@ladyanneclare

@ladyanneclare 6 December 2024

I'm back! I've been on some adventures since 2022. Some good, some bad. Looking forward to seeing what everyone's been up to since my last post. From the looks of it, there's lots to catch up on. I love that read.cash is still around and gives me the freedom to write and post to my heart's content.

@ladyanneclare 1 June 2022

Digital Detox Island **Prompt**: As a computer programmer, you get tired of staring at a screen all day long and decide to take a break from technology. After turning off all social media and traveling to a remote deserted island with no internet access, you realize that the island may not be deserted after all when strange beasts, half flesh and half machine, appear at night. (Source: https://www.servicescape.com/writing-prompt-generator) Waking from her nap in the glorious sun, which beat down on her forehead, a deep growl came from deep within the island. Rizzie became alert almost immediately. Deep growling wasn’t something she was accustomed to living in Chicago. Yeah there were strange noises, but deep, guttural, groaning and loud grows was not something that happened everyday. She now wondered if there were any regrets to this digital cleanse and if she had scrambled off in pursuit of a fantasy fool heartedly. Her life was boring. It had been the same hum drum of powering up a machine and writing code and correcting code, testing and repeat. Then off to go home to take out, what’s streaming online and scrolling through social media, glancing at lives that are feel distant from hers. Smiling families, kids, boys friends, girlfriends, furry dogs, cats, freshly caught rainbow trout, camping trips and endless photos and memes of the way people were going about their lives real or imagined. Her campfire was now down to burning red coals and thought it would be a good idea to get it blazing again. She would have some kind of protection if it came down to it. Hopefully whatever was out there wasn’t fireproof. Looking around, she quickly gathered as much dry leaves, grasses, sticks and anything else she should find to build her fire back up. There were a few pieces left over but she would definitely have to scavenge for more in the daylight. She was now completely focused on the fire and was doing a good job, now throwing in anything that was within reach so it could get as high as possible. The growling had intermittently continued but what scared her most at this point was the heaving steps that were reverberating. Never had she been a witness to the breathing and moving wildlife that was moving among her. Out of nowhere, a new sound came about. Crackling like thunder, it sounded artificial, like when something short circuited. A noise that she had heard several times over from all the tinkering she did at her local hacker space. As time stood still and her fire was a height, blazing right above her head, she gathered enough courage to try and see the source of the terrifying noises. Her head raised as high as it would go, she held up a torch and peered as much as she could through the trees. Out of all the moments into this journey that she had experienced, this moment changed her. She doubted the sanity of her mind as she saw what appeared to be neon green and blue glowing lights on a grid the size of a window, attached to a leather-skin like creature. The claw of the creature, reaching up to the grid adjusting pins on it. Never more had Rizzie doubted herself then this moment. This detox may be officially over. Her brain now creating motherboards attached to prehistoric creatures.

@ladyanneclare 31 May 2022

Writer’s Life Check In I’ve settled in nicely to this new lifestyle of being a writer. There’s been some accomplishments which have been a great boost to my confidence in my skills as a writer. I was published for the first time last year and I also made it to the top 50 in a Prose competition. In both instances, thousands of stories were submitted and I was made visible for my writing. In the competition, I was also put on a list for the top stories in the sponsoring company’s database, with a digital badge of honor listed on my profile. It’s been quite a thrill so far and I really am celebrating as many wins as I can. I have really been careful and cautious as to not blow my fantastic successes out of proportion. It’s very important to be to remain level-headed and practical to continue pursuing this path. What I am staying focused on is pacing myself. If I get one victory per year, I’m good. Anything else is then extra moments of joy and happiness. I’m definitely not ready to give up all of my money earning jobs to bet it all on someone liking my story out of the endless stream of submissions. The plan is to continue working on improving my skills through practice and education. Write, edit, submit and repeat. What I hope to find is a flow that continues to refine itself so that I may do better work everyday. What has allowed me to have more time for the process is my choice to go freelance which I go into more detail about here. It has definitely freed more of my schedule and the way I think about the ability to earn money. https://read.cash/@ladyanneclare/path-to-freelance-or-not-adaa93eb It's now been a few days since I wrote the above. The past few days have been about getting back into a hustle and figuring out the game plan for when my current gig is up. I got a lot of great information and feel energized to go pound the pavement once more. There's so much to do that I'm going to start writing lists and work on managing my time more productively. I do want to give myself breaks here and there, but it's important that I stay on this path of motivation and keep it up. I listened to a podcast called "Copy Chatter" and it gave me so much information that I will be busy probably for the rest of the year. https://ashleygainer.com/podcast/ There's so much information out there about writing and the market has changed to widen the scope of what writing assignments entails. There are jobs for people just to write blurbs on social media accounts. Who would have ever thought that would be a thing? I had to do that on occasion for a few jobs, I never was a fan of it. But I know for some people out there, it's a dream job and they would like nothing better than to get onto social media and post their hearts out. For the moment I've made myself very busy and that is a very good thing. I'm putting into action and into the universe what I hope to do. And if ever action has a reaction, then work should be coming my way. A word that keeps coming up for me is consistency. Be consistent. Consistency is good to have while you're on the job. The plan is to continue on a path of consistency and dedication. To write even when I don't feel like writing and exercise my inner wordsmith. I took a long break away from writing and I noticed that getting back into has not been as easy as it was prior to when I was writing consistently. One night I was searching mercilessly for my journal, one I handwrite in. I would say that journaling has been my life course in writing. I got out of the habit of writing and journaling, so now there's work to be done to get back into the practice of it. It's like an athlete who's stopped exercising or a musician who hasn't picked up their instrument, my skills are in need of a tune up and I'm determined to get back it. Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear from anyone who is a writer or interested in writing in the comments. What's your process? What happens when you don't write for a while?

@ladyanneclare 31 May 2022

The Shadow Figure The buzz was electric, flowing through the hall and made every conversation taking place indiscernible. Daisy stood waiting in line quietly, no one to talk to. She was a nice girl with gold rimmed round glasses that looked John Lennon style. She had dark blond straight hair and bangs. At seventeen years old, she stood out because of her computer skills and ability to program. She one-handedly, created a new program for the teachers to record attendance and grades much easier than their archaic ways of pen, pencil and paper. The school administrators adored her and when the chance to go to a tech conference came, she took it. Now she stood with hundreds of other hopefuls to nab a good seat in the behemoth of a conference hall. She had never attended such a large event and felt truly like a tadpole in large pond of ornate koi fish. Even her fashion choices stood out. Girls with differnt colored hair, multi-colored in shades of candy - bright blue, orange, pinks and purples. She looked down at her natural drab boring hair color, the same one as she was born with. The other girls wore dark and simple but tailored with a cut to flatter their figures, European designers, she had heard one girl respond to someone who complimented her. Daisy had never even thought of shopping outside of the same department store she had gone all her life. Wearing a gray sweatshirt that had a unicorn on it and plain blue jeans. Cursing her mother for not warning her about this new social challenge, she vowed to maybe look at a different store next fall for something a bit different. She could hear conversation after conversation about jobs, interviews, parties and dating. Things she could not relate to at all, completely unfathomable to her. But she held onto her laptop and just waited. As the drone of everyone's voices went on, she spotted some kind of dark figure in the corner. He was in all black, wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood on his head. It appeared that he too had no one to talk to. But he stood there on his phone scrolling through it. Daisy studied him for a bit, she wasn't able to get a perfectly good view but saw he was slim, tall with dark wavy hair. He seemed to want to stay in the shadows. She kept turning to see if anything had changed with him, but there he stood waiting with everyone else. Then on the twelfth time she turned her head to check up on him, he disappeared. She wondered, where did my hooded guy go? Should I go find him? Not understanding the pull he had on her, she decided to get out of line and look to see where he was. As she walked frenetically down the hall, a guy called out to her. "Your boyfriend went down to the basement," a bystander wearing a black Atari shirt and had a buzzcut said in a sarcastic tone. "Thought I would let you know in case you were worried." Daisy shot him a dirty look but whispered a curt "Thanks" and was on her way to the basement. She found a door with glowing red letters say EXIT and on the door it said "Basement." Well that was easy enough, she thought. The conference was to start in minutes but she had to find this shadowy guy, to find out what was drawing her in and why. Speeding down the stairs, she came to an abrupt halt. The shadow guy was but mere steps from the stairs, standing in the dark, and puffing on a vape pen. "So you found me?" he said in a dry flat tone of voice. Out of breath, Daisy suddenly felt foolish and the heat rose on the tops of her cheeks. She had not lost her cool like this since a very long time and it was unsettling. He was a complete stranger, and now she was in a dark basement with him. Her parents would absolutely scream at her if they could see her now. "Uh yeah, so umm, what are you doing down here?" Daisy, trying to act cool and nonchalant with every ounce of dignity she thought she might have left. "Just hitting some hash oil, it's so boring waiting. Can't stand it," he said, continuing in the flat tone of voice, talking like they were already best friends and he no cares in the world. "Want a hit?" he asked. Panic struck Daisy because she wanted to act cool and move along in her investigation of this guy but not at the expense of doing drugs. She knew that marijuana was becoming more accepted and legalized but she wasn't so sure that this was how her first time using it was going to be. Or if she even wanted to try using it. After waiting for a few moments, and trying to make herself say something without sounding too weird or like a prude nun, she said flatly, "I don't share drugs." Shadow guy was taking a hit while she said that and started to laugh and then cough at the same time. While laughing, she could see his smile and that made her smile. "Fair enough, fair enough unicorn - no need to share. I'm Brack, what's your name?" "Daisy," she said, trying to keep her calm as she realized she probably said the most coolest thing in her entire life to this guy. "Well Daisy, you want to go back and get into line so we can claim our seats?" "Yeah that sounds good." They ventured back together and realized that both were programmers and shared a love of video games, especially Fortnite. Brack had graduated high school early and found a job in the tech industry and his job had sent him to the conference. Back to the noisy line hallway, they found their place in the back of the line, continuing their conversation. Their voices now joining the cacophony of voices that echoed throughout the hall.

@ladyanneclare 27 May 2022

Path to Freelance or Not I’m currently at a very interesting point in my life, regarding career but also personally. So much has changed the way I live and do life and it’s easy to get caught up in the what ifs. Let me give you a slight catch up to how I’ve gotten to where I am professionally. For about the past two months, I have been working at a new freelance job. My schedule has changed, I wake up earlier than I’m use to and have to go to bed earlier. Before this gig, I was a night owl. As it’s freelance, the job has an end time at some point and then I’m out to look for more gigs. It’s a new lifestyle I’m not use to. But I took a look at my curriculum vitae to update it and realized that I have been on this road for eight months! That’s practically almost a year. It amazes me that I have been able to sustain this interesting and at times intense lifestyle of feast or famine. I had to really give myself a moment and realize how proud of myself I was. It really felt like jumping off a cliff, from the safety of a secure full-time job that comes with benefits. But so far so good, I’ve been able to sustain myself and I have to say that the happier times have outweighed the sad times that came with being a full-time employee. If you are curious about the joy I’m describing, here is where I ceremoniously announced quitting my last full-time job, memorializing it and all my cascading emotions. Describing the disappointment and the entire mental and emotional states of mind I was in. https://read.cash/@ladyanneclare/i-quit-my-job-today-84675b56 I was given the news that my current gig is ending and I went into a bit of a tailspin. I suppose I had gotten into a routine and very use to being here after quite a bit of time, and there’s a bit of rejection and bruised ego going on. After pouting and going through some dark moments, I was able to come around the bend of my mental frustrations and get into action for my next gig. It was imperative I put on a professional attitude regarding moving forward to my next assignment. I put out several emails and applied to a variety of positions. So far I have had one interview, set up a introduction call and an interview call for next week, and had great feedback for another gig and that my information would be sent to the senior people in charge. It feels great. I’m reminded that it’s possible and that I can do this if I just continue doing the tasks and work necessary to support my lifestyle and responsibilities. I would say looking back on this journey, what really was a huge help was starting out with one company that has continued to reach out to offer me work. During my downtime, I continued to look for more opportunities and hopefully I’ll just build from there to finally discover what I want to be when I grow up. Any others on this freelancer path or a part of the gig economy? What is your ultimate goal? Would love to hear other’s experiences.

