crossed AND I’m leaving the “helicopter” in the cupboard like the friend asked me too!
It’s another rainy day and the wind is picking up speed and like the wolf in the Three Little Pigs, it is threatening to huff, puff and blow the house in! Well, not that strong but my imagination is on overdrive today. What’s that got to do with the topic at hand you ask? Nothing except the rainy day has got me thinking again so I went looking to see how we do things differently because we do. I found plenty to write about but decided to keep it light, airy and funny to boot. Enjoy.
“One big difference between men and women is that if a woman says, “Smell this,” it usually smells nice.”
Photo by Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto on Pexels.com
Honestly, I don’t have any. I’m not into pastries, sweets and or chocolate bars. Incredible? Well, I have this tendency to stay away from anything that could spell trouble when indulged in too much. I have this willpower that keeps me away from such things and it worked well until I met my arch nemesis, the cheesecake! That’s when things started going down south.
Anyway, coming back to the topic at hand. I would describe my dream chocolate bar as being not too sweet, filled with nuts and of course cream cheese! It should melt in your mouth and each bite going down should feel like heaven itself! When I’m finished with it, my eyes should be sparkling! If I was into chocolate bars that is. Since I am not, this is pure fantasy.
I woke up to the sounds of rain not pitter-pattering outside but coming down in a steady deluge. Cuddled up under the covers with Chachi, the cat, the sound was soothing.
It looks like the rain has moved in and it is planning to stay for awhile. The ground has been parched for lack of water in recent weeks so this intermittent rain is much sought after not only by the plant life but by the farmers as well. I, on the other hand, have a soft spot for rain. I don’t like the kind that is accompanied by thunder and lightning but this soft and steady variety is just my cup of tea or coffee for that matter.
Standing at the big window in the kitchen, coffee cup in hand and Chachi right by my side, I notice that the wind is picking up and it is going to be a wet and blustery day.
Chachi goes: “The TV is acting up Mommy!”
He’s right. There is none of the usual calmness with birds singing in the trees. The sky is grey and the bamboo fronds in the neighbor’s garden is doing a slow dance moving in symphony to the rhythm of the rain. There is beauty in the movement and as I let my gaze take in the scene before me, I realize that nature in all its wisdom has a way of accommodating everything that comes its way. There is much we can learn from it just by standing still and observing. It’s a hard thing to do I know because life sometimes moves at a faster pace than we want it to.
I know Chachi, the cat, will adjust to the erratic movements going on outside the window and I will up my workout routine today and add Tai Chi to match what is happening outside. It’s a day that calls for lots of coffee and perhaps a slice or two of cheesecake! It’s going to be a beautiful day and I wish you the same.
“The beauty of rain, it’s like a symphony from the sky. Pounding drums on my roof, serenades on my windows. An angelic ballet of raindrops dancing around in my garden. A spectacle I could witness for the rest of my days.” N.C.
It is elusive, it doesn’t always show up and when it does, it may not stay forever. That is a given but still we seek it, we want the feeling that says all is well, we are loved and protected AND we want it to paint our world in colors of the rainbow or whatever color love comes in. It doesn’t matter if it looks and feels like cubic zirconia, the shine is all that matters for a while anyways. The problem is, we seek this elusive commodity like a heat seeking missile but a warm willing body is not enough, it needs substance to keep it going and that’s where the iffiness, the wishy-washiness and dead as a doornail comes in.
Have you ever fallen in love with the wrong person? I’ll guarantee that all of us have at one time or another. I’ve taken that journey many times over. Each time, I tell myself I’ll do better the next time around and each time I watch the worthless relationship go up in flames. I’m like a gardener who had planted seeds and one who is waiting to see what the outcome would be. The hope is that all the care, energy and time would yield a bumper crop but no matter how hard I tried, that plant showed up poorly and died along the way. It got brown and shriveled and no amount of trying to revive it brought signs of life back into it. Yet, I held on because of the invested time, love and energy that had gone into it and I wanted some kind of return when there was none to be had.
It was time to let it go. Put it down to wasted energy, pull it out by the roots and make room for something new to grow. Something which is more conducive and is willing to grow under your care. Bad love like bad seeds are just that, there is no rescuing what doesn’t want to be rescued. LET IT GO.
Love is defined as, “a set of emotions and behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion and commitment. It involves care, closeness, protectiveness, attraction, affection and trust.” verywellmind.com
If some of those behavior traits are missing and keeps on coming up missing, then you need to step back, reevaluate and weigh the consequences of such a relationship. Do not make an unworthy person a priority in your life and toxic relationships are just that, the poison starts slowly but it spreads quickly. Examples of toxic behavior are cheating and carrying on other relationships while in an ongoing relationship and pretending it is a covert operation. The liars and control freaks need to take a hike and those who show no respect for the person they’re with are a waste of time and space. Add to that the ones who can look you in the eye and swear that nothing is going on when you know otherwise should be shown the door quickly. No time should be wasted on them. If you’ve got one of these cubic zirconia types on your hands, remember life is too short for hoping and wishing, also remember you’re a diamond in the making so you have no time and energy to be wasted on fakes. Make room for someone who is willing to thrive in your garden and put yesterday’s mistakes behind you.
“Something I just recently learned was that chased love is not love. If you have to run after it, talk it into staying, remind it of your value, fight alone for the both of you, issue ultimatums, or test it, it is not love. It’s not love, it’s not happiness, it is not fair, it’s not healthy, the only thing it is…..is a waste of time.” Jessica James
I heard someone put it this way as well but not in exactly these words. Why do you have a junk car parked on your property when you’ve got a Ferrari circling your property? Have the wreck towed away and make room for the new, something better at best. Even if there isn’t anyone new on the horizon right now, give it time. In the meantime work on being a worthy person, worthy of love and one who deserves the best as far as love is concerned. Anything less is an absolute no-go!
