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Freestyle Writing Challenge – Take 3 – Sunset

27 May 2015 19 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges, My Writing Tags: Blog Post, Blog. Blogger, Blogging, Challenge, Freestyle Writing, Sunset

This time I was challenged by Author SBMazing to this awesome freestyle writing challenge.

Here are the rules to the challenge:

1. Open a blank Document
2. Set a stop watch or your mobile phone timer to 5 or 10 minutes, whichever challenge you prefer.
3. Your topic is at the foot of this post BUT DO NOT SCROLL DOWN TO SEE IT UNTIL YOU ARE READY WITH YOUR TIMER!!!
4. Once you start writing do not stop until the alarm sounds!
5. Do not cheat by going back and correcting spelling and grammar using spell check (it is only meant for you to reflect on your own control of sensible thought flow and for you to reflect on your ability to write with correct spelling and grammar.)
6. You may or may not pay attention to punctuation or capitals.
7. At the end of your post write down ‘No. of words = ____” to give an idea of how much you can write within the time frame.
8. Do not forget to copy paste the entire passage on your blog post with a new topic for your nominees and copy paste these rules with your nomination (at least five (5) bloggers)

Ready?

The topic I was given … Sunset

I love a good sunset…

My ideal sunset is sat on a sandy beach, watching the waves lap onto the shore, my loved one beside me, head on his shoulder, and seeing the magnificent sun dip down, lower, and lower as if it is a giant biscuit that is being dunked into the huge cup of tea that is the ocean!

Wow! That sounded a bit poetic, didn’t it!?

I do love a good sunset, the colours, and the peace you feel, if you are in the right place, is unreal.

Something else that also comes to mind when I think of the word sunset is those elderly people who are at the ‘sunset’ of their lives, you know, the tail end. They have seen many days, good and bad. Sunny and rainy. Their dawn was long, long ago, and they have now settled into the blissful retreat that is that sun, slowly going down, after blazing hard all their life long.

And they should be having a peaceful sunset. After all, they’ve worked hard all their lives. But it’s sad to see how many ‘sunsetters’ don’t have the peaceful end to their days nowadays. One big issue is money. So many of them, and I fear, many of us, once we reach the ‘sunset’ of our lives, will find it a struggle to live comfortably, unless there is support for them. A lot of old folk have to sell up their family homes, and go move into nursing homes, or old people’s homes to be cared for, as they can’t afford to keep their own house, and get care there, and the cost of a home is exorbitant too.

And that leads me on to support. How many elderly people actually have support? I mean the support of family? In our community, it is the norm to support your elders, to respect them, and once retirement hits, or they are no longer able to do things for themselves, we step in. The younger generation. There are not many Indian old people in homes, unless it is a health issue and special care is required.

So what do I think? Please support your elders in the sunset of their lives, so they may also see an idyllic end to their days, instead of pain, and suffering.

Word count: 386

And on to those I would like to challenge…

The Blog Of Tony Burgess
Life Of An El Paso Woman
Lady Lee Manila
BDHESSE
Cornfed Contessa

And your topic is…

No Peeking!

Fantasy!

Happy writing chappies!!!!

RIP Big Brother!!!!

27 May 2015 47 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Big Brother, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Bored

It was only a short couple of weeks ago that I posted about my excitement that Big Brother was back in TV!

Some of you were as excited, many of you rolled your eyes, and thought ‘crazy woman… obsessed with reality TV!’

But can I tell you a secret?

I think it’s worn off… That sheen the whole Big Brother thing had. It’s loosened it’s it’s hold on me.

I am, frankly bored of the whole thing!

I used to love it. Watching people interacting, unlikely characters getting on, or getting it on too! And fun tasks.

But it has just gone silly, to be honest. The twists they’ve added to make it more fresh, and watchable, have frankly ruined it for me! I can’t keep up! People granted immunities, people up for nomination before they even gave them a chance, it all seems to be fixed.

Now I might catch the odd bit on TV, but I hardly know the contestants names, and they are all, with the exception of one lady, young, fame hungry things, most of them beautiful, several of them go by, and plenty of flesh on show on a regular basis… But that’s it.

Bored.

Oh well. At least I’ve got an hour of my scheduled viewing time to do something else with!!!!!

#BeWoW ~ Positivity

27 May 2015 16 Comments

by Ritu in Challenges Tags: #BeWoW, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Positivity, Ronivan Writes

Another Wednesday, another chance to Be Wonderful On Wednesday, like the lovely Ronovan, of Ronovan Writes, requested that we do.

This week the prompt is How do you keep positive?

Well, that’s an interesting one.

If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you’ve probably guessed that I am, in general, a pretty positive person. I’m not sure that many times have cropped up, where I haven’t been positive. It’s just the way I was brought up to be.

Now there’s a thought… Are you born positive? Or is positivity taught?

I think that we all have the capability to be positive, but your upbringing, the attitudes around you, can most definitely influence how positive, or negative, you end up, as an adult.

As a child, I saw my parents go through various situations where they were dragged through the mud, put in the firing line for no reason whatsoever, times they had to take huge responsibilities onto their shoulders, at quite a young age, and always with a smile on their faces.

It would get my mum down, but until I was quite a lot older, I only saw the smiles on her face, and the positive outlook she had, on whatever situation the family was in at the time. Once I reached maturity, and was able to understand more, what was going on, she would tell me the truth, but also explain why it was important to stay positive.

My Pops, well, he was, and still is, Mr Positive. He is someone who always sees the silver lining, in so many situations. Like when we were setting our wedding date, after a couple of years of engagement. It was all set, the venue all chosen… Then due to my Mother In Law consulting an astrologer, we had to postpone the date by two weeks. Oh My Goodness! I was upset, furious, not willing to change the date, but my Pops said “It’s not a problem Beta (dear) if they believe in something, let us do it, change dates and the best bit… I get you to stay here as my little girl for two more weeks.!” Well, that was what swung it for me! Even during the hard times when I suffered 2 miscarriages, it was his words that pulled me through…

So, with these icons of positivity around me all my life, how could I not be positive?

I wonder, if I saw them arguing, or crumbling during all the ups and downs, would I feel like I do now? Or would I tend to just give up whenever I was faced with any issues?

If, and yes, it does happen, my Hubby and I argue, or disagree, over anything, I find it important to sort it out straight away, I can’t allow the negativity to fester for days, like many people I know. I find it hard to stay angry for too long!

If things get me down, I allow myself a moment of woe, after all I was born on a Wednesday, I’m meant to be a child full of woe…(sorry to disappoint!) then I think of what my parents always taught us, I find the positive in a situation, and smile through!

Choosday Choon!

26 May 2015 28 Comments

by Ritu in Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Extreme, Song

I was listening to the radio on Monday afternoon, and the station I was listening to, Heart FM, were playing the biggest 90’s hits.

The one I tuned into initially was one of my all time favourite songs… I had the cassette single, and would croon away to myself, into a hairbrush, into a mirror, even recording myself! (Come on, admit it, you’ve all done these things too!)

The song itself, the melody, the words…. heck, who am I kidding, the initial reason I was in love with this song was because of the gorgeous guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt!

Don’t know what he looks like now, and that is of no importance anymore, but then… oh, those lips!!!!

So here it is!

More Than Words by Extreme

Excuse me while I make myself comfortable…! Enjoy Peeps!