For the visually challenged writer, the photo shows a skeleton wearing a tie sitting behind a messy desk typing on a keyboard. There are cobwebs s between the skeleton, the desk lamp, and the papers on the desk.
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Karen went ballistic when she found out that her husband, Kenneth, had gambled away their entire life’s savings.
Though she was no carnivore, she felt like taking a bite out of her pretentious husband who had rocked their ship leaving her in desperate situation.
But Karen was no ordinary woman that a slight change would lead her astray like a blind person. She had plans for revenge and to regain the lost fortune.
She lead the depressed Kenneth into the room behind the study that was seldom used. “Now you stay here and think of a way to retrieve our lost fortune. Maybe you can go online and play those games that are always promising huge returns on very little investments. I don’t want to see your face again till you’ve at least won back some of that money”.
She locked the room and went to visit her mother to share her tragic story with her. On the way to her mom, she met an road accident and died on spot. As for Kenneth, no one knew where he was and years later his skeleton was discovered when the house owned by the couple was demolished!
You have a dinner party and may invite four guests from the following categories one fictional, one dead and one alive, and a naked chef [wearing an apron only but no clothes underneath – or if you wish for whatever reason your chef can be wearing underclothes – pants/top].
Who will you invite to eat, and who will you ask to cook for your dinner party?
Sherlock Holmes, Charles Dickens, and Tom Hanks. They can have a discussion about literature and crime. For dinner it will be steaks and fruit trifle for dessert. Don’t ask me why!
Have you ever slept on / in a hammock?
Nopes, though I’ve wanted to.
Do you find it easy to maintain friendship with other people?
If they are my type of people, very easy. But if they are negative, hypocritical or insincere people, I can’t call them friends.
Are you a person of ethics? If so, how does that impact your daily life?
I am proud to say that I am. It has always had positive impact on my life, daily and long term. Being ethical and honest is not a drawback, but an advantage even in today’s topsy turvy world.
Are you decisive or indecisive as a person?
Quite decisive! I make snap decisions and then don’t revisit my decisions.
Some, but not all people have double standards. Saying things and expecting others to do everything right is easy. But when it comes to giving up something for the greater good of people, you’ll find them inventing excuses for themselves. These two-faced people invariably expose themselves.
What is your most unhealthiest but guiltiest pleasure and why?
Alas! I can’t have any unhealthy or guilty pleasures nowadays. I am allowed nothing sweet, no chocolates, no carbs. I can dream of eating dark chocolate but can’t do it in real life.
What is your process of writing a new post for your blog?
If I am writing for a prompt, I copy the prompt ( or questions as in this post) and start writing with the idea that comes in my head. I usually go with my first inclination. If nothing strikes my imagination, I’ll let the post stay in drafts till I’m ready to write for it.
If you were asked to create a Top Fifteen Book List holding books that you felt everyone should read at least once in their life and would never regret reading what titles would you include?
I am sorry that I’m unable to suggest books that everyone should read. We all are individuals with different tastes, different beliefs and different expectations from life. How can 15 books I suggest be the correct fit for everyone?
How important is it for you to know a person’s real name? [Be this online, off line, social media or blogging]
I have a very bad memory, so even if I knew the name of a person at one time, I’m likely to have forgotten it when I meet them next time. Very often I have had conversations with people whose names have completely slipped my mind.
It took me more that 2 years to remember the name’s behind the blogging titles. Now I know the names of most of the people I interact with in my blogging community. It’s good to know the names, but not very important. What’s important is to know the person behind the blog.
When at school what were your top five subjects that you were passionate about? Why was this – what did you love about them? Are those five subjects still present in your life today in any form?
I loved Maths. It was my all time favorite. After that chemistry, physics, biology, and urdu.
I was very good in maths. Seldom got less than 100%. In physics and chemistry I was good too. Would grasp the concept quickly. Biology was okay and in urdu I was good at memorizing the poem, ghazals etc. but my urdu handwriting was dismal.
Still use maths, doing the household budget. I have not used chemistry or physics, in daily life only if I’m teaching my grandson. Urdu poetry is still my favorite and I frequently quote it.
Are you a photogenic person?
Are you eager to appear in family or friend snaps?
Are there many photographs of you from and over the various stages and ages of your life?