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@ladyanneclare 24 May 2022

Undeveloped Disposable Camera Missy was clearing out her closet. It was an ignored closet that she just would push lots of stuff throughout the years. Winter clothes, sports equipment, formal dresses and camping gear. They all got shoved into this closet. So when a free day presented itself, she said that was the day she would go into the closet and clear it out. Although daunting, she really wanted to get it done. As she started to comb through the various coats, shoes and dresses from past season, she started to relive some of the moments she had in wearing the items. The autumn harvest carnival, smell of spice and fallen leaves in the air, the frosty air just starting to settle in for the year. Camping in the summer with her friends where they had a massive bonfire, played music on a speaker and it turned into a dance party. It was like a physical scrapbook in her closet. As she pulled out coats and dresses and piled them up to be donated, she came upon a curious object. An orange rectangular object lay there on top of a plastic tote box. She picked it up, eyebrows knitting up at the curiosity of what this small rectangle held. It was one of those disposable cameras one sees while traveling, buy it on the road, or in anticipation of travel. She had no idea where it came from or any recollection of its contents. Standing there, she held it hoping, somehow that it would come to her as natural as a breeze can cool a forehead. Minutes wore on, and she was absolutely stumped as to what event this camera came from. There was only one solution to this whole debacle, it was to get the camera developed. She took the camera, to her local convenience store and filled out a form and dropped it off with the clerk at the counter. She asked, “When will it be ready for pick up at the earliest?” ”Three days, maybe four, but we’ve been pretty good at getting photos ready in three,” replied the clerk, who looked like a possible student at the university down the street. Wearing a fashionable wolf cut, not exactly a mullet but shorter in the back. His brown hair slightly showing a wave. “Thank you, I’ll see you then,” Missy said and she was on her way home for three days of wondering. Since she had found the camera, moments would go back and forth in trying to jog her memory of how she had actually obtained it. Was it on a trip? Which trip? It had 24 photos, none of which she could not remember taking. Who was she with? She didn’t really drink anymore, so there wasn’t a foggy memory to crawl back through. As the third day grew closer, the anticipation bubbled over. Image Source: Rept0n1x, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kodak_disposable_camera,_front_view_-_IMG_0992.JPG https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0

@ladyanneclare 15 December 2021

10 Hotel Hacks for Your Next Stay During your next hotel stay, be sure to check out some of the items below that you may have missed completely on your prior visits. You may be missing out on cutting costs, complimentary items, a custom-tailored agenda and ways to suit your schedule more to your liking. The one requirement for most of everything below is that you ask. https://www.kiplinger.com/article/saving/t061-c011-s001-15-things-hotels-give-away-for-free.html Items with the hotel branding The pad of paper and pen sitting next to it, does it have the hotel name on it? It’s free for the taking. Hotels try and put their name on as many items as possible to increase their visibility. Once it’s out of the room, it’s free marketing for them. Shampoos, lotions and mouthwash included. One item that is usually off limits is the cool spa bathrobes - hotels may let you take it but plan on being charged for this item. Slippers with their logo, also fall in this category. Always double check to see what the hotel may charge you for or not, there is always someone with an answer. https://www.businessinsider.com/50-free-perks-you-probably-didnt-realize-your-hotel-might-offer-2016-5#-21 Resort fees While Las Vegas hotels are notorious for these, double check that you’re not paying for services that you won’t be using, such as the fitness center/pool, business center, daily newspapers or wifi. I have seen hotels include fees for golf course use. Some hotels have an a la carte service where you can pay for Wifi separately. Depending on your needs, it would be another expense to cut. If you're on vacation, how much time do you plan to spend at the hotel anyway? It’s nice to have the amenities to fall back on but I can tell you how many times I’ve used a hotel gym: zero times. While I have jumped in a pool or jacuzzi, it was often at someone else’s hotel and not on my dime. The business center option is nice, but as you’ll read on , it’s an amenity that is literally shrinking in size and may go away and is being re-invented altogether by the industry. Wifi is really the only necessity I may see from the resort fees and even that is arguably a feature that is no longer needed with so many having hot spots on their mobile devices. Resort fees are definitely something to ponder. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-rewards/how-to-avoid-hotel-and-resort-fees/ Concierge You can always call or stop by the concierge’s desk with your questions about your trip. They are there to give customer suggestions about their stay, from dining to entertainment, transportation, local businesses, shopping, salon services, golf courses or where the best place is to lose yourself as a local. The concierge is there to serve you. Sometimes they might even provide you with tips, maps, pamphlets or coupons to help guide you in your decisions. Some will even arrange restaurant reservations, show tickets or other events for your stay. Their nice prominent position in the hotel is not just for looks. They are a wealth of information right in the place you are staying. It never hurts to reach out and seek the help of the concierge desk.  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/travel/how-to-best-use-your-hotel-concierge.html Toiletries Those small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, lotion and soap are there for the taking. At times, cotton balls/pads and cotton swabs may also be present in the bathroom, they are there for your use - or to take home for later. There are some toiletries in your room that don’t necessarily show up. A razor, shaving cream, toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, bath salts, sewing kits, shoe shine kits, if not in your room when you arrive, it’s worth a call to the front desk. If you are able to grin bear through a short moment of asking for one of these items, you might just get it. It’s not always a guarantee, and some places will charge you, but you never know until you ask. https://www.businessinsider.com/50-free-perks-you-probably-didnt-realize-your-hotel-might-offer-2016-5#-21 Check-out Time The standard time for check out across the industry is usually 11am local time. What the front desk doesn’t tell you is that it’s quite lenient and 12p is a given. As I have learned from the entertaining memoir of a hotel staff member. You can always depend on a late check out. I’ve only had a few occasions when it was not okay because it was a holiday weekend or a big event was in town. There are some loyalty programs that offer a later than 12p check out time as one of their perks in a higher tier level, such as the Wyndham Rewards or Courtyard by Marriott's Bonvoy programs. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/216114/heads-in-beds-by-jacob-tomsky/ https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wyndham-rewards/member-levels https://www.marriott.com/loyalty/member-benefits.mi Room Upgrades If you aren’t a member of a loyalty program that grants free room  upgrades, try and use your power of persuasion and hope for good timing. The motto of this list is “it never hurts to ask”. Hopefully you get the picture by now. Upon checking in, just ask the person checking you in if there are any upgrades available. An upgrade will be granted if available and the front agent can do it for you. Las Vegas has taken it to a new level though with the $20 dollar trick, which now even has its own website where people share when the $20 dollar sandwich trick worked for them and not. Try at your own risk but the front desk agents in Las Vegas have seen this done so often they know the drill. If they can’t do anything for you, they’ll return your $20.  https://20dollartrick.com/ Special Occasion Requests If there is a reason for your stay, a special occasion, birthday, anniversary, graduation, bachelor/bachelorette party, etc. mention it to whoever you make your reservation with if live on the telephone or be sure to mention it to the front desk clerk checking you in. Besides them, reach out to the concierge (see **Concierge** above) and see if there are any suggestions about recommendations on your celebration. Hotels are in the business of providing the best customer service and having repeat customers. In order to do so, providing you with a memorable experience and sharing it with who you know, is exactly what they want for your stay. Special occasion mentions could include room upgrades, restaurant discounts, spa discounts or at more upscale venues a bottle of wine/champagne or chocolates. They may come with a cost but hotels are more than willing to help you celebrate your occasion.  Transportation/Shuttles/Car rentals If you are visiting a city where you know no one to come pick you up or transport you around the area, double check with your hotel before opening that Uber app. As a courtesy, hotels often provide free shuttle service to and from the airport, especially if it’s only a few minutes away. A great way to continue cutting costs to use your money in a more enjoyable way during your stay. If you would like to travel independently of a taxi or shuttle service, check to see if there is a car rental desk located where you are staying or ask the concierge about any associated car rental services. Location is key and hotels and these car rental services get it. https://travel.usnews.com/Hotels/airport-shuttle-USA/ Number 18 on this list, has car service as a benefit for staying at a luxury hotel. If you find yourself at one of these palatial stays, be sure to inquire about a Rolls Royce for your night out. https://www.businessinsider.com/50-free-perks-you-probably-didnt-realize-your-hotel-might-offer-2016-5#-18 Business Center/Computers/Printers If you need to print something, check something online or fax something, check no further than the hotel business center. While shrinking according this article from the New York Times it is still on the minds of hotels to design a new type of business center that keeps customers engaged in the ways they like best. Due to the pandemic, the hotel industry has parlayed its spaces to hopefully entice those stuck at home to one of their packages accommodating a typical work day, but supplemented with snacks, a pool, gym and bottled waters. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/business/hotels-find-new-ways-to-help-guests-do-business.html https://www.forbes.com/advisor/travel-rewards/hotels-are-staying-in-business-by-turning-rooms-into-offices/ Loyalty Programs - Matching Status One of my favorite things to do if I reach a certain elite or higher tier in a loyalty program is to match with any other program. By matching your status tier to another company's program, they are able to acquire you as a new customer by bringing you in from your gained status with another program. Here’s an example of how I status matched multiple times in the past year. I made the Total Rewards Diamond level - which is the program associated with the Caesars Resorts. I used my Diamond Level to match Wyndham Diamond, double dipping in the benefits of both programs. Then I used the Diamond Level to match to MLife Gold level - which is the MGM Resorts loyalty program. MLife currently is offering a match status with Hyatt Explorist level. It’s a dizzying array of matches, but by having that one initial Diamond level, I was able to elevate my status with three different programs. https://www.wyndhamhotels.com/wyndham-rewards/caesars-rewards/status-match https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/mlife-rewards-program/tier-match.html https://www.mgmresorts.com/en/mlife-rewards-program/preferred-partners/hyatt-hotels.html For the order in which I matched my statuses, the reverse can also be done. So if you’re at the Hyatt Explorist level, you can match the MLife status and take advantage of the benefits and discounts available at MGM resort or those in Las Vegas. I now have the benefit of upgrades, late checkouts and discounts amongst too many hotels for me to stay in. Always be on the watch for these matching opportunities, as they don’t last long and are a great opportunity to maximize your benefits while traveling.

