(Living with Parkinson’s) ©

CHALLENGES

10.06.2020: 0445: Stretching and preparing for the plumber who will be here between 0900 and 1300. (He made it at 1400!) Excellent work at a reasonable cost.  Yes, I always stretch when preparing for the plumber’s arrival. Heh!

Two Zoom meetings today. ALOHA and PD.  I had technical problems with the PD group. Some meetings are easy with no problems. Others are frustratingly difficult. I wonder why?

10.07.2020: Last week we started the mornings at 80°. Today we started the morning at 62°. It’s just possible that Fall may be happening.                                                                                  

How about an international dish? This is Moo Shu Pork Tacos with mushrooms and crispy wontons. Hǎo – Bueno – Good! Great tasting.  We saved half for dinner. It took two of us to fix this. The Menu said 15-minutes to prepare.  It took us about 25 -minutes. We gave it a 5*****.

Sometimes the writer gets to win. I thought I had missed a Zoom meeting at 1300 today because I couldn’t get in. After lunch, I went back to the computer and I got an email from the Davis Phinney Foundation apologizing for the fact that they had technical difficulties with the Zoom program. They’re gonna try it again tomorrow. I feel so good knowing that it wasn’t something I did. (The same thing happens when I sell off ten shares of stocks.  I worry that it will cause a run on the banks.  So far, that hasn’t happened.) (I tend to buy high and sell low. I don’t think that’s the way I’m supposed to do it.)

On a positive note, go here and see an up-to-date video clip with Michael J. Fox.

Watch the Founders Fireside Chat on-demand, by clicking here

10.08.2020: 0500: A reasonable time to get up. Only 62º outside.  We’ve broken all records for the number of days at or over 100º.  Maybe today we’ll drop lower?

Worlds in Collision – Wikipedia  I’m on a roll, here.

Here’s a 1950 book by Immanuel Velenkofsky that may cause a writer-friend of mine (and you) to smile. But maybe not. If  God had the Sun stand still for Joshua, does that mean that the Polynesians, on the other side of Earth, have stories about the Gods taking away the Sun?  See https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Some_Mistakes_of_Moses/Chapter_9

 I have a good friend who enjoys (and writes) Science Fiction. (See  For the Good of the Galaxy – The First Nine Days (The Othgygnrk Invasion, #1)

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-the-good-of…

 

Harvey also is the author of

The Wes Crowley Saga: Part One Kindle Edition

by Harvey Stanbrough  (Author)  Format: Kindle Edition

The Crowley Saga got me started reading westerns again.

Two curved bill thrashers supervised us from above. They approved!

0840:  PD says I have to get up and move.  I’ve been here since 0545. Haven’t written a thing on Episode 2.  Did what I wasn’t supposed to do and checked the email first. I even broke down and had a cup of coffee!  It’s been three weeks since coffee.  My rule is one cup on days that I have RWA Zoom. (Once a month on a Saturday). 1005: Just finished breakfast with Swombo. We spent some time in the North Yard.

 Sage and Sunflowers in the west garden.

PJ checks the shells in her garden.  We had an unusually high tide, maybe?

Later,  I attended a Zoom meeting by Pima County School Retirees’ Association, covering proposals on our ballot.

1100: Another Zoom meeting on Writing First Lines for stories.  Interesting. Don’t start with a Preamble, they say.  I have. I don’t, usually.

1400: 97º. We’re supposed to have a high of only 99º!! That will stop our run of record numbers of days at or above 100º. 

1630:  Watched several MJFox clips on PD.  I could relate to many of them. One Davis Phinney lecture (A Neurologist) was excellent for the two of us.  Sorry, I don’t have the sites for you. I can almost pinpoint where I am on the progress line. 1640:  Stopping for today. Watched the last four minutes of the Chicago Bears football game. Exciting! Watched 50% of Martin Clunes, Islands of America, and called it a night.

10.09.2020:  0500: Up. 0730:We walked in Udall Park this morning (only 1506 steps). It’ll get better each time.

By the way, before I forget, October is a Blue Moon Month. (Two full moons in the same month.) This happens on an average of once every two years and seven months. We are not drinkers of alcohol except once in a Blue Moon. Since Halloween will have the second full moon in October, we will celebrate by splitting a bottle of Blue Moon beer. We don’t want to overdo the celebration! We have to stock up again. This will be the last of our six-pack, which we bought in 2008. (Heh!)

Well folks, remember, this is coming out of my Maytag Washer Mind – one article at a time.  I’m just hanging them out on the line.  When my discoveries happen, I put them down, or I’ll forget to do it.  (I would have done that with the Blue Moon piece, but Swombo wrote a post-it on my keyboard to remind me.) It’s stepping away from the routine and stepping back that’s difficult. It’s part of the Parkinson’s list of symptoms.

Go to Netflix and watch the movie Social Dilemma.

