Asking me to pick a my favorite book is like asking me to name my favorite musician. There are far too many to choose from. And books, like music, fit a certain mood, speak to a certain interest, meet a need, and/or fit a specific purpose.
While it’s tempting to name a variety of my favorite books, I’ll share the one that’s been on my mind most lately.
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein is a novel about a dog. Like most dog stories, you probably won’t finish without shedding a tear or two. But I like the way it ends from the dog’s perspective.
If you, like me, have ever had to make the horrible, gut-wrenching, humane decision to end you beloved dog’s suffering, you might find a bit of solace in the story. I know I did.
It’s well-written and an all around great read. I really need to find my copy so I can read it again.
Me and CeCe
Me and Meg
This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…
Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.
I’m not a fan of the term “best friend.” The funny thing is, I’m not entirely sure why. Friends mean a lot to me, and I don’t take friendship lightly. I guess my biggest problem with the term is its implied singularity.
If you’re lucky, and I am, you have more than one friend. To pronounce one of them to be your best friend sort of implies the others aren’t as important. That just seems wrong to me.
Real, true friendship is a mutual thing. It evolves over time. I mean, it takes time to really get to know a person. To understand the way they think, the way they react to situations, their likes and dislikes, how they carry themselves, the way they treat other people, their sense of humor, etc. It also takes time to figure out if you’re compatible. If you actually like spending time with that person. If they value your friendship the same way you value their friendship.
Making friends is like dating in a lot of ways. You meet someone you like, for one reason or another, and you spend time getting to know them. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t. When it does work out, it’s a mutually beneficial thing.
I get really weirded-out when someone I barely know says I’m their best friend. Or the best friend they ever had. It stresses me out. It should be flattering, I know, but I find it very uncomfortable. Like all of a sudden I’m being held to a higher standard. It’s especially stressful when the feeling isn’t mutual. I start feeling guilty that I don’t like the person as much as they like me, for whatever reason. And all of a sudden it becomes work. It’s easy to overlook flaws in people, or a few things you don’t like about a person, but when there are a number of things you don’t like, or few things you have in common, why would you even want to be friends?
Often it’s time and previous shared experiences that bind people together. I’ll be going on an annual girlfriend getaway next weekend with two women I’ve known for around 40 years. We all have very different lives, different interests, etc. Heck, we don’t even live in the same state anymore. But we all have a lot in common, too, and we’ve been through a lot together. I can’t imagine life without either of them even if we do only see each other a few times a year.
L-R, Me, Carol, and Tracey (2013)
I have a couple of other friends I’ve known for a very long time, too. I see them less often, but we have history together. I value their friendships as well.
Me and Brad (2014)
I’ve known Brad since I was about 15. We met in high school.
Me and Diana (2013)
Diana and I have been friends since about second grade. So, over 40 years. (Wow, I’m getting old.)
There are others I have known for less time, but they still mean a lot to me.
L-R, Martin, Tammy, Annelies, Me, Mike, Yves, Timo, and Heather
Tammy, Annelies, Heather, and I used to work together. As luck would have it, our husbands/significant others enjoy each others’ company, too.
L-R, Annelies, Mike, Me, and Yves
And we can’t forget the fine folks I’ve befriended since moving to Virginia.
Kelly Ann and Me (actually 2+ years ago)
I don’t have a picture of Janet and me. She’s the lady who owns The Empty Nest (Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Stockist). There’s Sandy and Sandra, neighbors who I know and like, but need to spend more time with.
There are others, too, some of whom I am still getting to know better. Some I interact with more on Facebook than in person, but would love to get to spend time with in person.
And we can’t forget Mike. He’s my husband, and my friend, too. We have lots of fun together.
Goofballs
And we can’t forget all my blog friends. Even if I haven’t met you all in person, you’re important, too.
I told you I’m lucky. I have lots of friends. They all mean a lot to me, all in different ways. How could I possibly proclaim one of them as being the best?
Finally, a prompt that requires little thought or time from me.
My favorite snack food, hands down, is potato chips.
And, if we’re getting particular, not just any potato chip, but the Nibble with Gibble’s brand.