@ladyanneclare 27 October 2021

Halloween in the United States As I reflect on all the Halloweens I had as a child and how kids celebrate today in the U.S., it's strikingly different. Due to trial and error, I suppose, parents started to tighten up the whole culture and the Halloween I grew up with looks different. These days I hear from parents that they are celebrating by taking their children to school or community organized parties. No wandering around the neighborhood house to house, being cold in the pitch black darkness of a fall night with a running nose. Ending your night by turning over your pillow case (my go to bag as a child) sorting through all the good, okay and bad candies and bringing the bad ones to school to give out. It was really all about the candy for me as a kid. As I got older, it was about going to the cool parties and still is about a possible cool party if an invitation comes. I haven't "officially celebrated" in a while but I am never one to turn down an opportunity to celebrate. The one tradition I pretty much have started to practice annually is to watch at least one scary movie and eat a small bit of candy. Let's look into the history behind Halloween. The jack o' lanterns, costumes and trick or treating - where did they all come from? Origins of Halloween From reading this article, I learned that the early origins of this costume wearing day was actually a sacred day to the Celtics, who celebrated Samhain on November 1st. It was believed that this was the first day in to the long, dark and cold season and a time when it would be easy for the dead to mix with the living. Costumes were worn to ward off ghosts and bonfires were sky high with crop and animal offerings to deities. https://www.history.com/topics/halloween/history-of-halloween As years went on, and ownership of countries and lands changed hands, the holiday morphed into an amalgam of multiple celebrations from Catholicism, Romans and finally in the early America traditions. As settlers in the U.S. came from various European origins, settling into their new land with American Indians, created a new type of American Halloween. This new Halloween consisted of telling ghost stories, celebrating the harvest and revolved more around community building activities. As modern age came about, the newspapers and community leaders used their influence to cut the ties with anything that may come off as frightening or spooky. Therefore giving America the Halloween it has today, a fun, light-hearted time to enjoy with the family and community. Trick or Treat Yes there is an ancient tie to that sugary tradition of trick or treating. Back when the Celtics were celebrating the festival, they would bring offerings of food and drink to appease the ghosts. Thus they would dress up in disguises to appear as ghosts in order to receive the offerings that were left for the ghosts. In the later years, this tradition took a turn to be known as "guising" for short. Children and adults alike would be in costume and play tricks or perform in some way to then be rewarded with food or money. https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/ten-trick-or-treating-facts-for-impressive-bonfire-chats-1.1983165 So it appears that Americans took from a European tradition and went costumed house to house, asking for food or money in their version of it. Jack O'Lanterns Then there's that pumpkin carving tradition every fall and a contest for the best one. This tradition also stems from the Celtic festival Samhain. When in the midst of warding off the possible ghosts, faces would be carved into root vegetables in representation of a possible slain enemy's head. Another representation of this tradition is for warding off the possible spirits that have visited for the night, needing then the most scariest possible face ever on the vegetable of choice. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/the-twisted-transatlantic-tale-of-american-jack-o-lanterns Why they are lit is due to the high price of metal. It was more cost effective to hollow out a pumpkin or turnip, have a few holes and slashes for a scary face and place candles in it for a completely organic and natural lantern. Last Thoughts I didn't go into the depth and history that is owed to this tradition and if you would like to know more, please click the articles I linked to above. They are a fascinating read and may serve as a new inspiration to celebrate your All Hallow's Eve. My Halloween experience has been purely American. I have never experienced it in another country or culture and seem to recall hearing that some other countries don't really acknowledge it or acknowledge the day in a totally different way and tradition. What is really strikingly similar to me is that the holidays that revolve around this date are due to the changing of seasons, harvest and honoring/acknowledging the dead. How have you celebrated in your culture? Any interesting or happy memories you have from your childhood. It is so interesting to me that globally we celebrate this similar day but do so in an entirely different way. Happy Halloween! Trick or treat! (yes I am trick or treating on read.cash :) )

@ladyanneclare 27 October 2021

When Eyes Meet Teena and Rory were standing at the bookshelf of the library. They both were reaching out and examining different books. Rory for a brief moment looked over at Teena, while she was leaned over the spine of a book still on the shelf, trying to read the vertical title with her head cocked to one side. Rory had known Teena almost their entire lives. Her parents and his had always been friends as long as he could remember and even lived on the same block until last year. It wasn't always easy being around Teena. When they were younger, he remembered having good times with her and just being small kids wanting to play and run around. They were playmates at the get togethers between their parents. As they grew older, and now twelve years old, something had shifted. It was hard to put a finger on it, but those playdates did not go as smooth as they once did. When the only objective was to play with toys in the yard and run around laughing carefree. Now there was a strain in the air. Moments of quiet filled their visits and barely much interaction. He recalled the moment it had all changed. It was close to the end of summer and he was excited to hear that she was coming over and arranged to have a fun time playing their games in the garden and the board games she enjoyed. What he didn't expect was to see her come in with her hair grown long and wavy and wearing a pair of hoop earrings. He stared at her like a stranger and when their eyes met for the time that day, she bashfully looked away, seeing how he noticed how she had no longer the tomboy look and ready for grass to stain her new pair of white linen shorts. "Come in," Rory said, taking a gulp of air as he said it. Teena walked in sheepishly and sat on the corner of his bed. They sat for a while not speaking to each other. Then she broke the ice. "So what homeroom did you get?" Teena asked in a way to avoid the ongoing uncomfortable silence. "I'm in Mr. Gibson's homeroom, who did you get?" he replied. "Oh nice, I'm in Mrs. Thompson's homeroom," she said. Thankfully, that was all they needed to get the ball rolling. They continued to talk about school and eventually went outside so Rory could show her his new bike - because he couldn't think of anything else to do in his room. He had to get out of the room because it felt too awkward. When Teena and her family left, he felt utterly relieved. He felt like he could breathe again. What was that, he asked himself. Now, it's been a few years later and there they are in the library at the same shelf. Her family unfortunately moved away a year ago so he hadn't seen her in such a long time. Since she was the last one to break the ice, he decided it was his turn. "Hey... Teena? How are you?" he finally said to her. She looked over at him, looking at him, "Rory, wow, I haven't see you in so long." Prompt Source: https://thinkwritten.com/365-creative-writing-prompts/

@ladyanneclare 21 October 2021

Discovering Balloon Flower Tea Whenever I see my parents, they often send me home with a bag of food and goodies. It's very loving and they really don't have to do it. I've tried to refuse but get tired of arguing with their stubbornness and insistence I take it. On one of my trips to see them, they gave me a box of balloon flower tea. I am a huge tea drinker and have spent a lot of time reading, studying and exploring various teas. Surprisingly, I had never heard of this one so I had to find out more about it and how it would fit into my tea lifestyle. When I drink tea, there's several factors included in what kind I choose. What time of day is it, am I eating, am I going to sleep soon, do I feel under the weather or am I just trying to chase the blues from the day away. Dependent on most of these scenarios, I choose my tea. I decided to do some research and share what I have found about this tea. **Platycodon grandiflorus** *https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platycodon This tea's scientific name is *platycodon grandiflorus*. The tea is taken from the root of this flower plant - commonly called balloon flower. It is found in Japan, China, Korean and far eastern Russia. The flowers consist of white or purple blooms and open into five different petals and appear as a bell shape. The name balloon flower comes from the balloon shape buds that appear upon blossoming. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platycodon https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Platycodon_nudiflorus0.jpg Medicinal & Culinary Uses Like many Korean traditional foods, balloon flower has several medicinal uses and culinary traits. I was surprised to find out that this flower is sometimes used in bibimbap, a dish I often eat. It's very versatile and is also used in desserts, rice dishes, made into liquor and soju. It seems like Koreans are very resourceful when they find a good plant. Outside of eating and drinking, the balloon flower root also addresses issues pertaining to: Neuroprotective uses Antimicrobial Anti-inflammatory Anti-cancer Anti-allergy Improved insulin resistance Cholesterol-lowering properties (*as noted in its wiki.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platycodon Healthy Benefits I took at a look around at different health benefits that this tea could offer and see a few more added to the list above. It's amazing that something I have never heard of could be a panacea of all these ailments, namely ones that I am concerned with in my daily life. Here are a few more that I found : https://www.organicfacts.net/balloon-flower.html Respiratory relief Gastrointestinal issues Immune System boosting Rid liver of parasites Looking at all the benefits, I also wonder if my parents had covid-19 in mind. It seems to tackle all the issues and warning signs of contracting the virus. If so - they know their balloon tea and that it would be a good supplement to help ensure my protection. Review - Taste Test As I let the steamy cup cool off, I took a slight sniff. Usually my other favorite teas will have a scent that it gives off, especially when piping hot. Earl grey teas, any teas with lemon verbena or spicy herbal teas. There was nothing remarkable about this cup. The smell reminded me of Korean herbal remedies (they all smell alike to me!) A little like ginseng and some earthy tones to it. Upon my first sips of it, it has a roasted rice taste that is very soothing. It's no surprise since toasted brown rice is one of the ingredients. It also has a very earthy aroma and taste. It's a very neutral tasting tea and there aren't any hints of a unique favor to the main ingredient of balloon flower. It's almost like a placebo, although you can't taste it, it's there. Conclusion My overall thoughts on this balloon tea is similar to that of vitamins and supplements we take or are suggested to take for our health. It may be good for us but any proof of it is yet to be known. I am a fan of a roasted tea flavor, which are especially soothing in the colder months. I will be drinking this through the rest of the fall and winter seasons. Can't hurt and if I get the list of all the amazing benefits listed above, that's just a nice bonus. **Disclaimer: This article is not written by a medical professional and should not be taken or substituted as medical advisement. Please seek the advice of a medical professional for any health issue you are having.*

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@ladyanneclare 19 October 2021

Puzzle Box Infinitum My visits to my uncle Jeremiah's house were usually uneventful. When my parents were busy or going out of town, my uncle and his step-wife, who I called Aunt Lydia, would take me in. They lived in the same town, which was convenient and my uncle never had any kids so I'm as close as they would get to experience being a parent. Jeremiah was a widow. His first wife Dawn, had passed away tragically in a car accident on icy roads at night. It was a sad time and I remember uncle Jeremiah being at our house most of the time after the funeral. He was quiet and soft spoken during those times, often wishing to retreat to his room after meals. There were a few times I caught him speaking with my dad, who was his brother, in hushed voices. It would occur over several evenings and I could never get close enough to hear what their conversation was about. One neat thing that I always looked forward to when I went to uncle Jeremiah's was looking at this cool puzzle box he kept on a shelf. It was an intricately made wooden puzzle box, made from alder and birch wood. It had been stained, sanded and smoothed out to have a picture of a beach scene on the top. The wood had a silky touch and was about nine inches long and stood five inches tall. It was heavy when picked up. As much as I gazed at it and picked it up, there was one rule when staying with my uncle. It was that I was never to attempt to open the box. I could take it off the shelf and look at it and that was it. It was terribly frustrating. One of the first activities of my stay was to go straight to the box and take it from its place on my uncle's bookshelf in his bedroom. The shelf was jammed packed of books, mostly having to do with history and cultural arts. There were a few mysteries and autobiographies, but for the most part my uncle kept almost a book on each part of cultural history he could on this shelf. He was a history professor at the local university so it made sense. But on the third lower shelf sat the box. On this particular visit, I removed the box from its place and sat on the floor crossed-legged. I ran my fingers along the beach scene with its dark stains and carefully evened surface. Why was this box special and why couldn't I ever open it? On the front part of the box was a small metallic ring that seemed to pull the lid open. Similar smaller rings were on the sides but just for ornamental reasons. I flipped it upside down and as I did I heard something. It was almost as if a small animal yelped. Then I noticed a small trap door at the bottom of the box. There were tiny screws at the four corners. Excited and frightened at my discovery, I placed the box back in its place and got up and ran to find uncle Jeremiah. I soon found him in the kitchen by himself looking through the pantry shelves. "Uncle Jeremiah!" I exclaimed, trying to catch my breath. "What is it Sylvia?" he turned to look at me. "The box! It made a noise, there was a noise that came from it. It was like an animal or something that sounded like it was cry for help," I exclaimed, tripping over my words and hoping they made sense. Uncle Jeremiah turned back to look at the pantry shelves and let out a breath. The silence lay thickly between us. **Writing prompt:** Start your story with someone being forbidden from doing something. (taken from https://blog.reedsy.com/creative-writing-prompts/)