One thing or another prevents my getting the whole group of the Sunshine Bird Club that meets on top of Jerry’s hedge each morning. So far, this is the best I could get. I’ll keep trying.  Many mornings there will be twelve or fourteen members.

1100: We turned our ballots into the County Recorder’s office this afternoon. There was a steady string of cars and people. Some going in to register to vote; most dropping their ballot into a huge mailbox with a volunteer standing by to see that everything was done correctly.  It took less than five minutes.  

10.10.2020: 0530: Up but no stretching.  I had a wakeful sleep (?) last night. Disturbing dreams kept me awake from 0100 to 0230 – restless until 0530 when I finally gave up and got up. To see Sam doing one of his exercises, click below:

1000: Viv’s Café: For the first time since diagnosis, I had visible tremors in both hands.  Could it be that after the boxing was the cause? I will be more observant of my actions.

1730: I’m typing, not using Dragon, now and hands are calm.   We watched Arizona Illustrated’s new format and went to bed by 2030.

10.11.2020: 0530: Slept better last night. No disturbing dreams. A cool 62º this morning.

I mention this twice on purpose. It concerns all of us.  If you haven’t seen it, watch it.

Go to Netflix and find the movie SOCIAL DILEMMA.

10.12.2020: PT at Body Central. Stretching upper body lifting. Worked the handle bike for 3 minutes forward and 3 minutes backward. Level 2.

Fixed Mushroom Stroganoff for lunch.  We have enough left over for two more meals.

WARNING!!! CHALLENGE AHEAD!

You know that PJ and I belong to an eclectic writing group of 10 members. We’ve gathered monthly for well over thirty years.  We write about anything and everything as the spirit moves us. Many of us prefer to write memoirs. Some write for children; some write mysteries – the subjects are up for grabs. (or as the designated host assigns us – each week or two, we change hosts.  Back in the days, we used to rotate houses and the host provided us with chocolate and other essential food groups.) Some of us are published authors; some could care less about publishing. We enjoy sharing our individual creativity.

Not that you aren’t faced with enough challenges, but here’s a challenge for you:

(You may set your own goal. Do you HAVE to do this? Of course not. But it could be fun for you – and us).   

For those of you who might be interested, read Jenny Hansen’s comments about NANOWRIMO. 

https://writersinthestormblog.com/category/writers-life-2/

And no, as she says, it doesn’t have to be 50,000 words. 

But wait! There’s more!

Here’s their challenge for November. Maybe you’d like to participate? No, you won’t have to join the Quail Run Writers, but you may join our PARTY for NOVEMBER. It’s free!  Google the subjects if you have never done that type of poetry before.

November Challenge to Quail Run Writers and Guests: 

Some of you poets will write a poem a day.  How about Haiku? Three lines (5-7-5 syllables) Only 17 syllables a day. Rhyming not necessary.  Your goal could be a total of  510 syllables for thirty days of November.

5-Hiku poetry

7-by counting the syllables

5-becomes addictive

Or

Tonka? Five lines (5-7-5-7-7- syllables) only 31 syllables a day. Only 930 syllables for the month.  Rhyming not necessary. 

5- Tonka poetry

7- gives more wiggle room to play

5- explore syllables

7-increasing your storyline

7-mining surprising results

OR

Prose Poems for the more adventuresome. No syllabication count.   It can be as long as you wish. Look these styles up on Google.  You don’t have to rhyme them. By the way: There are at least fifty styles of poems.

 That ought to keep you busy for thirty days. (Heh!)

You may mix the poem styles as you wish.

Think about writing something “out of your box” for November. 

Set your own goal.  The object is to have FUN! Hmm. You have 20 or so days to think (and/or write) about whether or not you want to attempt this hair-brained challenge. I’ll include samples of these styles for the next three MM.  

Therefore: Set your goal on November First. Each week, submit your progress  At the end of November,  send me your best choice of the results. Pick one of the poems or pieces and send it to me. Maybe you’ll permit me to include some in MM for December. Maybe this will be a good way to write your Christmas cards or Hanukkah or End of the Year letters. What will you get out of it?  The satisfaction of knowing that you accomplished something surprising to you.  You don’t have to respond immediately.  Let the idea percolate in your brain for a while. It isn’t a class. Don’t expect a critique or a grade. Finally: Can it be a short story or a novel, Sam?  Of course! It can also be chapter three of a 30-chapter novel. You do your own goal setting.  You may send in periodic reports of your progress that I’ll share in MM as space permits. 

My goal: By the end of November, I will be confident enough in my ability to Host an event that I will invite you all to a Virtual meeting where we can see our faces and meet each other. I’ve had mixed results with Zoom.  I have not yet tried Google Meet which I understand is similar. It is supposed to have captions. That would be a benefit for some of us who are deaf. 

10.13.2020: Do you have any questions?  Thoughts? Use the comment section or write to me personally.  No problem.

I’ll get this off tonight. I’m a day late.

We send you our blessings.