“Some people will only come into your life to teach you what love is not. And when that happens, I hope you know when to walk away.” F. E. Marie
I’ve read a lot of books but I don’t just have one favorite childhood book. I loved the Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Swiss Family Robinson and Charles Dickens just to name a few but my favorites were the ones that featured fairies, little people and talking animals!
I had a thing about fairies. I would look for them under the wild mushrooms or just about anywhere. The woods behind my house gave me a wonderland to explore and as a young girl I would be out there talking to the trees, the animals, singing songs I made up in my head and playing with the ducks in dirty puddles of water when it rained. The books I read further nurtured my love for fantasy and mom threw up her hands and gave up on raising the “lady” she wanted.
I don’t have one particular favorite book because I read voraciously and my appetite for books were all-consuming. I am no longer where I used to be since I write now and the written word no longer has the same appeal it used to have. One day I will get back to reading again and I hope that it will still hold “magic” within its grasp like it did a long time ago.
Daily writing prompt
Do you remember your favorite book from childhood?
Maxwell Anderson has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Robinson’s family spoke during the sentencing and called him a “demon” and suggested that “everything that he did should be done to him.” Justice in this case was served but it is never enough. The brutality of the crime and the fact that parts of her body have never been recovered speaks of the horror that Sade Robinson endured and the terror she must have felt.
There are some cases that make you sit up and take notice and this is one of them. The sheer brutality of the crime and the violence perpetuated on an innocent human being is beyond belief but there are monsters that walk the earth and here is one prime example.
Sade Robinson was 19, a criminal justice student and a beautiful girl enjoying being young and all that it entailed which included dating.
Maxwell Anderson was a 34-year-old bartender at the time with a lengthy criminal record which included domestic abuse, drunk driving, and disorderly conduct.
The two met and went on their first date on April 1, 2024. They first went to a restaurant, then to several bars, I lost count, and later to Anderson’s home. Video footage shows the young couple enjoying their time together and nothing seems out of the ordinary. However, in the early morning hours of April 2, 2024, her phone is located leaving Anderson’s home and traveling throughout Milwaukee County. Later that morning, her 2020 Honda Civic is found on fire and a male is seen exiting the vehicle before setting fire to it.
Around 5:30 p.m. the same day reports of someone finding a human leg belonging to a Black woman at Warnimont Park emerges. On April 4, 2024, Anderson is arrested and a search of his home reveals blood in one of the bedrooms and on the walls leading to the basement but it will later reveal that it didn’t belong to the victim. However, the true horror of the crime slowly unfolds. A human foot is found on April 6, 2024 in the city’s north side and it matches the leg found in Cudahy. Human flesh was also found in the area. Several body parts are found the following day. Robinson’s torso and arm are also discovered in another part of Milwaukee County but her head and neck have never been recovered.
The suspect is charged with first-degree intentional homicide, mutilating a corpse, hiding a corpse and arson in the death of Robinson. If found guilty, he faces life in prison. However, he has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is currently in jail on a $5 million bail.
The criminal trial began on May 27, 2025 and is currently underway. In a legal system, “a person accused of a crime is presumed innocent until the prosecution proves their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.” It is hard not to jump the gun on this one because the evidence being presented is overwhelming and it points to one person and that is Maxwell Anderson as the sole perpetrator of this horrific crime. However, one other question arises. Was Anderson the sole perpetrator or were others involved in this horrific crime which insulted in the loss of life and in such a brutal fashion? Whatever happened that night, it was evil at work and there are no ifs ands or buts about it.
Monsters walk amongst us and sometimes they appear normal until they longer are.
I love books and as long as it had romance in it, I considered it a good read. Then I met these three and in some ways they did change my life.
The Thornbirds
I’ve written about this one before. It is a sweeping saga centered on the love between Meggie Cleary and Father Ralph de Bricassart, a priest who is torn between his love for the young Meggie and his faith. This bittersweet love affair has several themes but the most poignant is that of ambition, sacrifice and the consequences of sin. You can’t help but root for them but the relationship is doomed from the start.
The impact it had on me was incredible. Here was someone, Colleen McCullough, who wrote with such grace, beauty, expertise and had the power to take you on a journey until the very end. Her words had the power to touch something deep within and I wanted to be just like her!
Wuthering Heights
It was written by Emily Bronte and is a story that revolves around a troubled relationship between Heathcliff, who is adopted by the Earnshaw family and Catherine Earnshaw. However, Catherine marries Edgar Linton for social status which in turn drives Heathcliff to plot revenge against those who wronged him. An intriguing story of class differences and the destructive power of love. A toxic relationship that keeps you enthralled to the very end.
The impact it had on me was that “love” is a painful thing and it has many facets. I still feel that way.
The Diary of Anne Frank
This one was captivating, heart-wrenching and it chronicles man’s inhumanity to man. Anne Frank and her family hide from the Nazis in a “Secret Annex” above a shop in Amsterdam. She goes on to detail her daily life with others in the annex and of her fears and hope amid the war. However, after years in hiding, the family is captured by the Gestapo and sent to concentration camps. Her father, Otto Frank, will be the sole survivor.
The impact it had on me was mind-boggling. I lived her journey right to their capture and later cried when she along with her mother and sister died in the concentration camp. It is a powerful firsthand account of life in hiding and one young girl’s will to survive under unimaginable circumstances. It also taught me that life and people can be cruel.
Daily writing prompt
List three books that have had an impact on you. Why?
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