Category: Ponderings

Ponderings, Thoughts

Strength in Love

FanTC

I was wondering why you always look so put together every day, then I remembered: Oh yeah, you don’t have kids.

Women should never come down on other women. Some fight battles every morning. Some have obtained their peace through much hardship.

Women notice the appearances of each other. One could say we’re hyper-alert to our fellows. Mostly it’s innocent – admiring a new handbag, collecting tips on matching colors or prints. But many times, if we’re honest with ourselves, we’re looking for the ranks.

You know what I’m talking about. She didn’t do anything with her hair today. At least you look more put together than she does. She went over-the-top with that outfit. You feel assured others are probably silently mocking her too.

Ladies, this ought not be so among the fairer sex. Whether sporty or girlie, let’s all agree to harbor lovely thoughts toward each other. Build someone up if you are able. Graciously accept a compliment. And never admit how cheap (or expensive) those shoes were. People love them. You love them. That is all that matters.

Be beautiful.

This has been,

Fanny T. Crispin

PS: Shut up. I use filters, and I love them.

Ponderings, Raw

Quarantine Week #14

FanTC

It is sometimes difficult to believe Covid-19 has impacted our world for so long, but here we are. It is currently our fourteenth week since Wisconsin schools shut down. Summer has arrived. Families are getting together. These are good things.

I have contemplated shutting down the “Quarantine Week” blog. Corona is in our world, ladies and gentlemen. It is an unfortunate reality, but we must adapt as well. We must now be conscience of our elders and immune compromised comrades. We’ll have to add Covid to our cough, cold, and flu season awareness. Everyone is talking about “new normal” or “going back to normal.” This is what you can come to expect.

On the positive side, we have seen some beautiful improvement to Earth and nature as a result of humans taking a break from being industrious. This is also good. Maybe more of us have come to realize there must be a healthy balance in our lives between work and rest. Remember to be a little more kind, a little more patient, and to be aware of others.

This has been,

Fanny T. Crispin

Mind & Body, Ponderings, Raw

Quarantine Week #7

FanTC

I think this “empty inspiration” – as my sister calls it – is the worst mood. Have you gone periods without writing creatively in which you’re out of practice and lack motivation to start? Yet when you watch a movie or read a book, you might be jolted with sudden inspiration! So you grab a notebook, laptop, tablet and open a fresh page, document, note and…nothing. There was no substance to the mood, just empty inspiration.

I feel this more often than not because I’m not actively working on any projects. I might pick up a chapter here or there when I feel the aptitude, but nothing substantial. So I end up with more notebooks than I need filled with barely begun projects started from “empty inspiration.”

You may have noticed a lot of creativity has been borne of this quarantine. Some people are finding extra time and boredom to create art. I’ve always felt art is a result of conflict and desperation. Desperate people feel extreme emotions, and these can often translate into masterpieces. Many people are feeling extreme emotions – fear, anxiety, frustration, anger, grief to name a few. And some of us who are not so terribly off and really don’t care to watch the news are just bored.

It’s true. It’s difficult to create when you’re bored, because everything you create feels boring. It’s a viscous cycle. You might have lost interest in your favorite shows and books, and hobbies or games offer no distraction for your mind. What’s to be done about such uselessness?

I practice yoga. It’s the most productive form of nothing a body can accomplish, and it rewards a listless mind with tranquility. I don’t feel like doing anything, and yoga can sometimes feel as easy as doing nothing. This is just my alternative to boredom.

How are you coping through it all?

This has been,

FanTC

Ponderings, Raw

Quarantine Week #6

FanTC

Can you believe it? It’s already been 2 months since the pandemic outbreak in the US. There is so much news and misinformation going around, I hate to stake a claim on anything. But where do we go from here? It’s already too late to stop it. The virus is here. It’s in our air and in our blood. Most of the population won’t feel its affects, so the numbers are already heavily skewed with no way of correcting them.

I suppose what I really want to know in all this is what’s really going on, guys? I mean seriously. SARS and Ebola came and went with far less commotion than Covid-19. The common flu has claimed as many – if not more – lives than this Corona thing. But you don’t see those other viruses garnering the attention this one has. What’s different in our society? What triggered the wide-spread panic?

There’s never a tell for how the mass media will react to a situation. In some cases, we can rise up and stand together, but in others we break down and riot in the streets. The settings have to be just so for each scenario.

But what do I know? I’m just a writer stuck at home with a cat and a ginger and trying to make the best of her situation.

How are you making the best of your situation?

 

We were walking the other day around the lagoon near our home. The graffiti we discovered along the way is already being influenced by this pandemic.

 

This has been,

Fanny T. Crispin

Ponderings, Raw, Thoughts

Quarantine Week #4

FanTC

Here in the great Midwest, we are entering week 4 of self-quarantine. I have been successfully working from home, but GW has been going in for the past 3 weeks due to his manufacturing/”essential” position. Today, he discovered one of his coworker’s daughters has tested positive for Covid-19. I’m highly disappointed it took risking all of the workers for the owners to finally shut down.

Highly disappointed.

The mother-in-law has been depending on us for groceries since she has a form of Lupis and the medication has compromised her immune system. Now it’s looking like we’ll have to reach out to her other son (who lives farther away) since my husband has potentially come in contact with the virus.

It is incredibly strange to be “fighting” something we cannot yet see. Moreover, no one within our realm of society has been infected or been symptomatic to know up close what it is that is attacking us. I’m sure you can relate to my sentiments – or you’ve been fighting on the front lines and have seen exactly what this virus can do. I pray God’s protection over you, wherever you are.

GW and I took the motorcycle out Sunday for some fresh air. It’s still chilly in Wisconsin. It barely broke 60 degrees that day, but it was good to get out and ride even for a short time. Although we ended up becoming stranded. Yep. The engine got flooded. We had stopped to admire the scenery – far away from society – and when we returned, the motorcycle wouldn’t start. GW is pretty handy when it comes to his bike, but after 30 minutes and no improvement, he was at a loss. YouTube’s most reasonable explanation was the engine was flooded, and they recommended waiting another 20-30 minutes.

“If we can just get it home,” he started to say, revving the engine for what seemed like the hundredth time, when all of a sudden, the engine caught and stayed running. We replaced our helmets in a flash and thanked Jesus for the tiny miracle.

I don’t pretend to know what’s going on in this world of ours, but I do thank God for tiny miracles.

This has been,

Fanny T. Crispin