Marvin Martian‘s Blogophilia group on Facebook
Blog topic parameters & how it works HERE
Hard Bonus: Use the word “pierce”
Easy Bonus: Mention a place you would like to escape winter or cold weather
I’m a person who speaks my mind when I see fit. I won’t stop When Hell Freezes Over, either. The freezing cold may pierce us to the bone, and go thaw out in Puerto Rico.
It’s that wonderful time of year
to spread good joy and cheer.
So let the good spirits flow,
as outside it begins to snow.
Make good memories to treasure,
full of laughter and pleasure.
May your heart be content and full
in this wonderful season of Yule!
A Ditty by Marvin Martian
Martien Ecrits blogophilia group on Facebook HERE
Blog topic parameters & how it works HERE
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a song title by The Pretenders
Easy Bonus: Include your favorite beverage
While I hope everyone is In Good Spirits, this time of year can be difficult for those who don’t have anyone or are mourning a loss. It’s good to be kind, but sometimes our own nerves are shot… Don’t Get Me Wrong (Get Close album 1986), but yes, sometimes I’m the one who has an issue… It’s the reason why I don’t shop at usual retail stores unless I’m grocery shopping & will do locally owned ones 1st. Life is too crazy sometimes… I like the shorter lines at Mom & Pop stores, where I can get more personalized items and I’m not paying for a brand name, I’m investing in a product when I shop this way. Then, when I’m home, I like to relax & depending on if I want hot or cold, to chill with either a mocha or a cold Mexican coke in a glass bottle.
Coming up soon! I have to leave you off with these details:
Marvin Martian says Welcome November! This is Week 23 in Year 16 of Blogophilia! WELCOME DECEMBER! The holiday season is officially in full swing! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration last week! Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanza are on the way…..
Blogophilia Facebook group Right Here
Blog topic parameters & how it works HERE
Hard Bonus: Showcase a difficult decision
Easy Bonus: Mention a country in the Southern Hemisphere
None of us are perfect, and we all need to sincerely apologize at some point… Other times, we are owed one, and during the holiday season, we might feel obligated to accept the apology for the family functions. Yet, I don’t think forgiving means you have to take the people back. The Healing of Forgiveness is different for a lot of us. It feels good to forgive people. But what do we do if their apology is insincere so they keep doing their misdeeds or kick it up a notch? We don’t owe people our forgiveness for continuing to deal with it. Sometimes, the hard thing to do is to decide to forgive yourself for putting up with it for so long. Yes, let’s normalize that.
So, what do we do about the other person/people? Let them go. Grieve the relationship(s) with those who are still living… Accepting the losses to move forward can be very liberating. It’s ok to act as if they’re in Angola, never to be heard from again…
Here is the hard part… as an advocate, I speak up for others. It’s not that I am angry with other people, but it’s not as easy as leaving it in the past, because people are in need now. Whether it’s a hospital visit, going to the capitol, or anything in between, there are those without a voice who need someone to speak up about whatever injustice might be happening without looking for vengeance. Often it’s because we’ve experienced that ourselves, and didn’t have a voice nor advocate, to be the voice and advocate we needed for those who need us now.
A good way to heal from this kind of stress is to have a good music session.
Martien Ecrits, AKA Marvin Martian says: Welcome November! This is Week 22 in Year 16 of Blogophilia! Happy Thanksgiving to all the American Earthlings! This alien gives HUGE THANKS to all of you out there who write with us and support our writing community – you rock!
Blogophilia group over there on Facebook
Blog topic parameters & how it works here on WordPress
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a lyric from Stevie Wonder
Easy Bonus: Include a turkey or other kind of fowl
When holidays & birthdays come along, It’s a Celebration! Mostly… I cut contact with my immediate family, who moved out to the west coast anyway. Extended family are a bit far, and they have their own families to celebrate with. It’s been a tradition to have people who otherwise don’t have a place to go, and it started way back… I just continued the tradition, starting with New Year’s Eve, then expanded to all of the holidays including the 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve/Winter Solstice, Easter/Spring Equinox, etc. smaller holidays like Labor Day & Memorial Day people are welcome, too, except it seems like I work every holiday, which makes it difficult… But we manage. I haven’t been able to do much after dislocating then subsequent surgery, but I used to do the main entree, and we’d all pitch in. My son has been doing most of the cooking.
When you believe in things that you don’t understand, Then you suffer Superstition by Stevie Wonder. I often ponder where superstition ends and mythology or religion starts. Like with Buddhism, you’re not required to worship the polytheistic Gods/Goddesses – just follow “The Way” to enlightenment. Even with Christianity, if we were to follow in Jesus’ path, would it be wrong to not believe in God? I don’t know… A lot of people of faith cannot fathom that… Yet I believe in doing for the good of all people. I guess I will keep doing what I think is right & be good with that.
