Theme Thursday - Traffic

Now, one would look at these pictures (as I did) and say "What the floop?" so I had to go and look into exactly where this conglomeration of lights was and how it affected traffic in the area.

This is actually a sculpture designed by Pierre Vivant in 1997! It's on the traffic island of Heron Quays Roundabout in Canary Wharf in London. The official name is Traffic Light Tree - although, really, shouldn't it be called Insane? We New-Englanders call it a "rotary" - what they call a "roundabout" in England. Can you imagine being a tourist and seeing that? I'm sure the residents are quite used to it and probably don't even give it a second thought - but if I went there and saw that, I'd cry and start walking. LOL

The Time in Between - Tenth Daughter of Memory

The time in between

If you think about times when you need a lot of patience, consider these:

…the time between getting pregnant and delivering the baby…

…the time between when you start high school and graduate from high school…

…the time between putting an offer on a house and it’s accepted…

…the time between getting engaged and getting married…

…the time between the start of the work day and the end of the work day…

…the time between putting the turkey for Thanksgiving in the oven and when it’s done…

…the time between Christmas Eve and Christmas morning (especially when you are a kid!)

…the time between discovery of a potential health issue and the actual diagnosis…

…the time between one paycheck and the next…

…the time between foreplay and orgasm…

Now, I’m sure everyone has their own ideas for when patience is needed…care to share?

The Tenth Daughter of Memory

I was 18 and in trouble.

I don’t think this would’ve happened if Dad hadn’t died in June. I was lonely, did not get along with my mother, took a year off before college and here it was, October, and I was “late” – every teens nightmare. And how do I approach my mother to tell her?

I got up enough nerve to ask her how late I needed to be before I should start to worry. She said at my age if I didn’t have it and if I was sexually active, then I should be worried. Ok, so now I was worried.

They didn’t have pregnancy sticks back then from what I can recall so she had me make an appointment at this unwed mother place “in the city” – where it was confirmed that I was pregnant. Options, options, options – I was told I had a number of options. But for me, being raised a Catholic and my father being a regular church-goer prior to his passing, the only option was to keep the baby.
Epilogue – my son is now 25 years old, married and about to purchase his first home. He was the best thing that ever happened to me and I can’t imagine life without him.

What felt like a trap then turned out to only be a different path.

For other submissions for Trapped, please click here.

BIIIIIG Understatement!!

Ted William's head mistreated...

see the full article here

Theme Thursday - WILD

Wild!

I couldn't write anything about WILD except for the 2004 Boston Red Sox being the Wild Card Team! Their regular season record was 98 wings and 64 losses - the best record in baseball that year. As a die-hard, long time Red Sox fan - heck, back when I was in my teens I would write down every game, every pitch, every out in notebooks - it was tough to BELIEVE that 2004 was THE year for us fans.

The Red Sox came back from a 3-0 deficit against the New York Yankees to win 4 in a row and win the American League Championship series. Then, the streak continued with 4 straight wins against the St. Louis Cardinals to win the 2004 World Series. Not only did they come out with 8 straight post season wins, but if you look at the team from then you'd see Curt Schilling and his bloody sock after having the team doctor stitch together his ankle so he could pitch...you'd also see Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz with their clutch homeruns. It was a magical time and then after winning the 2007 World Series, I think we in Red Sox Nation got a little cocky...we've won twice now in the 21st century and the Yankees haven't.

I'm okay with being a little cocky - it's better than the "better luck next year" motto we had for 86 years!



For more Theme Thursday entries on Wild, click here

Distance

Distance.

I have chosen to distance myself from most of my family. From the mother who never felt I was good enough, even though she never said so in so many words, her actions spoke volumes. From the older sister who moved far away in more than just miles. From the brothers who have serious paranoia issues and no sense of commitment to anyone or anything. From the younger sister who does enough in her day with no time for anyone else, or herself for that matter. Do I regret that I have distanced myself at this time in my life? No, I have not.

You know what I do regret? I regret that when someone I love, be it family or friend, becomes sick or different due to their age, I retreat. I am basically, selfishly, afraid. I do not want to see the person that I love become someone else. As in most cases of age or illness, people are wont to change - whether they like it or not. I don't want it to seem like I shut these people out of my life, I don't. I keep in contact via telephone or cards meant to cheer them up, but I do not go to see them.

My favorite Uncle passed away a year ago April. Prior to that he was in a "rest" home for 2 years. I never saw him in that place. To me, he was not Uncle John any longer. He was not the man that saw me through my own father's death, supported me through becoming a single mother, supported me through the death of a fiance. He was simply a sick, old man. And I failed him. I believe he knew that I loved him and I hope he knows why I did not come to visit him. I think he did - he and I were very similar. I choose to believe that he understood because that makes me feel less guilty.

Distance.

Theme Thursday - Over the Hill

Over the hill

I am 44. For the better part of 25 years, I've considered this particular age to be "the end." You see, my father died at the young age of 44. My older brother and sister have both gone beyond "the end" and I now have minimal doubts that I will as well (especially since my birthday is in 3 months). Once I hit my next birthday I'll feel more comfortable with the prospect of future birthdays. Would I even consider myself "over the hill"? Nope - not yet! I have a lot of life left in me - I'm going to go with considering 80 to maybe be over the hill...and 100 to be running down the other side!

For more Theme Thursday click here.