@ladyanneclare 17 October 2021

Mental Health Hygiene One week ago today, Oct. 10th, was World Mental Health Awareness Day, declared by the World Health Organization. I want to bring to your attention and my attention the importance of keeping our mental health in check and practicing good "hygiene." My friend often referred to "mental hygiene" and how it's important to pay attention to it. I like that he said those words together. It makes sense to me. Sometimes we walk so deep into our own thoughts and minds, that we at times lose touch with the best way to treat ourselves and keep our mental states in its best condition. https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-mental-health-day It's at the utmost importance that this be at the top of the list in my opinion, especially at a time like now. Yes, I'm talking about you know what. The constant news and changes and pivoting the world has endured since the beginning of 2020. Our recent years have been a shock to the system that may not have taken hold completely in our consciousness yet but our muscle memory is absorbing it all. Whether it strikes out in quick emotional reactions or inactions, there's been not only a global pandemic but a mental health crisis that is doubly happening. I especially am thinking about this now because an acquaintance of mine passed away a few weeks ago due to suicide. It was heart wrenching to find out. She left behind two young boys and plenty of us who loved her and saw her light up a room. What gets me the most is that in all my interactions with her, I never saw it. She was bold and courageous and sparked those attributes within me. I looked up to her and saw her as a put together professional, which is the tragedy of mental health. It's invisible until one reaches out for help. My own mental health has gone on its own rollercoaster for the past year. I am so fortunate to know and have the cognizance to remind myself to take action, if I feel in jeopardy of my own mental state. There are a few things I have been great at doing and some not so great. Here are the things that I do when that slippery road comes: Call Someone I call a friend and talk it out and seek advice if it's something very specific. Sometimes I just call people to keep myself connected to another person. Regularly keeping in touch with others has been a great detriment to being healthy for me. If schedules allow, we sometimes set up an outside meeting or lunch/coffee/dinner. My network of friends and family keep me sane. I'm regularly in touch with my family and definitely do not let more than a week go by without speaking to them. Journal One of the best and quickest ways for me to process and express any feelings or thoughts I go through is writing them down. I don't know if its just been a habit by way of my genes since my grandfather had an abundance of old journals when he passed away. My father also gave me many diaries growing up since I was a child. But the habit has stuck and I'm grateful for that, its a place I can turn to 24-7 and release all that is going on in my head. It's incredibly cathartic and soothing to know I always have somewhere to go with the noise in my head. Walking Not only does physical exercise do the body good, it does the mind good too. Fresh air, movement of limbs and a way to expend extra energy that might go towards worrying or feeling sad. It doesn't have to be a monumental walk, I often go for just a quick walk around the block and it does the trick. Longer walks or hikes are definitely my favorite. I love the feeling of peace I get being surrounded by nature and its calming effects. Gratitude At my lowest points, I'm grateful to be grateful. I remind myself that there is always something in my life to be grateful for and not to forget it. There have been nights where I tell myself to list at least three or more things for which I'm grateful. Lately at the top of my list has been my family, health and friends. There's many others I've listed in the past but those have been my cornerstones. Once I realize how fortunate I am, any blues I have start fading away. Here is a global resource for mental health if you or someone you know is seeking help: https://checkpointorg.com/global/ ***Disclaimer: I am not a mental health professional and this is not professional advice. This article should not be a substitute for any diagnoses or guidance given by a professional and/or licensed health care professional. The article is intended to bring awareness to the topic.***

@ladyanneclare 16 October 2021

I Quit My Job Today Today was my last day of work. To be fair, I gave my notice two weeks ago. When I was hired for this job, I was super excited and posting online about how I finally landed my dream job and that at long last I was going to embark on a career that I had always wanted. Less than two weeks into that dream job, I was rushing to my car to cry and on the phone with friends. It baffled me to find myself in such a nightmarish situation. I called my support network before I went into work and after work. Even scheduling lunches with friends to help keep my morale up during the day. What went wrong? I couldn't figure it out. But it was an unfortunate situation with my boss. We just couldn't find a way to communicate in a way that created a civil work environment. I felt degraded, diminished and dismissed. It broke me day after day and I lost my apetite and had trouble sleeping most days. I never knew what kind of response I would get from my boss and was constantly on edge. At times it got so bad, I saw the other employee and the intern in our office seem very uncomfortable. At this time, the intern left and so did that employee. It dawned on me that I was new, learning a new job and that it's often not easy at the start. But when thinking about what was causing me the stress, it came down to my boss and our interactions. No matter how much I wanted to make it work, I knew I couldn't change my boss. Although I knew I was powerless over my boss, I knew I had the power to change myself. I tried hard. I had changed my attitude, knowing I had become disappointed in the situation. My new mindset was knowing that I was powerless over this other person and I needed to buckle up and get through it. I knew what kind of person I was in for working with and I had to deal with it or get out. It all came to a head when I found myself alone with my boss. We had an open and frank discussion and agreed we weren't getting along, that point is the only one we agreed on. We still had other disagreements on other issues we were having. I cried during the discussion. I said I would think on it over the weekend and make a decision. In my life experience, I know sometimes things don't work out. Not everyone will get along and be a good fit. It was just this type of situation that led to a setback. On Monday after this discussion, I emailed my resignation and gave my two weeks notice. Although I thought it would be an uncomfortable few weeks, I was surprisingly chipper. I was actually happy I was leaving a job that I felt miserable in. The thoughts I've been having though is that I'm free falling. No job to go to on Monday morning. But I have freed myself from misery. An important lesson I have learned from meditation is that I am responsible for my suffering. It is up to me to free myself and no one else. It may seem that I may cause more suffering but I am an optimist. It is now still up to me to live without suffering and move forward toward a life of happiness. Before this job, I recently left my cushy corporate job that was somewhat reliable and stable in August for what I thought was my dream job. I don't know where I will end up, you'll most likely be seeing more of me on read.cash so it's not a bad thing. It may be the break I needed to pursue a more fulfilling path. My list of items to do has gotten quite long and I'll have more time to to get through it. If anyone has any job stories, would love to hear them. Anyone hiring :)?

@ladyanneclare 13 October 2021

Squid Game - Bringing Out Our Primal Needs It was announced today that the phenomenon of "Squid Game", has broke a streaming record for Netflix. Over 111 million views in over 90 countries within a month's time. It’s a statistic that any streamer today would salivate over for its amount of eyeballs, translating into dollars, euros, yen, won - you get the picture. It’s a payday for the streaming giant and it might have people perplexed why a show with such a violent premise is gaining the momentum it has.  https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/12/media/squid-game-netflix-viewership/index.html https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/squid-game-netflix-bridgerton-record-views-b960317.html If you haven’t seen it, there may be some spoilers below, beware. This series is about a group of down on their luck characters that participate in a series of six kids games to win a large amount of money that would help all their financial debts go away. The rules are simple but not to play by the rules, or finish a game, means death.  As someone with the perspective of being Korean-American and working in the entertainment industry, I can tell you what has been said before about content. The show's success is due to its character plot lines and a story that has been developed in such an accessible way to be consumed by anyone due to its universal themes of class divide, financial woes, loyalty and the basic need to survive. More on this later.  For the Korean cultural element, I am by no means a native Korean but growing up within the culture and having a hold on some of my mother tongue, there were moments that got me. When watching Korean shows or films with subtitles, I usually have an issue with the translation. I hear one thing and read another on the screen and think, why did that go in there? I thought the translation was quite good in comparison to others I’ve seen. But for instance, there was a scene where Sae-Byeok (played by HoYeon Jung) was visiting her brother at the orphanage and she asks him how he is, that was the literal translation from what she said. But in the subtitles she is shown as saying, “How are you little man?” I wondered why “little man” was put in there because she didn't say little or man in Korean at all. Thinking over it, I’m guessing that in watching the scene and the actors interact, it was kind of like - okay what’s going on here? She’s trying to get close to him and putting that phrase in the translation shows it. It is really a minor annoyance I have in translations. You can ignore me on this one, but there have been other times where I will also question similar calls on translations. I would imagine it was to adapt it culturally, as how anyone speaking English would speak and our vernacular. There are certain Korean words that have no counterpart in English and it goes both ways.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HoYeon_Jung These five characters below were my favorites. Each one has a fully fleshed out storyline that is captivating and intrinsically human. The acting and directing was well executed and supported each character arc and goals at the end of each episode and the series overall. My analysis doesn’t do them justice but I do want to point out a few details for each.  Sae-Byeok In regards to cultural understanding and characters, the one that stood the most out to me was Sae-Byeok. She’s from North Korea and remains quiet and mysterious. Her back story stood out to me as one that may not translate the best in other countries. Her and her brother escaped to the South. Later we find out that one of her parents died while attempting to cross and the other one caught. The translation that may have not come across is in the way others treated her and her demeanor. It’s culture shock coming from the North to the South. Although they speak the same language, it’s also a different type of Korean that’s spoke in the North opposed to the South. She was treated as an outsider at times and she also saw herself as one. Already being betrayed by the country she fled and a broker that she hired to find her parents. Gi-Hun Seong  He’s our main character that we follow through the series. A divorced father who lives with his mother and has a daughter who lives with her mother. He gambles and has serious debt with no consistent means of income. Playing the games would help him out of the hole he’s in. We see him with his family and see him petting a cat and feeding it when he literally has nothing. His character starts to build trust with the audience as a nice guy who just hasn’t had a lucky hand dealt to him. Furthermore, his kindness rings true as he is the only one to support and look after Oh Il-Nam (played by O Yeong-Su), tending to him and being a good ally to him.  Sang-Woo Cho As Gi-Hun always flaunted Sang-Woo’s achievements around, being their hometown hero, you could noticeably see Sang-Woo slowly growing more exasperated from these comments. Gi-Hun went on about him because Sang-Woo made it to the Harvard of Seoul - Seoul University. Now he was a big-shot in the big city. But his life made a disastrous turn and he’s ended up like the others in the game, regardless of his education. We see someone that is set up to be one of the smartest in the room become the most relentless at winning by any means necessary.  Abdul Ali The most unique character and one I’ve never seen before, is the Pakistani named Ali. It is common for foreigners to go abroad to earn for their family and it was an interesting choice to have one in this series. I hate to say, but his Korean is probably better than mine. He was a really strong actor who played humble, loyal and respectful - pillars of Korean culture, to its best standards. His goal was to provide for his family after a factory job gone awry. His kindness and blind loyalty to Sang-Woo at times seems too naive and annoying but in survival mode, I guess anything goes.  Jun-Ho  He’s a good guy that is getting to the bottom of it all. A police officer by trade, he has the skill and means to put a stop to the depravity that eventually sees. In a twist, by looking for his lost brother, he finds his way to the other side of being one of the Squid soldiers. Through his unique view, we find out what’s really going on behind the mask and the set up of the game.  What allure does this game to death have for over 90 countries? It might seem concerning at first that such a violent series could pique so much interest. But it’s much deeper than that, it’s the message about economic inequality, abuse of power and the need to survive. Themes that hit hard, especially in our current times amongst the covid pandemic and the resulting job and financial strife. At the start of 2020, I myself was focused on just surviving and even became attracted to a shows with that theme, such as the reality show “Alone”, where individuals are placed in remote areas to fend for themselves.  The twists, layers and messages from “Squid Game” makes one entertained and think about the role of money in life and society overall. In the United States, there’s a money and power problem and many die not playing games, knowingly that is. There’s a twist there too for us. Are there VIPs in our own society placing bets on us to see if we survive? It’s dark and maddening to think on, but this provocative show takes us there and we are left to wonder. If you’re interested in watching, you can go over here to watch. Any thoughts on this or discussion about it - post a comment and let's get a dialogue going. https://www.netflix.com/title/81040344

@ladyanneclare 29 August 2021

@misterwrite my article was rejected because “OC Checker doesn't show”. How do I get an OC checker to show? This is 100% true & original written by me. What is the missing step?