Another thing that I do, being the rebel that I am, is ask why for Thanksgiving, it’s always some kind of fowl, whether it’s duck, goose, turkey… I don’t even have a round table to run around to see if the turkey can tag the duck, or maybe just decide to have the goose join in, too. One year we did Cornish hens. Another year we did something like lasagna… I don’t know, but it seems as if my regulars are shrinking. One of them passed on, and another returned to his old ways. Then due to moving, changes in other people’s routines, ailments, and maybe not feeling up to it, sometimes we’re lucky to get one person… which is fine, but, it would be helpful to know, ahead of time because since I don’t want to make a 12+ pound turkey just for 4 people… But, oh well, I guess I can make to-go containers for people who are hungry that didn’t want to come.
Welcome November! This is Week 21 in Year 16 of Blogophilia! And it’s Writer’s Choice Week – YOU choose your own topics and bonus prompts, and Marvin provides the photo! Let your imagination run free, unleash your muse and WRITE ON!
Blogophilia group on Facebook Right Here
Blog topic parameters & How it works HERE
Hard Bonus: WRITER’S CHOICE – use homonyms
Easy Bonus: WRITER’S CHOICE – use homophones
Fall Flowers in Wisconsin like sunflowers, aster, Asiatic lilies, cone flowers, roses, daisies, clematis, and shooting stars are a nice way to keep colors in the yard. I don’t have any in mine, though. It’s still difficult for me to garden, plus I don’t have the space I need to pull this off.
Of course, I’d have to buy seeds, and figure out where to put them by, especially out front since we don’t have a flat yard and the areas I have already are filled with irises. I have more space in the back, even though I have eight edible plants that I ate.
AI trying to correct what I write is so annoying since the whole gist of what I’m posting is lost on it… I’d rather pay an editor, but not for a fun blog… if I had that kind of money, I’d hire a landscaper.
This year, in 2024, it is on December 3, 2024 - to give to your favorite nonprofit and be able to get a tax deduction when you do your taxes the next year.
First, I'd like for you to consider to give the gift of music by donating to local music:
Racine Concert Band: http://www.racineconcertband.com/
The RCB is one of the oldest local bands in the country, bringing to you 103 years of free music to the community in 2025. Also there's a collaboration with the high schools to mentor young musicians to be at their best. Thank you for your consideration.
And just beware of certain places that seem good... I'm sharing this again, with the understanding that the 2nd in command of the Hospitality Center moved on, which is great for him, but now I feel like I really can't go to this certain place without being on the buddy system, not just for the situation, but the fact that the social worker either can't read & goes by hearsay or if she did read, has extremely low comprehension & wants to start an argument over something I never said... It's sad, because there are so many people who rely on that place, but I just think that women need to be aware, you'll get asked to leave if you're touched inappropriately, and the breakfasts might not be as kosher as they seem.
I refer back to this blog from October 2023:
WordPress: https://likamarie.wordpress.com/2023/10/19/confessions-of-an-advocate-holiday-giving-a-must-read/
Blogger: https://likaslaments.blogspot.com/2023/10/confessions-of-advocate-holiday-giving.html
From Martien Ecrits: This week’s topic exemplifies what keeps our writers going – the NEED TO WRITE! What does writing do for you? How does it feel for you? Why do you do it – is it because of the creativity, personal fulfillment, gaining followers, or is it a release of emotions? Or perhaps it is something else? Or maybe all of the above? Get creative as you express your need to write – by writing! Come share your thoughts, as we at the Marvin House look forward to reading your writes this week. Join us at Blogophilia, the place for blogging, fun and friendship for over 16 years!
Blogophilia group on Facebook Over Here
Blog topic parameters & how it works Right Here
Hard Bonus: Incorporate the term fresnel or the Fresnel concept
Easy Bonus: Include the words “patience” and “patients”
It seems strange, that in school, I couldn’t just get a writing assignment & do it on the spot. Yet when it came to do a term paper, and it came down to Need to Write, I could get my head together and get it done. I didn’t get into creative writing until after college, but always wrote well when it came to big assignments, letters to elected officials, etc. I felt like I was one of the patients that had no patience when it came to stuff like this in school.
I guess it comes to the Fresno Effect: Steep Angle = Weak Reflection; Shallow Angle = Strong Reflection. Maybe my angle was too steep or too wide or too something to lack focus, now I have it in my mind to get the bird’s eye view, at least for myself. I enjoy blogging, doing the multimedia challenge, and I have my own spot to write my stories when I’m up to taking time to type (I’m getting better at 2 handed typing again, so I’ll resume, I’ll post links as I’m ready).