I’m not particularly photogenic. But despite that I want to be photographed with the family on every occasion. There and many many photos of us stored in albums, envelopes and on hard drives. One day…… I will sort them all into labeled albums.
With regard to the paranormal do you choose to not believe because there is nothing to believe or because you feel it is safer to not believe?
Are you a non-believer or a believer?
There are all types of paranormal phenomena! Some I can believe by stretching my imagination but others are really not my cup of tea. I believe in djinns but not in ghosts. No to zombies, werewolves, vampires etc.
How are you with meeting strangers/new people who might or could become new friends? Is there a process you adopt to identify if they are the right fit for you?
I used to be quite shy. But gradually I’ve gained confidence to talk to new people. A few questions regarding their basic beliefs, their way of life, and how they deal with life’s challenges will tell me if they are my sort of people or not.
We have enough food on this planet to feed everyone. But in poor countries, people sleep hungry and in rich nations, food is wasted. Equitable distribution of food sources can insure that everyone has enough
Your prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “on your/my plate.” Use it any way you’d like. Have fun!
November 21, 2022, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story using the phrase, “Oh, my.” It can be used in storytelling or dialog. What is the cause for such a response? Have fun with this one! Go where the prompt leads!
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Coming home after a shopping trip, she stopped in her tracks as she entered the living room. Oh my, what happened?
The chaos in the room spokefor itself. The toys littered everywhere, and a glass of milk spilled. A child could be heard crying, somewhere.
With concern, she went to her daughter’s bedroom. Her grandson was crying, and his mother admonishing him.
She entered after knocking and a silent look passed between the two grown-ups. Her daughter left the room. Hugging her grandson, she said nothing. The love poured from her heart to his and the crying stopped.
In the days before the internet, before WordPress, before Facebook and Twitter and TikTok and YouTube and binge-watching on Netflix; in the days before having the world at you fingertips with newsfeeds on mobile phones, before…well you get my drift…I used to devour between three and five books a week. Mostly novels.
With all of the distractions mentioned above, do you read books as much nowadays as you used to ten, twenty, or thirty years ago? Why or why not?
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Let’s not go back not 20 or 30 years ago but only about 4-5 years. Before I started my blog, I was still reading a few books a month.
If I don’t find a new author, I’d re-read old favorites. Books have become quite expensive these days so I’d buy from old books stores or borrow from my aunt. She’s also very fond of reading.
My issue, as I see it that I like to read books from authors I know. Spending money on a book by a new author and then not liking it is a waste and I don’t want to do that. When my daughter gifted me kindle, it became easier to buy books that aren’t available in the stores here. I found a new writer, Louise Penny which was recommended by my daughter, and loved her books. I also found new writers via recommendations from my WordPress friends, some written by them like Paula, Jeff, Mason and Mich.
When I started blogging, my time for reading books was cut down. Now I only can manage one or two books a month. Some months not even that. There are a few half read books on my kindle that are making me guilty as I haven’t finished them yet. Marilyn’s 12 foot teepee and Ritu’s marriage unarranged are among them.
Reading books is great, but so is reading blogs. So I spent my time reading the blogs I follow. And of course writing my own posts too. But I do need to go back to reading more books.
(Respond to this challenge, by either by using the prompt word sun, or going with the above picture, or by means of the song ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me)
An old favorite from my childhood days;
Seasons in the Sun- Terry Jacks
Lyrics;
Goodbye to you, my trusted friend But we’ve known each other since we were nine or ten Together, we’ve climbed hills and trees Learned of love and ABC’s Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
Goodbye, my friend, it’s hard to die When all the birds are singing in the sky Now that spring is in the air Pretty girls are everywhere Think of me and I’ll be there
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time
Goodbye, papa, please pray for me I was the black sheep of the family You tried to teach me right from wrong Too much wine and too much song Wonder how I got along
Goodbye, papa, it’s hard to die When all the birds are singing in the sky Now that the spring is in the air Little children everywhere When you see them, I’ll be there
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone Yeah, yeah, yeah
Goodbye, Michelle, my little one You gave me love and helped me find the sun And every time that I was down You would always come around And get my feet back on the ground
Goodbye, Michelle, it’s hard to die When all the birds are singing in the sky Now that the spring is in the air With the flowers everywhere I wish that we could both be there
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone
We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the wine and the song like the seasons have all gone We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun But the wine…
Keep it alive 
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