@ladyanneclare 29 August 2021

My Letter Sent Via the Ocean Today was a good but melancholy day, littered with feelings of remorse, loss, connection, love, healing and harmony.  A little over two years ago I lost a friend, for this article I will call him Henry. It was sudden and I didn’t know that he was even ill. He died at the age of 41 due to his health conditions. I never bothered to find out the specific cause. It was tragic because of how young he was and how much he had to offer to the world and all those close to him.  I suffered even more so, I thought, because when he passed we were not on speaking terms. We had had a falling out, causing a splintering of our friendship. In the years following our fallout, I had taken for granted that we would run into each other accidentally. While being somewhere face to face, I had the grand plan of patching up our friendship and sorting through the words and actions that caused the rift. Now I am never able to face him like I had planned to do in those years.  Since his passing, I have been living with the guilt of knowing we never patched things up. It has weighed on me because he did mean something to me and was an important person in my life. In the past few months, I took the opportunity to bring healing to the situation and had planned out how I would help bring closure to the situation with the help of a few friends.  In my mind, I have looked back and reflected on our friendship and remembered his character. I wondered, what would he need or want from me? I can’t ask him and I don’t know. But what my friend helped me do was figure out that I would need to write him a letter and apologize for my part in breaking our friendship up. It was a bit harder than I expected. I wrote about being hesitant to attend his memorial service. In fact, I stayed up the entire night before, chain-smoking, wondering if everyone there would wonder why I had the audacity to show up, not being present in the most recent years of his life. The worst was thinking his parents would be upset by my presence. It was tough for me in the moment leading up to attending. It was a mutual friend of ours that convinced me to attend, and that Henry would want me to be there. While writing about attending, I wrote about how I cried and missed him dearly. And while writing about that, I started crying. It was through writing this letter, I was able remember and feel the truth about my sincere apology for my past behavior and how much I did miss him. I loved him as my brother and always will. My friend told me to take the letter and do what felt right with it. Burn it, release it to the ocean, read it to someone or whatever it was that would release my apology in the most right way. I had finished writing the letter and was thinking about what I should do with it. I thought about the mutual friend, Joe, who had convinced me to attend the memorial and how it would help me to read it to him. I phoned him up and brought up the letter. He handled the situation beautifully and I couldn’t of asked for a better outcome. I read it to him and we talked some more about it. I cried again, still feeling tender. Later on in our conversation, he told me it was his birthday he next day and invited me to his plans to go to the beach. I accepted the invite and met up with him today.  We spent a lovely day at the beach. The conditions were perfect, not too hot or too cold. It was just relaxing under a sun shelter in our chairs. We talked about that certain beach location and how many times we’d been there. Incidentally, the last time I was there was for Henry’s birthday party five years ago. I had tucked the letter I wrote to him in my purse, wondering if I should throw it out to sea. It felt like a good place to do it, having memories of being with him here. Joe said that it sounded like a good idea and would walk with me to the water to release it before we packed up to leave.  We walked up to the ocean waves and watched the surf come in and go out. There was discussion about putting rocks or sand in the envelope to sink it down or put it in a bottle to float out. I didn’t want to pollute the ocean with more floating particles than it already has and felt that just releasing it might do the trick. So as I watched the waves come in and go out, I timed the release of the letter so that it would get carried away with the waves. Joe and I watched to see if it would bob back up but alas it was final. Henry had retrieved the letter and I have let go.  My lesson from all of this is to be careful with my words. Mindful of the ways I treat others and to not waste time trying to seek forgiveness. I want to honor the memory of my friend by always treating others with love and acceptance as he always had for all of us. We have one life we live, let’s live and love to our fullest extent.

@ladyanneclare 27 August 2021

The White Hot Air Balloon The first image I can remember in this dream is being driven in a car through a nice neighborhood with a park that had some kind of body of water. It was a nice sunny day. I was starting a job working on some kind of tv show production or documentary crew. I was dropped off at a house where we were were suppose to prep for work and was introduced to a girl who was to help guide me into getting settled. Various people were also there and working in different parts of the house. They found a place to sit or stand with their laptops and were just typing away. Everyone also had their own reusable water bottle. I had a refillable clear plastic bottle and it had a flat lid that just clicked into the container - it was weird, never seen anything like it before. My guide showed me around and was friendly and said we would be carpooling to the new location soon. Everyone started gathering their gear and just got into work mode, piling into a few vehicles. I kind of strayed from the back and was the last one out. My guide had a grabbed about seven water bottles in a bag and started mumbling about having to walk uphill with all the water. I offered to take them myself. For whatever reason, I also said that I would meet them there, staying behind. She asked if I was sure, and I assured her I would find my way there. I wandered out into the neighborhood and was suddenly struck by a man in the sky who was flying in a huge white hot air balloon. I was totally dumbstruck by seeing it since it seemed to be so close, just right above the tree tops of the neighborhood. The hot air balloon was made of a parachute type material and was more of a cream white. I kind of just stopped and followed the enormous moving white mass and was saying, “Whoa” in my dream. I was worried that it was about to fall to the ground and possibly on top of me. But as I followed its path, it went right over me and the wind picked up and started jerking it around a bit. The basket came real close and it appeared empty but full of green grass. After it passed, I continued on and came to the park area I passed earlier. Lots of people were there and relaxing and socializing. There were ducks and fish in the water. There were rock steps that came out of the water and I walked along them, following the shoreline. As I continued, it went into a cave like grotto area and there were lots of people there, in the water and socializing. Some of the people there I recognized as my old co-workers, Sally and Jolie. They were all clamoring on about the beautiful fish in the water. I could see clearing there were several exotic colored fish swimming about. They were in shades of electric blue, yellow, orange, reds, greens and so on. I quickly remembered to try and take a picture of the area and wished I had gotten one of the hot air balloon. The picture I got was a little blurry but I wanted to send it to my friend. I kept following the water and amazingly wound up at the new location I was trying to find. Like magic, I had just walked into another house location straight from the grotto. As I walked inside, a person walked by and I asked her if she knew about the grotto and she said yes and wasn’t it cool? I said yes it was really awesome. After getting there, it seemed that they had all settled into a meeting but it was a strange socially distanced meeting. It was kind of the same set up as the other house, where everyone was scattered about and sitting individually. I could hear someone talking on a microphone so everyone could hear them. I spotted my guide sitting at the kitchen table, she had books and seven packs of cigarettes on the table. In the short time I had been with these people, I had gotten word that my guide had some kind of problem with smoking and had stress management issues. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There’s another vivid dream of mine. If I did any kind of analysis, I might say that it falls in line with my current life and job. Also I’ve been reading a fantasy book that may have pumped up my imagination ;-). Thanks for reading!

@ladyanneclare 13 August 2021

It Should Be Right Where I Left It On the Cabinet, but It’s Gone Am I losing my mind? I turned and turned and walked upstairs and back into the room, so I could have a fresh start and look at the cabinet but it was definitely gone. Before anyone could catch sight of me, I repeated this same fresh start three times. It felt like I was definitely losing my mind. Two hours ago, I came downstairs, it was a normal morning as any, and proceeded to start my routine of black coffee, two eggs and toast. The only difference was, this morning I came downstairs with a package that I was to take to the post office to ship out to my friend Geoffrey. He was living on a boat and engineering and while we had some correspondence, it was little to none due to the intermittent internet connection that was allowed for personal time. But in our communications, he had spoke about the lack of books he had on the ship and that he had regretted not having more than the two that he had taken with him, which had had already read three times through and thoroughly bored with at this point. Being a book lover, I had more books than I had time to read and knew that I would be able to send him a decent copy of something he might enjoy. Off my shelf came “Remnants of the State”, a thriller mystery of a secret spy agent that had gone into retirement only to be brought back by a corrupt case. It was definitely entertaining. Into a mailing envelope it went and I was going to send it to the PO Box that Geoffrey had sent, which then got shipped out to wherever the boat was sailing at the moment. No, this can’t be happening. I traced my steps upstairs, it had definitely been in my hands as I left my bookcase and with me as I walked downstairs. Through the hall to the kitchen I went, and down onto the cabinet I lay it to fix my breakfast. After all the searching I had done, my breakfast started to go cold. The pure joy of my freshly cooked breakfast was to enjoy it hot so not to spoil anymore of my morning, I decided to drop the search party and finish eating. As I sat crunching into the lukewarm toast and taking down the even more lukewarm coffee, I just had to admit, I was completely stumped. I had never run into such a forgetful moment in my life - not that I could remember. Then as I finished up the last crumbs of breakfast, a slight whirring noise whooshed by my left side. I turned to see if a June bug had gotten in and flying around. But I couldn’t spot anything. The whirring then came up on my right side, quick to find out the source, I whipped around to see this bug. My jaw dropped. I froze, as I saw a glowing light near the back of my stove. An unearthly light that bobbed and was the source of the whirring noise. There I saw my package that was being carried by four winged creatures. Buzzing about, they struggled somewhat to maintain the balance because they were not even three inches in height with wings. It was a group of fairies. I could see small human bodies that had wings and the noise they created, a soft whirring. It seemed to get louder the longer they struggled to keep the package afloat. I quickly asked if I was hallucinating. Did I have anything to drink? No. Any drugs or medication? No. Then what was going on before my eyes was indeed a real live occurrence of fairies who had taken my package and were fighting over it or trying to take it somewhere - it was hard to decide. “Um, excuse me there… that package, um belongs to me and I would like tto take it to deliver it to my friend, is it possible that I get it back?” I asked as gingerly as possible as not to offend the creatures. All at once they looked at me, transfixed and then they all dropped the package and flew off into a corner of the house. As crazy as it was, I decided to follow them to see if they lived in my house. I went for them, as they flew towards the back entrance. Just as I reached the back door, I lost them. I went outside to see if I could see any traces, but it was just another normal boring morning in a day of my life. But one in which fairies tried to steal something from me. I didn’t know much about fairy lore so went to the library to find what I could and either I was cursed or blessed by what happened that day. Just to be on the best side of caution, I decided to create a small fairly blessing in the spot where I saw them besides my stove. Next to the stove, I placed a ceramic plate that was covered in fresh flowers, small biscuits and sparkly plastic jewelry that I found in the toy section of my local pharmacy. I didn’t read any kind of official recipe on fairy offering but hoped that this thoughtfulness or offering would appease the fairies. Would my offering be accepted? Day after day, I checked the plate and sometimes a petal would be missing, a small tiny bite of a biscuit or the jewelry seemed to be moved about. I decided that my offering was accepted and to continue placing it there. And ever since that morning my package went missing, nothing went missing again at my house. I was able to deliver the package to my friend and he received it well. He said that he really enjoyed the book but was curious about the slip of paper I included with it. Puzzled, I let him know that it was not sent with anything, and asked what this slip of paper was. He reported that it had in curly cursive writing the message, “Do not ever startle us again like that or you will lose your mind from lost objects. Bless us and we will bless you back.” The message chilled me just as much as the moment I saw the group of fairies. They are a clever bunch. It seemed like I had won with the fairies that day and onwards. But now any guests that come over ask about my fairy plate offering. I begin by clearing my throat and asking, “Do you believe in fairies?” **prompt taken from:** **https://www.darrenrhill.com/what-and-where-friday-fiction-writing-prompt/**