Welcome November! This is Week 19 in Year 16 of Blogophilia! Did you remember to set your clocks back last night?
A HUGE ALIEN THANK YOU to all of the participants of the Marvin October Multimedia Challenge (MOMC)!!! It was a huge success, and we at the Marvin House are so appreciative to everyone who participated.
Blogophilia group on Facebook Right Here
Blog topic parameters & how it works HERE
Hard Bonus: Incorporate a line or quote from Arthur Rimbaud
Easy Bonus: Include the term “digerati”
Modern technology… gotta love it yet we want to hate it at the same time. Screen Shots can be taken, so be careful what you write. As an advocate, I stand on what I write, so, if one is offended, I have to wonder why… then there are those who don’t read, then argue with me about something I didn’t say…
“I am not a prisoner of my reason. – Bad Blood” ― Arthur Rimbaud, A Season in Hell and The Drunken Boat
I was accused of saying that I was going to shut this place down, and the whole kitchen staff was filthy… As a concerned citizen, after I inform the higher ups & then get told to never talk about this to staff, volunteers, board members, etc. I feel as if it’s my duty to inform the public. I’d like someone to show me where I said those things… No, I have not edited anything, please look at the date… Updates would reflect a new time stamp. Original to the time I wrote these. When I mentioned some of the other things, the person who started getting ouchy all of a sudden doesn’t want to talk about it because it’s making her “very uncomfortable” which tells me she did not read it… Yet she wants to argue about I said what I didn’t say, and “threatens” to bring it up, and I said go ahead… so here it is… It’s obvious she’s no digerati, either, because she’d have brought it up to read it again, if she wanted to prove herself. I just wonder how she got to be a social worker & hired for 5 years at the same place, if her comprehension skills are so low… Oh, well…
WordPress: https://likamarie.wordpress.com/2023/10/19/confessions-of-an-advocate-holiday-giving-a-must-read/
Blogger: https://likaslaments.blogspot.com/2023/10/confessions-of-advocate-holiday-giving.html
I said what I said and I stand on it. Carry on, people!
Blogophilia group on Facebook RIGHT HERE
Blog topic parameters & how it works Here on WP
Marvin Martian’s Facebook page with MOMC Over Here
Hard Bonus: Use the phrase “pot calling the kettle black”
Easy Bonus: Incorporate a demon, ghost or ghoul
The pot calls the kettle black
Have you read or just overheard
Ever think to find out before arguing
However you feel or think
Articulation matters a lot
Understand, comprehend, think
No matter if offended by concerned citizens
The bigger cosmos always overshadow
Interesting how some twist & shout
No matter, I said what I said
Ghosts of our past demonize us like ghouls
Blogophilia group on Facebook right HERE
Marvin Martian’s Facebook page Over Here
Blog topic parameters and how it works BLOG
Hard Bonus: Use the word “Rudeneja” — Meaning: The way nature or the weather begins to feel like Autumn
Easy Bonus: Include a song title by Jim Croce
Leaves of Gold marks the start of Halloween season with rudeneja in the air. I was hiking in the picture and Jim Croce asked “Which way are you goin’?”
I was able to attend one of the candidate forums, this one was sponsored by the NAACP and the Racine Interfaith Coalition hosted registration and refreshments. This is MY recap, any clarification will have to come from the candidates. We have 6 candidates running for this position:
Moderator Question 1: Out of all of the items that the late County Executive Jonathan Delagrave was working on, what do you agree with most and what would you cancel?
Moderator question 2: What are the thoughts about public safety
Moderator question 3: How would you approach the fentanyl and drug issues?
Moderator question 4: how to balance the budget if the budget passes or fails:
Public question 1: Homelessness is an issue, HALO is underutilized. What can you do to help people?
Public question 2: The economy is down, and has been for decades. What kind of permanent economic development to make the heart of the city and the county flourish again?
The National Alliance on Mental Illness had a candidate forum earlier in the month, which I could not attend, so I will not answer anything from that one, as I was not there.
here is the video, 1 hour, 42 minutes and 45 seconds, to get your own interpretation: https://www.facebook.com/BigHomieRay/videos/580246304575822
I’d like to ask my own question: Many 50+ people are struggling financially. Nonprofits aren’t the end-all. Those who are underemployed because they can’t work in factory, warehouse, or fast food due to health issues. How do you intend to bridge the gaps for this group, especially into retirement, because some of us can’t wait 20 years for economic programs? This is a serious concern for me and several people I know.