My Favorite!!!
There was an uproar within the last couple of years when the plant was sold and the new owner decided to cease operations. Then a local couple swooped in to save the day, buying the production facility, extending the beloved brand’s life.
Gibble’s are a localish thing. They’re made in Chambersburg, PA and sold sort of regionally. So it’s hard to find them in most parts of Maryland and Virginia. Our West Virginia cabin was relatively close to Chambersburg, so we could always buy them there. Now, unless we go to Pennsylvania or luck out and find a local shop that carries them, we can’t get our Gibble’s chips.
Why Gibble’s? They’re made with lard. And they’re deliciously salty, with lots of bent chips and grease bubbles. YUM.
True
This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…
Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.
In life, things are rarely as straightforward as they appear. It’s a lesson I learned ages ago. Unfortunately, it’s something I encounter frequently. Especially while I’m working. Tasks that appear as if they will be easy to complete rarely are. Questions that should be simple to answer usually have answers that spawn more questions.
Today’s prompt — fruit — is yet another example. It seems so simple. One short, five-letter word.
But it has like TEN different meanings. Or so.
First is the obvious meaning. The edible part of a tree or other plant that you can eat.
A photo posted by Kathy Kirkpatrick (@vatoadmama) on
I take all kinds of pictures, and I post a wide variety of things on Instagram. Lots of dog pics, of course. I often wonder if people who follow my feed are dismayed or amused by my sharing of random images. More likely, people just scroll past or unfollow me. LOL.
A couple of weeks ago I posted this image to see if anyone asked WHY I would post a picture of grapes. No one did. But then, it is sort of artistic, isn’t it? Two people liked it, anyway.
Of course, fruit also means the part of a plant that contains the seeds from which new plants can grow. Not all fruit can be eaten.
And, if I said, “Hey, look at the fruit!“, I could be talking about one of these:
A bowl of fruit.
This COULD be a gay man. Or just a hetero man with fruit on his head, acting fruity (as in nuts).
Of course, I would never call a gay man a “fruit.” Not only is it an outdated term, it’s also sort of derogatory.
A group of different fruits.
Eric — the fruit of my loins — around 16 with his favorite Mom.
Talk about an outdated term. “Um yes, this is Eric, fruit of my loins.” That just sounds so wrong somehow.
Speaking of wrong… what an unusual prompt.
I couldn’t imagine having to learn English as a non-native language.
This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…
Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.
Believe it or not, the “animal” prompt was easy for me. Some of you may be surprised by my choice. Others who have been following my blog longer won’t be surprised at all.
It’s a Cow!
I’m not sure why I like cows so much, I just do. And seeing this particular herd had me giggling, laughing, and just about dancing a jig. Because they were atop Splugen Pass in Switzerland. You can see the whole post here.
Such grand memories. 🙂
This Year’s Brave, Bold Bloggers…
Be sure to visit their blogs to see how each interpreted this challenge.
Yet another prompt that doesn’t lend itself to a let’s-do-this-first-thing-in-the-morning sorta plan.
“Stupid, weird, or silly thing you did today, on purpose or accidentally.”
Sadly, I didn’t do one thing today that would qualify as stupid, weird, or silly.
But I did see a fun picture on Facebook that I snagged to modify for my own purpose.
I put “Blog” where “imaginary” used to be. Because I know you all are real people.
I guess some might find that image stupid, weird, and/or silly, but I thought it cried out to be added to my blog as soon as it popped up on my screen.
I’m still behind on my reading. I hope to catch up with everyone soon.
Oh, hey, by the way… the month is half over already. 🙂
See how other BBBC 2016 participants
interpreted today’s prompt.
How did the other brave, bold bloggers respond and/or interpret this daily challenge? See for yourself!
Richard of Richard’s Page
Rachael (aka Fuzzy) of Fuzzygalore.com
Steve of Scooter In The Sticks
Mark of Markneustadt.com
David of Life on Two Wheels
Dar aka Princess Scooterpie
If there’s no link in the above list, that blogger hadn’t yet posted at the time of my writing. I’ll do an update as soon as I can. You can always use the link to each blogger’s home page in the list provided below.