@ladyanneclare 4 August 2021

Phone Scammer Aborted - Beware! I was working like any other day and see a local number come up on my cell phone. In the recent years, I have been a bit more cautious, especially with the out of state numbers or numbers calling me from cities where I don’t know anyone.  This particular number was from a city where one of my bosses live, so I decided to answer it. What happened for the next six and a half minutes is almost an embarrassing attempt by a scammer to scam me.  The individual right away spoke with accented English, tipping me off that English was his second language. He confirmed my name and then said he was reaching out to me from a local crime department and that the Department of Justice had three cases pending against me. He asked if I ever had my identity stolen. I replied yes, and he asked when or more particulars, and I said it was a while ago and that I was aware it was stolen.  He then when into some narrative about how my identity has been attached to several places in Texas and asked if I knew anyone there and I said no. He told me that a Toyota Corolla with a license plate TX2440 was found in my name at the border of Texas with my social security number attached. He said there were drugs found inside and cash etc. Then he said my identity was associated with two different addresses in Houston and El Paso and that bank accounts, cash, 25 lbs of cocaine were found at these homes and that my identities were tied in with the bank accounts. He continued this story and named two people that have been arrested in association with this activity - Julio Ramirez and John Rubio Gonzalez.  Okay - I had enough and stopped him right there and asked for his name and number. He asked why, I said because I was working and I would have to call him back and in the six minutes that I have listened to him, I still did not understand how I might be involved in any cases/danger. He said his name was Justin Thomas and that he wanted to finish talking to me about the pending cases against me. I asked why would he be telling me so many details about this case if it’s still under investigation? He didn’t have an answer to that. I asked for a number that I can reach him at and he said I could just call back that number and then the line got disconnected. He just freely told me a lot of details and did little to confirm my true identity other than my name, number and if I was ever a victim of identity theft. I would say a good amount of people have had their information in one of the several hundred breaches that have taken place in the past decade or so.  Just to cover my bases and confirm - I searched for the number he reached me at and the first hit that comes up is the police station from the local city that came up on the phone. Okay - could this really be legit? I then took it a step further and called the number and found my way to someone at the police station and told them what happened. It was confirmed there was no one named Justin Thomas and that they had people using their general number in the past for some kind of scams to get money and other personal information.  Here is another lesson in scam-land. Please always question anyone who is calling you with these scare tactics. As soon as he started disclosing all the very detailed information, I smelled scam. Also his language and terminology were really off, like he just watched too much CSI: Whatever and action movies.  Always remain calm and if the situation seems legit, the person will always allow you to call back. A scammer has these high pressure tactics that will try to keep you on the phone and captivated in fear. I was careful not to give too much information. Social engineering is the new way of these scams getting to our privacy and being aware of this, helped me steer the conversation as to not allow much of my personal details to be known. Confirmation of details that are already floating out there is what it is, I have been parts of lots of breaches and know that my identity is floating around and for sale. But I will not hand over any other details about myself so that someone can further create nefarious ways of using my identity. This is your friendly reminder to keep your information safe and don’t trust random people calling you or emailing you!

@ladyanneclare 29 July 2021

Roasted Squash Seeds If you grew up celebrating Halloween like me as a kid, one of the fun treats that came with carving a jack o’lantern were the seeds inside. My mom would cook up a nice salty and savory treat with the seeds. I loved them so much. It made me look forward to Halloween just to have the toasty little goodness, even more so than carving the pumpkin. While it isn’t the prime squash season of fall, my mother gave me a kabocha squash on my last visit with her and the seeds are strikingly similar to the pumpkin. Being they’re in the same family of vegetables, I figured, why can’t we toast all the seeds in squash? Indeed, this was true, upon my first Google search I found this recipe for Roasted Winter Squash Seeds. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/54873/roasted-winter-squash-seeds/ I cleaned off my seeds and followed the recipe. One of the comments on the recipe gave the suggestion to soak the seeds in salted water for a more robust taste. So I soaked them for a few hours in water and Himalayan pink salt. The time and temperature seemed a little low to me, but I went with it, knowing I could give it a go any other time. Here are my tasty treats: They came out kind of chewy, more chewy than I would have liked. I rather would have a crispy and cracking texture in the mouth. Good thing is this is only seeds from half the kabocha, so I can give it another try with the other half waiting for me in the refrigerator. The lesson learned here is I will put them at a higher temperature for slightly longer for a less chewy texture. It may be hard to see in the photo, but these seeds are quite large and thicker than what I’ve seen in a pumpkin or other squashes. I love this treat. Why? Because I get to eat the whole squash and enjoy them differently. It’s a nice wholesome snack to make whenever you have a squash in the kitchen. If this sounds good to you, I hope you try it and let me know how yours turned out. Even better - if you find the magic time and temperature let me know, thanks for reading!

@ladyanneclare 28 July 2021

Messed Up Dream This is by far the scariest dream I’ve had in a long time. I chalk it up to living in the States and having the horror to waking up to several mass shootings for the past few decades. My brother, mother and I were somewhere around Disneyland. Because I remember walking around with them in a public area with shops and walked for a long time. We decided to go to this larger mall, and my brother was parked there. On the way, I remember seeing fireworks in the sky and recognized them as being the nightly fireworks show at Disneyland, with Tinkerbell in the sky. It was exciting to see, as we were outside the park and I could see them. I said to myself to put a pin down in the location we were and remember to go back so to enjoy the show outside Disneyland. We went to the larger mall, I remember there being a Dave and Busters. Then we walked towards the parking lot. My brother walked ahead of us and out of sight. Then all of a sudden, there was a loud booming noise of people stampeding towards an exit. I looked over and there were hordes of people just rushing and screaming. I could see them over my right shoulder, their feet pounding the ground was a deafening noise. My mother instinctively threw her arm over me and ran us toward the concrete barrier straight ahead and we ran along the wall until we were at a corner, where the entrance of the parking was. We crouched down and the noise was still loud and then while hunched over, I could hear small noises of gunshots interspersed between the yelling and running. When thinking back, I also heard what was almost like a laser type noise too. While we were down there, people started trying to come over the barrier but then they piled up on top of the concrete barrier and they were screaming and some had blood on them. I kept wondering where my brother was and if he was safe or made it to the car. It was too much for me to bear, I actually decided to wake up and get out of this dream. This is the first time I’ve ever done that in my life. I just thought, this is horrible, I want to get out of this and woke up. I was pretty shook up when I woke up and just wondered wtf. Where did this come from? Incidentally, today was the first day of the insurrection hearing from the January 6th event at the US Capitol. I totally forgot about that and it never crossed my mind so it was strange to wake up to that too. I have never been in any situation close to what I described so it was shocking to come from my subconscious. It may be a sign the US needs to address gun control, enough is enough.

@ladyanneclare 25 July 2021

Epic Genre - a god and a dictionary *this prompt was generated by thestoryshack.com “It is required of you,” said the booming voice from high above, the sunlight was blinding my view of the source. “You are to go back to Mount of the Blossoms and retrieve the dictionary that is required for our people,” finished the booming voice. At this, I bowed my head in reverence, lowering into paused curtsy to honor the god that ruled our kingdom. “Thank you my lord, I shall fulfill your will,” I replied as I stood straight and turned toward the exit of the temple. It was bright, sunny and humid that day and I was glad for my shorter dress to aid in overheating. I just exited the temple of our god, Ganigatress. While too large to inhabit the temple itself, he would hover in the atrium portion, where the atrium was open-air and he would be in the open air space. Some say he was standing but some say that no god will be allowed to have his feet touch the ground and he was floating. These matters were trivial to me. My only goal was to make sure that I obeyed the law and saw through the missions entrusted to me. I am Lenatra. The last female warrior in my lineage, who have been sworn to protect the people that Ganigatress is lord over. It has been my duty to fight the forces that threaten our well-being, lord and protect from any evil. On occasion, such as this, I am directed to travel to dangerous zones to collect valuable items for our people. Some times it has been food, medicine, tools and a goat. For this quest, I am to travel to the next town and up their sacred mountain to bring back what is known as a dictionary for our people. Our shaman has told me this special book is what will help our people be civilized and aid their communication in all matters. It was with the utmost importance this dictionary be brought back and made available to our elder statesman to then make available to our people. It has become so important, Ganigatress has called me forth to carry this out. Initially I did not understand and went to seek it out and was thwarted by the local townspeople from entering the cave where it was kept. I have not had 100% successful missions, so rather than create a potential rift with our neighbors, I decided to walk away. I make it sound very simple but it wasn’t just walking away, I had to run and hide for my life. When I went to the mountain, there was a unit of soldiers on guard to the path entrance. While greeting them and discussing briefly my business there, they forbade me to travel further. “Forgive me,” I told them, “I have been ordered by our lord to retrieve this item that is in the cave, will you not let me pass?” ”Nigh,” replied the soldier, stone-faced and worn from the constant sun on his face. “No one passes unless they have been approved by our queen, or…” ”Or what?” I asked. “Or if they win us in battle,” he said with a chuckle and glance towards the other soldiers. ”I will not draw my sword just to pass you,” I replied.

@ladyanneclare 21 July 2021

Potato Onion Cheesy Dish During the past year, I have gotten pretty creative in the kitchen. From hours of watching “Chopped”, I’ve learned that you can make something out of what’s on hand in the kitchen. Cooking has been pretty rewarding, as I never knew I had it in me to feed myself from simple staples in the kitchen.  One of my favorite cooking tools is a cast iron skillet. I wish I had been exposed to these when I came out the womb because it is the best! It makes everything crispy and is a solid piece of cookware that will most likely never need to be replaced. With that said, the dish I present to you was cooked in a mini cast iron skillet. It’s actually the same one that I take with me while camping. On my last camping trip my friend saw it and said, “Cute!” It is pretty cute only being about 8” wide. But for my purposes, it definitely does the trick.  A few things that I keep in the kitchen at all times are potatoes, onions and cheese. I love them all but especially cheese. I know the vegans out there can’t partake but I’ve experimented with vegan cheese and it is actually well made into a product resembling the real deal. The plant-based cheese didn’t give me the best melt effect, but that was okay.  On a whim one night, it got late and I knew I had to feed myself and was feeling too lazy to leave the house. So I took to my pantry and pretended I was on an episode of “Chopped”. Lo and behold, the Potato Onion Cheesy Dish (sorry, my creative juices are out and I couldn’t come up with a better name, maybe POC snack???) Here’s my recipe, hope you have a go at it and enjoy it as well! Ingredients: Sliced Potatoes (1 at minimum) 1/2 - 1 Onion - cut up and caramelized Handful of Cheese  *optional minced or cut up garlic for flavor ** these measurements are for the small cast iron skillet I use **if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, any baking dish will do Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F I let my potato slices soak in water to remove starch Layer potatoes, onion, garlic and cheese in the cast iron skillet Put in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until cheese has melted and browned.  For toppings, I’ll use ketchup. But sometimes the dish is so tasty that I don’t even bother with ketchup. Feel free to use other ingredients to spice up your dish.  Now it’s time to eat & enjoy!

