Candy Crush Saga

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I almost made it out of 2013 without succumbing to … (dare I say it)… Candy Crush.

THAT game that everyone was playing. Oh, it definitely looked like fun. Seemed like no one could put it down. Exactly! — Oh, no time for that.

           ¸.•*¨)
(¸.•´  ¤ Sweet •*¨`* ☆

And just days shy of a brand spanking new year basking in family fun and the leisure days of being on holiday I joined the forces of fellow Crushers and stepped into Candy Town. I was clearing jellies, looking for sets of four and planning sets of five. I was lured into Minty Meadow, across Bubble Gum Bridge and into Salty Canyon.

           .•*¨`*• ✫ Tasty
`*.¸.*

Before I knew it I was giving friends lives and gifts. Sending tickets for the plane ride out of Chocolate Mountains. And excitedly receiving the same. What fun!

             ☆´¨)
Delicious ¸.•´ ¸.•*´¨) ¤

My interest would spike when I reached a level instructing me to bring the ingredients down —  my favorites. 😀

¸.*¯`¤ Sugar Crush ¸.•*¨⋎✫
               *.¸.*

I eagerly joined the craze. I was using my five lives to the fullest and patiently waiting to get more. Having to wait made it so that I simply could not infringe on the important tasks of the day. A little crush with breakfast, bursts sprinkled throughout the day (especially if you find yourself waiting for anything) and mega crush while decompressing in front of the TV at night. And, whoa! The sleeping owl opens a whole new gameboard? Yippee! The word was that there was no end, no saving the princess, new levels were being made daily. This could go on forever…yay!

For me, forever lasted about three months. After fighting off multiplying chocolate and blowing up candy bombs. My digital sweet tooth subsided. The flavor for virtual savor coasted from Halloween night (I can consume massive amounts of sugar) to Thanksgiving night (No, please not another bite). The longing to crush dissolved.

I pop in once in awhile to answer requests. I played last night, for the sake of research. 😉 And it was fun for a while. It’s funny, that something can be so alluring and then one day you’re just over it. And for that reason, I had to dedicate a post to the colorful Candy Crush Saga. I’m glad we met, it was fun while it lasted. It’s not you, it’s me. I’ll stop in and visit.

candy crush

Reflections:

I liked the challenge of being stuck on a level.

The jellybeans look like Hot Tamales, the orange lozenges look like jellybeans, the purple cluster reminds me of the hard Christmas candies with sticky jelly filling, and the color bomb looks like a Whopper rolled in sprinkles.

I can’t keep from calling it Candyland and always stand corrected.

When I hear the Candyman’s cheesy voice say, “Sweet” I always think of Def Leppard’s song “Pour Some Sugar On Me”

btw — What’s with the daily spin? Why have that dang “jackpot” on there if they are never going to give it to you?

~~ Deidre

Books

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26 letters in the alphabet

1,025,905 words in the English language

80,000 words in a typical novel

Countless number of possibilities those letters and words can be joined to make a unique story.

book journey

Not enough hours, days or years to read each and every one, but

I’m gonna try

~~Deidre

Around the Blogosphere in 26 Days

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I’ve spent the better half of my day pulling pranks on my family. What can I say it’s April 1st!!

All were a success except the one I thought would be the best. I put a “For Sale By Owner” sign in front of the house an hour before the family got home this evening. I knew I wouldn’t fool my husband — he’s not only the one I make such decisions with and would obviously know about this long before the sign hit the lawn, but he’s also seriously used to my antics. My main target was my teenager. I thought I’d get a real exclamation out of him.

He hasn’t even noticed it — even though it’s in full view of where he parks.

He came home from practice. Nothing.

I sent him on an errand. Still nothing.

I’m leaving it through the night just to see if maybe, just maybe, fresh morning eyes will pop open. However, he’s been fooled a number of times at this point…I think he’s ready for anything.

The neighbors, on the other hand, are either going to be calling me or are out purchasing champagne. 🙂

Happy first day of April!

~~ Deidre

Recurring nightmare and Recent events

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Just a mere two months ago, I was at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference. On opening day the lunchtime speaker shared her family’s experience of losing their home to the Waldo Canyon fire. The 2013 conference was themed “Rising from the Ashes” in dedication to all that had happened to our community and with a vow that we would regrow together. The recount, beautifully written and presented, was a tearfest. Every local writer in the large ballroom had been affected in some way. Many, like me, had been displaced. A few lost homes, many opened their homes, some were actively involved in direct support to firefighting and everyone knew someone that fell into every category along the way.

The room contained about the same number of attendees as the number of houses lost and was dead silent. Her account was moving and informative, both relating to shared experience and revealing unique circumstances. The out-of-state visitors had many sincere questions and true compassion. The recollection stirred up raw sensations buried within me.

For about a month, I’ve been dreading the first anniversary, June 23.

