Challenges – Page 4 – 50 Shades of Gray Hair

Pulling Out the 50th Shade

Famous Opening Lines…We all know them and know too, that when we hear one, there’s bound to be a good story to follow!

Once Upon a Time…

Far, Far, Away…

Long Ago and Far Away…

It Was a Dark and Stormy Night…

In the Beginning…

It Was Love at First Sight…

You get what I mean right?

I know when I hear one, I feel a true sense of anticipation for what’s to follow.

Good storytelling does that for me.

A good story begins at the beginning; that great opening line.

One that gives me that special kind of ‘tingle up my leg’

(stole that from some pseudo-famous liberal’s “tingle heard round the world”)

Anyway…while preparing to re-enter the blogosphere after my short but eventful hiatus from sharing, I needed to capture, in one good opening line, the true sense of what’s to come.

A line to draw you in and make you want to keep going to see what there is to see and feel what there is to feel.

An open to encapsulate the last 374 days, 17 hours, and 49 seconds in a little amuse bouche that, once tasted, will leave you wanting a bigger bite.

None of those listed above will do for me though. Not this time anyway.

While great, they are lacking that je ne sais quoi I’m hoping for.

So, to that end…I’m pulling out the final shade in my Bag O’ Fifty; the one I didn’t think I’d get to for at least another 5 years minimum, if ever.

The one I call “The 50th Shade – Kiss My Ass and Call Me Fred, What Next?”

I know, I know…we are such a huge community of optimists here.

And I love that about us

I do! 🙂

But we all have our limits. That point where we tell optimism to fuck off!

After we’ve fallen through the hole of the shithouse two-seater, but before we decide whether to wallow in the muck and mire and drown in the sludge, or crawl out and take a damned shower!

Okay…this is me…post-wallow…yet…pre-crawl.

I’m covered in it, sticking with it, red-faced, and blotchy skinned from it…but I ain’t drowned.

I’m one slime-covered maggot with a boil on its ass away from dead, but not dead yet.

I still have one good leg and two good arms with which to push and pull my way out of this crap, and I’m using them now.

(Well, maybe the good leg’s not so useful on the keyboard, but hey, I’m giving it its due)

Stay tuned…my famous opening line is coming…as soon as I think of it.

Then watch out (or at least have an anti-microbial handi-wipe ready)

See ya soon!

In the meantime….

Moving Day

It’s finally here.
The big day.

Two weeks to find it.

Two weeks to haggle, inspect, haggle some more, fix, and sign on the dotted line.

Leaving behind the bright lights of northern Vermont

Come on men...we have a new kitchen to set up...

Nothing to do now but wait for the professionals who’ll pack whatever is not nailed down…

Just in time for the holiday…

So here we go…time to move

Next stop…
H O M E!!

See ya’ll real soon.
🙂

(PS) this is from my phone…can’t really see it…hope it came through as intended.

Number 3 – RAPE: Rise Against Punishable Eccentricity

The third and final post in the RAPE: Rise Against Punishable Eccentricity challenge to join the movement to raise our voices in the fight again Rape and Sexual Assault, as well as lift our voices in unison toward helping women feel empowered to take charge and take action.

I particularly love this one because it’s quintessential Susan (the Green Thumb Goddess). She can always pack a wallop in her poetry but I think she especially nailed this one. The seed planted here is powerful, visual, and easy to relate to.

I would also like to thank my daughter-in-law Lindsay for allowing me to use her beautiful face in this image. While she’s not a victim of sexual abuse…she absolutely ‘gets’ it!

A side note:

Women do not have to be victims of abuse to feel like and see that ‘stranger’ in the mirror…sometimes lost, sometimes less than, too often unrecognizable. Because I know that feeling all too well, not just as a survivor, but as a woman in general, there’s an added incentive to lead by example; to show that we must not be silent; we must not become part of the backdrop of someone else’s life; we must not lose sight of who and what we are…special, unique, and empowered to change the world by virtue of our voices, our minds, and not the least, raising our children.

We must step up and out of the supporting role and take the lead when we need to; show our sons and daughters that just because we plant and tend the garden, it does NOT make us gardeners.

And our choice to be housewives, does NOT mean we are ignorant of the world outside our four walls.

If our choice is to be stay-at-home mothers, it is just that – a choice. NOT an open door to disrespect, condescension, or a sign that we feel ourselves unworthy. If anything…it’s the complete opposite.

Here then, for her, you, me, us….WE

Stranger by Susan Daniels and Rhonda

Number 1 – Rape Hurts Number 2 – She

Thank you Susan, it was an absolute pleasure to be part of this with you.

And, thank you all for reading.

Number 2 – RAPE: Rise Against Punishable Eccentricity

The second in this 3 part series by Susan Daniels and myself for RAPE: Rise Against Punishable Eccentricity.