@ladyanneclare 12 July 2021

Trip to Non-Fungible-Token Land I have spent the past couple weeks wrapping my head around NFTs and how they work. At this point, I think I’m late to the party. But I just have to process the idea and function and possibilities of this non-fungible-token and how it can work into our lives. The news and updates on this market has kept me busy and the one question I am constantly left with is why? Why own a piece of digital data for millions of dollars, as in the case of CryptoPunks or shell out a bunch of ETH instead of HODLing it?  Everywhere I research and learn more about the crypto space, NFTs were inevitably discussed. I read, listened and watched many speak about this bustlingly new enterprise. It just didn’t click in my head about why and what made them so special.  Film/Entertainment Industry The one way they can function that does make sense to me is as a film/video asset. As I’ve written about the entertainment industry entering the NFT and crypto space before here, it makes sense that they would want to get in on the blockchain and secure their properties. The latest to join in is Anthony Hopkins, who has a movie set to premiere on NFT platform Vuele, that would give purchasers the right to own the film and some extras not yet determined.  https://read.cash/@ladyanneclare/hollywood-descends-upon-crypto-4cad6f8a https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/anthony-hopkins-new-film-will-be-sold-as-an-nft-heres-what-that-means-for-creators-and-the-ones-buying-it/articleshow/84289910.cms It is a bold move for the filmmakers to move away from traditional distribution and bet it all on NFTs. Yet, thus is cryptocurrency, is it not? By breaking away from the big studios and large distribution deals and backend bonuses, they are chancing it on NFTs and trusting consumers with their art. The business model does have a royalty that is granted to the original owner which would make money on a resale, but what if it’s never sold again? It could be a huge threat to the traditional studios which may be why Warner Bros. has partnered with Nifty in a Space Jam and Disney-owned Marvel have just given in and join in on the action.  https://variety.com/2021/digital/news/space-jam-new-legacy-nft-lebron-james-1235016220/ https://cointelegraph.com/news/marvel-reveals-official-nfts-will-be-available-on-veve-marketplace-by-2022https://cointelegraph.com/news/marvel-reveals-official-nfts-will-be-available-on-veve-marketplace-by-2022 My NFT Experiment As a personal experiment, I found this opportunity with 8biticon to create my own NFT pixel avatar, buy it and then make money off the shared elements that other people use. It got addicting real fast and I soon found myself waiting for paydays to make another. Thankfully, I stopped at four. It was fun to make them and piece them together and now I’m hoping to make some money. At anytime, the owner of the avatars can also sell the avatar on Opensea.io or any other NFT marketplace, which will stop payments on the element payments though. So I am holding onto mine for a little while longer.  https://8biticon.com/?r=kq1jc7sc The 8biticon experiment was my first taste into the NFT game. It was fun and I got hooked into the hope of possibly getting a great ROI for each NFT I minted. At this moment, I have made about 0.00165 ETH after buying about $160 worth of avatars. Is it worth it, we’ll see. But I do enjoy making them and may make more.  https://8biticon.com/?r=kq1jc7sc Now I’m waiting to see how that experiment pans out and started to look further at other successes. Opensea marketplace was interesting. I wanted to see what others were bidding on and what was getting noticed. It was a lot of hodge podge to me. As I’m still getting a good grasp, it’s really a wide open field for anyone that can mint a visual or audio product or attach a special IRL item with their NFT. I noticed digital art or some semblance to it, gaming related NFTs, NFTs that marketed or introduced another product, photos, audio clips, adult XXX videos/photos and anything one desires to put into a digital file and on the ‘chain. CryptoPunks Deep Dive One project I knew I wanted to know more about was CryptoPunks. The name had whizzed by in the news, while reading the news and in podcasts so my interest was definitely piqued but I had no idea what they were about. After reading the Wiki and seeing a few headlines. Namely Jay-Z changing his social media avatar to a CP. This article by Tech Crunch helped me see the light - a little bit. The journey of the creators behind CryptoPunks is astonishing and the mainstream acceptance is encouraging. But one part of it really helped me to see that NFTs do function as true art. Spoiler alert here, but one investor who sold a female crypto punk for more than $1 million said that “I really liked her” and his regrets of selling others in the same NFT family. I can relate to this - not the selling art for millions of dollars but the emotional attachment. While my art collection is very meager, I am a fine art appreciator absolutely. There are pieces that I don’t own, but I am familiar with that I just like and feel attached to in some strange way. When I come upon one of these pieces by mere chance, it just feels good to see it, a familiarity and feeling of delight it gives. https://news.bitcoin.com/legendary-hip-hop-artist-jay-z-enters-nft-sphere-rapper-lauds-blockchain-smart-contracts/ https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/08/the-cult-of-cryptopunks/ Now when I look at my collection, I feel embarrassed to say, but I started trying to emulate the crypto punk look in my own pixel avatars. You could even go so far to say that one looks like the “zero trait” punk the investor got attached to. When I look at my creation, yeah I like her too. I might be regretting selling her one day as well.  Anyone else into NFTs? What do you like about them? Explain to me the greatness and anything I may have missed in my understanding. If there’s more information you’d like to know, let me know in the comments. Also - if anyone knows of a site like 8biticon where one can create their own NFT, let me know. Thanks for reading!

@ladyanneclare 9 July 2021

Free Spirit Family Member ****Back with another vivid dream. I don’t know if my brain was on dream hiatus or what. But I do have a little secret :). I’ll share my dream method with you soon in another article.**** There was a long beginning to this dream that was in a old brick building with character. A place that a bar, nightclub or something of the sort would be - dark, dank and eerie. From that place, my dream transitioned into an apartment that I had never been in but supposedly was where my family lived. But from what I remember, I only ever saw my father. My mother’s sister, my aunt, had come over from her native land to the U.S. and was trying to get a church project together and talk to people. She had this story about how her and her partner in some church project had gotten delayed and now they were trying to get back on track. She brought some items and I was super surprised at how great her English was (IRL my mother’s side of the family doesn’t speak barely any English.) She spread out her belongings in a room like she was setting up a office or campaign and she had just arrived. I don’t remember interacting with her much, it was like I was a quiet observer. In fact, I don’t think we ever had a conversation in the course of the dream. Maybe when she asked for my father is the only time we spoke in the dream. My father came to greet her and she said it was so great to see him after so many years and commented on how he was as a youth. The funny thing is, their whole conversation was in English. I have never IRL seen my father have a long conversation like that with someone in English. She asked for his help for her project and he said he would try to help. In the meantime, I’m just by my aunt, never saying anything but observing. As time passes, I find out somehow that there was some sketchy activity with her partner which is why the project went bust and now they were trying to fix it. At that point, I was dumbfounded to realize that she was more plotting and scheming than trying to go on an innocent church mission. The weirdest thing about this dream was how present I felt inside the mind of my aunt. Or it was like watching a movie character but up close, moving with the character as they go about their life. Here’s the facts of my family life and why this was weird. My mother’s family lives in a different country, speaks very little English and are all very well to do people that don’t really attend church. They are really the most normal people I have ever met, with my cousins being straight A students attending the best schools. The fact that this aunt was pulling some kind of stunt was unlike anything I’ve known them to do and she seemed like a family member that I had never met. Something like a Christian hippie of the family, super weird. **Got lots of dreams written up here if you’re interested. Feel free to comment and keep up with me. Thanks for reading up to this point!**

@ladyanneclare 22 June 2021

I Am a Published Author! I got the great news last month that I am now an officially published author! It was absolutely thrilling to receive this news. It has been one of my life’s goals to one day be published and now I am. I submitted the piece last December and thought that it was really well done and hoping that I would receive good news. Months past and I hadn’t heard anything and thought, well let this be a lesson to just keep going and work on my craft. But lo and behold, I received an email congratulating me on news that my piece had been accepted! I just knew that it was an exceptional piece of writing that I was happy about and thought it should stand out and the panel that judged my piece agreed.  The publisher, Wingless Dreamer, usually charges for submissions, as do most writing opportunities these days, but this one was free. Knowing that there was no charge to this contest, I knew that the odds may be stacked higher than their other categories. Due to that, I feel absolutely honored due to this circumstance.  When I came upon the post on their website, I knew I just needed to submit. This particular book is a travel anthology which received submissions in a contest like format. Traveling is a great passion of mine and I have had the privilege of visiting many places and have created life long memories and made many friends around the world. The memories I have are priceless and have given me much joy so writing about them is really an effortless task because they mean so much to me.  The story that is in this book is one that I mostly receive open mouths and responses such “No way?!” It was just one of those magical trips where things just came together and left a huge impression on me and stayed about thirteen years later. What’s even more thrilling is that when the book was published, I found out that I was not the top winner of the anthology but a finalist. So there is a special ribbon icon next to my name. There are 48 writers that were chosen and I made it to the top of the rest.  Good news like this has been a great motivator for me to continue on and keep writing. I never thought that maybe someone would want my words to be published and on sale in Amazon.  If anyone is interested in becoming a published author, I encourage you to check out Wingless Dreamer. They are geared towards beginning writers and have these opportunities to encourage writers to continue on in their journey. You might just join me in the published by Wingless Dreamer club.  https://winglessdreamer.com/ If you interested in the travel anthology I have been published in, it’s called “The Wanderlust Within” and available on Amazon, click here. It’s comprised of true travelogues from all over the world. My story is titled “Anne & Gilbert.”  https://www.amazon.com/Wanderlust-Within-Ruchi-Acharya/dp/B0942GPC69 **A quick word on the links posted here - I am not earning any referral bonuses, royalties or any other financial compensation. I am just sharing my joy and have earned bragging rights to do so :-).  I hope to inform you of some more good news in the months to come but for now I am still relishing in this win. If you are interested in becoming published, drop a comment below and let’s start a dialogue in making this happen for you.  ***Also I want to thank my sponsors @scottcbusiness and @wakeuplincs ***

@ladyanneclare 15 June 2021

Being Anonymous One of the greatest gifts I’ve been given is anonymity on this platform. It gives me freedom to be exactly who I am without the boxes to tick for gender, race, sexual identity, education, economic class, past haunts and more. It is that freedom which allows me to share honestly and openly and have others relate to me regardless of their background and how different they are from me.  We are all on ground zero with this equal footing of being detached from our identities in the world, from which we are judged. It gives us greater access to each other and the ability to form relationships without the societal pressures and mores that are formed in our cultures.  The freedom I am afforded by having an anonymous voice is invaluable. I don’t hold back. I don’t worry about being judged for being a _________. You fill it in. Do you sometimes find yourself not saying something for fear of those you are talking to, not knowing how they would perceive you? I can tell you yes in work situations and personal relationships I may hold back for fear of this perception and sometimes I don’t know if I’m serving myself or the other person. Wouldn’t it be healthier to let it out and learn if something doesn’t go right? As the saying goes, we live and we learn.  None of us is handed a life manual as we trek on in this unknown world and it can be scary, anxiety-ridden and uncomfortable. The more I am able to express myself, it helps resolve life’s uncertainty and process what’s in front of me and get through it. Moreover, I am able to be open and relate to a global community and hopefully have them relate to me. I don’t live alone in this world and need others and having this understanding makes my world larger.   I don’t worry about someone who knows me and worrying about being known for something or some unsavory piece of gossip to travel through the social circles. Or my parents being notified of my funny practices - although it doesn’t matter much to me if my immediate family would know, they know I’m pretty funny already. Letting my voice translate into words on a page and having some kind of reach or impact is powerful and I think an inherent goal of humans as they ponder life. How can I make my mark on the world? What legacy can I leave? Albeit my legacy here on read.cash has been made mostly of my crazy pandemic dreams, I do have hopes to leave more substantial articles with some gravitas.   Cryptocurrency Anonymity is also a big attraction in crypto. I’m not trying to hide my money but the thought of an untraceable means of transfers was big. We all shop online now and years ago I did have my credit card info stolen. I bought concert tickets online and someone continued buying more concert tickets! So I appreciate this way of transactions.  But is it truly anonymous? You can view wallets and view transactions. It provides transparency amongst the community but still cloaks the identity of the user. Unless your Vitalik Buterin and $6 billion in SHIB has been sent to your wallet. As a clever marketing scheme, the SHIB team sent Vitalik the tokens and valiantly, Vitalik made the choice to burn half and donate the rest. When the burning occurred though, the wallet address was seen and identity known. Maybe this is a unique occurrence, in that it was highly publicized and known that he held the amount of SHIB so it was a noticeable amount and able to trace. Which is why many advise to never share the amounts you have in your wallet publicly. If you want to flash your wallet amounts to friends/family okay but do not post about it. https://www.coindesk.com/vitalik-buterin-burns-6b-in-shib-tokens-says-he-doesnt-want-the-power As noted, that was a special instance.  There is the attraction as well not having to contact my bank when there’s a snag or paying fees on top of fees to use a service that doesn’t seem to serve me. Dealing with banks can be frustrating and having ownership of my own assets empowers me to be responsible and not having to stay on a customer service line for minutes, hours and getting a run around from whomever I speak with and getting different responses and being transferred all over the place. Yes banks can be atrocious and I am for getting as far away from them as possible the more and more I learn about cryptocurrency.  Groups There are so many examples of the power of anonymity in our world at large and the power that it has amongst a community. Anonymous, the hacktivist collective who has aimed to take down corruption and in their philosophy “looks for answers to questions that are unanswered.” They have recently made a return last summer in the wake of the George Floyd case. They have been credited to several powerful campaigns against corruption and was done as a decentralized community, spread throughout the world.  https://archive.org/details/ThePhilosophyOfAnonymous_201708 https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2020/08/hacker-group-anonymous-returns/615058/ The 12 step programs that end in “Anonymous” have also largely been a key factor in helping millions of people avoid the grip of a devastating addiction which can lead to destroyed lives and many times death. Their model of anonymity allows them to operate in meeting one another where they are at and help them in getting their lives back on track. These groups have realized the power that can be harnessed through anonymity and the results are staggering when looking at the many examples.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholics_Anonymous https://www.na.org/?ID=PR-index I didn’t realize how long I would make this so if you’ve made it here, thank you! It’s a topic that I am passionate about. Let me know your thoughts on all this. As you can tell, this is important to me and would love to read your comments.