The thought of seeing archived media coverage has been unnerving. Images of houses burning, beautiful National Forest destroyed, sirens, smoke plumes, the nighttime lava-like glow, the constant reel of news briefs, the smell and taste of smoke day after day, the orangey color when the sun pushes through the haze that shrouds the city, the sound of aircrafts delivering hope for containment are most but not all of the memories that have shaken my senses and quickened my heartbeat.

The surreality of a living nightmare.

Our city was preparing to face those feelings head on, celebrate the successes and continue to heal. I was bracing myself for the onslaught of images and searching for the comfort zones where tragedy meets community. Where friendships grow stronger and values solidify.

We were evacuated from our home and thankfully were able to return to a house and neighborhood fully intact. But 18,247 acres burned, 346 homes were destroyed, 32,000 residents were evacuated, and it was dubbed the most expensive fire in Colorado state history with insurance claims totaling more than $352.6 million.

Two days ago, well before our community has found peace, another fire has attacked our city.

It’s day 3 of the Black Forest fire. The latest news briefing stated 15,700 acres burned, 38,000 people evacuated, 360 homes destroyed and counting, no containment and two people have been found dead.

While it’s the most threatening fire right now, it’s not the only one in our state.

And the nightmare continues.

Quality

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Question the value

Understand that quantity is not the same

Accept that patience might be required

Listen to your heart

Invest yourself

Trust your instincts

Yearn for excellence

~~Deidre~~

Positivity

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pos·i·tiv·i·ty
noun
-the state or character of being positive.

There are several definitions of the word positive. Here’s the one that most intrigues me:

pos·i·tive
adjective
-having a value greater than zero.

When I think about positivity, I see ‘anti-gravity’. If a person lets something drop, zero effort is required on their part — gravity will take over. However, if a person wants to keep something from dropping or actually raise something — effort must kick in.

Positivity is more difficult to achieve than negativity. If someone is ‘down’ their presence goes down, ‘hanging the head’ and ‘dragging the feet’. Frowns happen when the corners of the mouth turn down. And expressions represent the very same, ‘letting the ball drop’, ‘slipping through the cracks’ and ‘spiraling downward’.

Positivity challenges gravity. A smile happens when the corners of the mouth go up. To achieve a positive stance someone must keep their ‘chin up’, ‘spirits lifted’, ‘rise above’, ‘pick up their step’, or ‘lift their mood’. True effort is required to ‘raise the bar’, ‘aim high’, and ‘shoot for the moon’.

Positivity is hard work. And can be even tougher when naysayers try to ‘suck the life force out’ of it.

Positivity is contagious. But …you have to catch it.

The next time you’re trying to maintain a positive outlook and wondering why it always feels like you’re fighting an uphill battle — it’s because you are.

Good news. You are not alone. I love the saying:

surround self

Go do that!

 

~~Deidre~~

Noise & Optimism

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N – Noise

I’m trying to calm all the noise in my head. I have a LOT of random thoughts about my future and what I need to do to accomplish specific goals. I’ve been checking off the list, bit by tiny bit. When so much is swirling around I remind myself to just keep moving forward, give myself little successes along the way. And yes…doing dishes, prepping food, and doing laundry counts!!! Even though those are sidenotes to what’s really keeping my mind charged right now….it’s still about organizing the mind ‘clutter’…good stuff but totally cluttered and bucking for attention. I’m slowly and effectively gaining control of the volume…..

O – Optimism

The glass is always full. If for nothing else, it holds air.

~~Deidre~~

Karma – Love – Meow

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I’m terribly behind on my A to Z. I spent the weekend at the best writer’s conference EVER. Pikes Peak Writers Conference — amazing. After a couple of prep days, then into four full consecutive conference days followed by one day of organizing all the new information and calming a swirling brain… I am back and vow to get on track with my A to Z. And this is how it’s going to happen… in chunks!

Here’s the high points of letter inspiration K thru M:

K – Karma
You do something good for someone and something good will come back to you. Ahhh… Karma. It’s all about the good, right? Until someone pisses you off then you want Karma to get them.

L – Love

love 17

M – Meow
(Kristina this is for you 🙂 )

Tips from my cat:

1. Be social
Widen your circle, get to know your neighbors.

2. Make time for play
Dogs are good for pouncing practice. Humans will think you’re cute.

3. Stay clean
Impressions count, no one wants to sit with the stinky cat.

4. Keep sharp
Take time to hone your claws, you will need them from time to time.

5. Cough it up
Don’t hold on to anything that upsets you.

6. Life is short
Enjoy each life like it could be your last.

7. Get face time
Take time to meet eye-to-eye with the ones you love.

8. Speak up
A quiet cat is a lonely cat, let ’em know how you feel.

9. Give back
Always share your finds, at least a portion of them.

10. Nap
Rest up because you never know when you’ll be left outside all day.

~~Deidre~~

Judge:Jump

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You are your own best judge.

You know whether you are doing what you should be doing.

You know whether the effort you are giving is going to give you the results you desire.

You decide when to jump wholeheartedly into your passion.

 

~~Deidre~~