If you missed the first one – Rape Hurts – I hope you view it now. As well as taking a few moments to read the other powerful messages through the links on the KnowYourStar.com‘s page.

Thank you KnowYourStar.com for giving us a safe place to shout…for some, it’s all we have.

SHE by Susan Daniels, Image by Rhonda

RAPE: Rise Against Punishable Eccentricity

The link above will take you to their page…but here is what they ask:

1. Write an article/poem related to Women & Women Empowerment and post in your blog.
2. Link back to this article of KnowYourStar.com with a hyperlink so your readers and friends can join us if they are interested.
3. Enter your name and link into the Linky widget. (It should be the post link, and not your blog link in general. In your blog, click on the post title. The URL in the address bar would be the post link.).
4. Read and enjoy as many of the other writers as well. When you read more, most of them return to read yours.
5. Don’t miss this golden chance to impact the society! Let’s change it for better!

In collaboration with my dear friend and fellow blogger, Susan Daniels and her amazing ability to put what we feel into poetry…the following is our response to the challenge!

We did a series of three poems/images. The poetry is classic Daniels and the images are composites of photos of my own that I’ve manipulated to show what her words mean to me.

Please join the challenge is you feel you can, but if not, Join in the Conversation, visit KnowYourStar.com and read some of the other powerful entries in the effort to get RAPE out of the closet.

Thank you, and thank you Susan.

Number 1 – RAPE HURTS by Susan and Rhonda

Number 2 – She will post Wednesday August 7th

Number 3 – Stranger will post Thursday August 8th

The Nanny

I promised another tantalizing tale from Deb at Tinky Town…and here it is. Our second writer/photog collaboration! I highly recommend working with another blogger in this way – whether it’s choosing photos for a story or writing a story from a photo…it’s a fun and creative challenge. Here is “The Nanny”…

Crazy Train To Tinky Town

This is the second of my collaborations and my second with the lovely Rhonda over at Fifty Shades of Gray Hair and I think she’s possibly outdone herself this time! It has been a joy working with her on both projects and I have loved how each time I have given her a story she just creates these amazing pictures. So thank you Rhonda, you’re an inspiration!

Jen smiled indulgently across the breakfast table, over the heads of 6-year-old Jake and his sister 4-year-old Emily, at a bemused Richard, and mouthed “I love you”. Their secret smile that they saved for one another, and said that all was right with the world. Jen quickly set about clearing up the breakfast debris when Anna joined them – no matter how hard Jen tried, she just couldn’t warm to this woman. There was an air of detachment and aloofness about her that…

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After the Storm

If we've weathered the storms of yesterday And can face the storms of tomorrow We'll stand in the glow of today If our minds, our hearts, and our eyes are open We'll find our way — **If we’ve weathered the storms of yesterday**
**And can face the storms of tomorrow**
**We’ll stand in the glow of today**
**If our minds, our hearts, and our eyes are open**
**We’ll find our way**

The winner of the 7th RPC is..

Results of the photo challenge. This is a fantastic shot. Deserved the win. Well done!

PS). Thanks to all who voted…and not just for me. For all of them. You got to see some wonderful photos and maybe found some new favorite sites. Hope so, I know I did!

Rodposse.

No 19
Elizz
http://starlight427.wordpress.com/
with 119 votes
and her picture was..
Congrats!!

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First Times…

Calling all photogs…and friends of photogs.

As this is the time for new beginnings and new adventures for me…I’ve decided to just do it.

Yup.

I’m doing it.

I’ve done it.

What?

Something new…

Those that know me already, know I have a special friend. My constant companion, whom I call CC. We spend quality time together every chance we get, and I’ve shared many a special moment of that time with a lot of you in my earlier life. This relationship is one of fun, reflection, surprise, beauty, sadness, and glory. This special and dear companion is my camera.

Now…a fellow blogger and similar-minded friend rodposse, has put into place a photo challenge on his blog. It’s now in its 7th week and the first one in which I am entering, and it’s a fantastic idea. Win, lose, draw…makes no difference. This is a terrific avenue to take to find new friends, appreciate great photos, and experience how others’ points of view can take you completely by surprise.

I invite you to visit rodposse, enjoy the captured moments in this week’s challenge…which is the element WATER. But stay awhile and visit the past challenges, as well as his own photos. It’s well worth the time.

Become a participant if you choose to do so, by following his simple rules for submitting your own photos. I know more than a few of you have a great eye and take some stunning photos. Go have some fun!

Or if you’d rather, just share your opinion by clicking on the like button for your favorite(s). Simple.

But if for no other reason, visit just to enjoy the view.

This is the link to the challenge (and I’m shameless here, but this link will take you to my entry…However, you can navigate very easily from there, honest)

6th Challenger – The last summer

The very best to all the entrants…good luck…and keep shutterin.

Rhonda