Cattitude and Gratitude

It's Wordy Wednesday time at Blog-a-Rhythm! Woohooo! Once again, I am motivated to produce, knowing that deadlines come even faster based on time zones in India and that the Linky will be locked in no time! I thought I'd better get in gear and do Wordy Wednesday, especially since it's my prompt this week.  I had fun writing this, remembering the turbulent teen years where you could be an emotional wreck one moment and in a state of bliss the next. Emotions were so heightened and raw and you felt like the whole world was scrutinizing you, looking at every flaw, which they weren't of course. You often felt insecure about friendships, worried about being slighted or cast aside for someone more interesting. I constantly fluctuated between admiration and jealousy towards my best friend who was so much more outgoing than me and more popular with the boys. I was so shy I didn't even have a boyfriend as a teenager. As a teen, everything was such a huge deal and ...

Everyone loves to get praise and hear that they are wonderful. Who doesn’t love that? Especially we writers who spend many a lonely hour hunched in front of our computers or over our pads of paper as we toil away trying to get our ideas just right.   It gives us a boost and makes us feel good. I wrote a stinker of a story lately. Yes, folks it does happen to me occasionally. I know it’s hard to believe. EHEM…face reddens and whistles while looking other direction… Now where was I? My online critique partners were honest with me and told me that my latest creation was contrived, clichéd with cardboard characters and the plot was silly and   implausible. OUCH! Nothing sugar-coated about that. No one likes to get criticism and most of us try to avoid it at all costs. But sometimes you have to hear it in order to improve. I found it hard to take at first but now I can see they were right. I write so much better than that if I put my mind to it. That p...

There is a delicate hint of fall in the air with the shorter days and a coolness to the mornings.  From my window, I can see that the bird activity has changed these past few weeks. All the baby birds have gone which makes me sad as I miss watching their funny antics, especially the baby cardinals who were hilarious. They grow up way too fast. Sigh. The berries are gone on the honeysuckle bush so there are no more gorgeous cedar waxwings. I miss seeing them. The hubs says he will plant more bushes for me next year. I'd love to have a whole yard full of cedar waxwings as I think they are one of the most beautiful birds I've ever seen. Thank goodness for my photos to freeze these special moments in time.  I was entranced to see this handsome young purple finch at the feeder yesterday. As you can see, he is starting to change colour from his brown speckles to his brilliant red plumage. What a beauty he is! Soon he will be migrating south so I am grateful to have captu...