@ladyanneclare 15 June 2021

Hi everyone, I returned from a massive road trip across the great Pacific Northwest in the US and will be posting about the trip soon. Catching up on some article reads, there’s a lot to go through!

@ladyanneclare 4 June 2021

Hollywood Descends Upon Crypto Some well-known names have now made tokens and NFTs (non-fungible token) available to the market. It doesn’t surprise me that they are taking special interest as the film and music industries have had issues of piracy that impact their business. By using NFTs and blockchain technology, I can see a great potential for the security of their assets and intellectual property. There is one cryptocurrency that I have read about that actually addresses media - The Graph (GRT). If the industry wants to adopt this new technology, GRT directly addresses storage of media on its blockchain.  Here are some of the recognizable names that have made their marks on the chain: Kevin Smith (Silent Bob) The first filmmaker to my knowledge to have announced the selling of his film as an NFT is Kevin Smith. I read this article  back in April and thought it was genius and that other filmmakers should start adopting this same path. His film “Killroy is Here” is being sold as the first film NFT to my knowledge and the owner will have the right to “exhibit, distribute and stream the work.” In the distribution and exhibition world of film, this is a huge deal. He could have sold it to one of the 200 plus streaming platforms or distributors but has put his trust in the NFT market.  https://deadline.com/2021/04/kevin-smith-killroy-was-here-nft-sale-jay-and-silent-bob-crypto-studio-1234733439/ Additionally, for all the Jay and Silent Bob fans out there, you can now own a piece of them in the form of an NFT. They have partnered with Semkhor to mint the NFTs that hold their beloved characters in several types of 3D art. The Platinum Token NFT  will grant the owner a crypto cameo in his next film “Clerks III” - what that means, we have yet to know.  Smith definitely has made bold moves in his career since the start and has won over audiences. I hope he does the same with his new crypto venture. Media assets on the blockchain has definitely stayed with me and the implications of the industry, as piracy had obliterated it in the past. If big studios pay attention here, there could very well be the start to a new dawning of the protection of securing media assets and creating a stable revenue stream for both the entertainment and cryptocurrency industries. GRT, as mentioned above, has Hollywood written all over it.  Steve Harvey  Steve Harvey throwing his hat in the ring of NFTs was the biggest surprise from the others on the list. But after reading more about it, it actually doesn’t surprise me. Harvey has been a savvy business man since he broke in - he worked super hard as a stand-up and went on to write books that have been made into movies and is a frequent face on US television. It only makes sense that he has been stuck at home looking for the next business venture and he has found it with NFTs. He has put three categories of his collection on Rarible, selling all proceeds to his foundation that supports the success of young people.  https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210514005115/en/Steve-Harvey-Releases-First-Ever-NFT-to-Benefit-Charity https://rarible.com/steveharvey https://theharveyfoundation.org/ To me, it seems like a slight test run to see how far this technology gets Steve and if its worth further investigation for him to be all in on crypto. Cheers for him on recognizing the potential and furthering his cause.  Eminem Slim is not done yet. He is keeping up with the times, in spite of all the talk of him being too old. Clapping back at the haters, he has launched his collection of 50 NFTs on Nifty Gateway, minted with three different Slim Shady animations and produced tracks by himself. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eminem-tone-deaf-lyric-video-1137937/ https://news.bitcoin.com/hip-hop-legend-eminem-launches-beat-inspired-animated-nfts-for-stans/ Fans have enthuasiastically embraced this offer and the first one sold for $1.78 million.  https://www.nme.com/news/music/eminem-makes-1-3million-from-first-shady-con-nft-collection-2931351 Another fan bought one for $100,000 that came with an Air Jordan collaborated pair of shoes.  The fan then created a Youtube video  with the beats provided by Shady, which has received over 7.7 million views.  https://www.nme.com/news/music/eminem-fan-spends-71000-on-stans-revenge-nft-2942468 https://youtu.be/NWj4BSQMkq0 Don’t worry if you aren’t able to get in on the initial 50 available, 888 are reported to be available some time soon.  Tiger King Remember “Tiger King” from Netflix? The documentary that helped many get through the pandemic? The brawling duo that captured the attention of many in lockdown are still vying for our attention - this time in the crypto scene.  Carol Baskin, antagonist tiger queen, has minted CAT. A currency for fans to buy merchandise and experiences at her animal sanctuary. Currently priced at $0.2293 and max volume of 15 million.  https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/05/entertainment/tiger-king-carole-baskin-crypto-coin/index.html https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/cat-token/ Not to be outdone, of course Joe Exotic has to clap back at Carol with his own token TKING, an ethereum chained based (ERC20) deflationary token, 3 million has been minted. It currently is priced at $0.00000381. 35% of the pool has been burned and with each transaction, there is a 2% burn rate. Joe himself owns the most, making this a profitable outcome for him. NFT’s from Exotic will be for sale as well, and proceeds will go to his legal expenses and tiger rescue efforts.  https://news.bitcoin.com/notorious-tiger-king-joe-exotic-launches-eth-based-token-to-help-legal-fund/ https://coinmarketcap.com/currencies/tiger-king/

@ladyanneclare 19 May 2021

Attitudes to Stay Grounded Gratitude & a sense of humor are my two weapons against a mind that wanders on its own and sometimes to some unsavory places.  It has been a challenging period in the history of human kind and the world is a lot different than it was a year and some change ago. Human beings are known to be social creatures and we have been kept in isolation away from our normal daily activities. I’ve written pretty consistently throughout my articles about the isolation and how I felt my dream life was taking the place left hollow by mandating a state/world lockdown. My dreams were vivid and real and they were also funny though and seemed to heal me from a work anxiety I had been experiencing. I’m going on a real tangent away from what this article is about but it felt like writing about all the vivid dreams I was having, especially the work related dreams, healed me and was a process to work out all the leftover gunk in my emotional response system. Okay, I think I may have went a little too far. But yes, writing about all those dreams kind of served as a detoxification system for me emotionally. Interesting.  https://read.cash/@ladyanneclare/connections-the-supernatural-ac54c45b https://read.cash/@ladyanneclare/anxiety-killer-ants-snl-skit-hottie-boss-85e84d4e https://read.cash/@ladyanneclare/boss-again-cute-kittens-crazy-finger-bite-af32d96d Onto the topic for today - a personal indicator that tells me if I am edging towards a dark place is when I’ve lost my sense of humor. As the wise saying goes, there’s a time and place for it all - but when I apply humor, it immediately brings my stress and anxiety levels down. As I’ve learned in the past year and some months, there are many times this does not apply, as it is inappropriate. When grieving the passing of a loved one or having to deal with various stressors that were not anticipated - job loss, divorce, family problems and more. But if I am getting gas for my car, working, out at the grocery store, talking with others, driving or otherwise - I have to keep a sense of humor to stay balanced in my sanity. It grounds me and helps me to realize that while little things matter, they really don’t and it’s not necessary to become invested in small annoyances or distractions that rob me of my energy. In taking this philosophy, I have definitely felt a lightness to the way I live and interact with others.  For instance, living in California, you are faced with constant frustrations of driving. A driver was so pissed at me for something, she followed me and tried to get my attention until she could force a middle finger into my view. I shrugged it off and said to myself, “Well I hope you feel better now,” and went about my day.  One of my great teachers on this topic is Bill Murray. Yes, that Bill Murray. It wasn’t until I saw a documentary by Tommy Avallone, **“The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned from a Mythical Man”**, that I came to see the brilliance in the attitude that he has. I’ve bookmarked this movie mentally to remind myself to watch it when I’m needing a boost of light in my outlook. I don’t want to give any spoiler alerts, but what I get from it is the message that “it just doesn’t matter.”  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7329810/ If you’ve never heard of a Billy Murray story, I urge you to check out this website. It will give a look into what is behind the inspiration of the documentary I mentioned above and is highly entertaining. https://www.billmurraystory.com/ When looking at the crypto market lately, this statement is immensely helpful. It’s hard to look frankly. It’s that classic “car crash” scenario - do I look, keep looking or don’t look, it’s hard not to look. I want to look but it’s dreadful. To keep the phrase “it just doesn’t matter” in mind, helps to quell the screaming panic inside that wants to bail and find other investments or hobbies. It just might be that time to do so - find my other hobbies and put all my time into them, just weathering the storm and holding on.  The ultimate life tool I carry is gratitude. While my sense of humor is where I measure where my head is, gratitude helps ground my heart. I am going to reference the past year again, since it has been a trying time and a great example of how I’ve had to lean into humor and gratitude. When panic mode struck, I was left at home working and isolated. As the year progressed, the riots came, fires made the air bad (I’m in California) and minorities (which I am) faced tough times. It was really easy to cling to all the messages that were being fed to me and fear the worst. But in my gut I knew that I shouldn’t have to, because I was definitely fortunate upon fortunate. I am not the richest person, most successful, or even have a life someone would want materially. What I can say is though I would not trade my attitude of realizing how much I do have for anything. In the darkest periods, I could still say I have my job still, my health and my family. There were and are many others that could not say the same. I also realized it was important to continue my life as it was as much as possible, mostly the socializing aspect of it.  Some years ago, I started to kind of flake out on Facebook invites when they were all the rage and soon after found myself wondering where all the invites went. So I started to have a new policy of always saying yes to any functions I was invited to, if my scheduled allowed it.  Now being stuck at home, Zoom invites have come my way and I try my best to make it to all of them. Honestly, I am Zoom’ed out and have to take a break at times. But it’s amazing that I have been able to meet people and make new friends over Zoom :-). Instead of being local, I’ve made friends all over the world and hope to connect with them in person. I’m definitely putting a travel fund together to plan these trips.  When I lay my head on my pillow at night,  I have to always remind myself that although it was not a perfect day, I still worked for that day, am in good health and have my family in good health. Other things I am grateful for is that I have a home, bills are paid, car is paid off and food is in the refrigerator. It might not be much to some, but if I focus on these alone, it lets me realize that all my needs are met, how could I ask for more? It is the human nature to want more, but in order to maintain a positive and healthy attitude and continue putting my best self forward, these basic needs give me a wealth of standard of living that not many have in the rest of the world. For whatever reason, the universe has granted me a lifestyle that gives me peace and security. All I have to do is remember that and to see life as limited and to live it to the best and fullest potential as possible. As a sign I read in Las Vegas said, YOLO - you only live once, let’s live well, laugh and be glad that we’re here.