Love/Hate Challenge

July 9, 2015July 9, 2015 / Erica Herd / 7 Comments

Just what I needed to get back in the saddle, having not posted in over a week!

4 Year Old Adult has nominated me for the Love/Hate Challenge. The rules for the accepting this challenge are:

List 10 things that you love
List 10 things that you hate
Nominate fellow bloggers to take the challenge

10 Things I Love:

1. my husband

2. my friends

3. my family (cats included)

4. the written word

5. the smell of a fireplace

6. new challenges

7. the ocean

8. Vermont

9. courage (in all its forms)

10. wildlife

10 Things I Hate (or Dislike Strongly):

1. lack of compassion

2. cruelty (perpetrated especially on children and animals)

3. people who talk non-stop (and full voice) on the bus

4. grasshoppers and waterbugs

5. close-minded individuals

6. drivers who don’t use blinkers (I’m talkin to you, New Jersey)

7. unwelcome, rude inquiries (i.e. “Why don’t you have kids?”)

8. arrogant, spoiled celebrities (Russell Crowe, for one)

9. Port Authority Bus Terminal

10. selfie sticks

Okay, so I nominate the following people for this challenge:

cat 9984

Cindy Knoke

Lucie

Enjoy!

Free the Zombies

April 27, 2015April 27, 2015 / Erica Herd / 12 Comments

I had passport photos taken today. My passport expires in October, and Lorin and I might be going out of the country this year. You never know. I made sure my hair was washed, and my face was made-even adding eyeliner underneath the lid, which I usually forego. It would be a good passport photo. I was wrong.

(I realize it’s somewhat out of focus – took with my iphone. Believe me, it’s better this way.)

To me this screams, “Just Sentenced to Gulag” or “10 Years Hard Labor.”

Anyway, after hiding the photos in the zippered portion of my wallet and walking back to the office, I realized how much healthier and happier I looked in my photo from 2005. It helped that I had some color in my cheeks, and I think I had recently returned from vacation. And I was smiling. That always helps.

We often read about preserves and parks to save various species who have been enslaved by the circus or been lab animals all their lives. These animals deserve their freedom and a modicum of happiness. We all do!

We also need to recognize the Caged Zombie, aka office worker, who needs sunlight, fresh air, and perhaps, even a pool to splash in. Would it be so hard to provide this?

Granted, we get vacation time, but sometimes we don’t have adequate funds to travel, or things are too busy at the office for us to leave. What would be the harm in providing us– free of charge–a few weeks of freedom, out of our usual surroundings, away from the grueling commute that gradually transforms us from humans into zombies. Would it be too much to ask?

Prerequisites for a zombie vacation:

1. freedom from computers

2. freedom from answering phones

3. freedom from flourescent lights

4. freedom from multi-tasking

5. freedom from fire drills

6. open spaces

7. natural sunlight

8. pools to splash in

9. freedom from commuting

What would your ideal zombie vacation be?

Liebster Award

March 9, 2015March 9, 2015 / Erica Herd / 10 Comments

Thank you, horcrux521 for nominating me for the Liebster Award!

For the bloggers I nominate, here are the guidelines / rules:

1. Thank and link the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the questions given by the nominator.
3. Nominate 10 other bloggers (or thereabouts).
4. Create 10 new questions for the nominees to answer.
5. Notify all nominees via social media / blog.

Here are the questions I was given:

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
What day it is. I rejoice when I find out it’s Saturday or Sunday.
Is the glass half empty or half full?
Trying for half full.
What do you think about the most?
My family and close friends, and the state of our world / society.
Which came first the chicken or the egg?
I wasn’t there.
What kind of books do you like to read?
Historical fiction, some fantasy, memoirs, biographies. I’m currently reading Wolf Hall.
What is your best childhood memory?
Going to Fire Island with my family–love the ocean–and Christmas Eve.
Sunshine or snow?
Right now, sunshine.
Something that makes you happy in an instant.
A cute baby (human or other).
If you had one wish, what would you wish for?
More kindness in the world.
One random fact about yourself.
I worked at a salmon cannery in Naknek, Alaska after I graduated from college.

I nominate:

butchcountry67

Chronic Conditions & Life Lessons

Elan Mudrow

I Refuse to Follow Your Blog

Questions for you guys and gals:

1. What is your favorite day of the week?
2. If you could live in another era or country, which would it be?
3. Who (can be a non-human) is your best friend?
4. The mountains or the beach?
5. If you could do another job / profession, what would it be?
6. What are a few of your favorite films?
7. Who is one of your heroes / heroines (living or deceased)?
8. Do you speak more than one language?
9. Favorite books / authors?
10. Future hope / aspiration / goal.

Do not feel obligated to accept the nomination. No stress here.

Hasta la vista.

Tummy Rub Tuesday

December 2, 2014December 2, 2014 / Erica Herd / 6 Comments

Katzenworld has an ongoing Tummy Rub Tuesday (TRT) challenge, featuring cats baring their tummies (or not). Here is my contribution for the day. I couldn’t decide on just one photo, so I’m including a few.