365 Creativity Project-Day 361

Journal entry:

A Cheering Mile

The happy sun smiled
Down from a cloudless blue sky
Lifting my spirits
As I walked beneath the rays
It poured out upon my path.

The cold seemed so out
Of place in shining brightness,
But it was bracing,
Justifying my heavy
Sweater to keep me cozy.

Hope pranced with gladness
Enjoying her time outside,
Her joy made me grin
And wonder why I do not
Do this more often again.

Walking is not hard
It only takes a little
Of my busy time,
I need to make it into
A habit of healthy life.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, January 4, 2013

Photographs:

I am grateful:

1.   Hope finally stopped coughing.
2.   I took a nap and caught up on some sleep.
3.   I decided to take a walk with Hope.
4.   This is day 361 of my Creativity Project.
5.   I take time to write this list each day and so am more mindful of the good things in my life.

I hope you enjoyed your Friday. Mine did not go exactly as I planned, but it was a good day. I challenged myself to do something creative and you should too. You will never know what you can achieve if you do not make an effort. I am sure you can do more than you imagine.

As a prompt, write about your experience of being outdoors today. Maybe you have not thought about how beautiful nature is lately, no matter the weather there is something pleasant about being outside. Write. If you use this prompt, please leave a link to your work in the comments below.

I am so glad you found your way to my blog. I would love to have your thoughts, suggestions, or criticism, so please leave a comment. If you enjoyed your visit, perhaps you would like to subscribe to Chronicles.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 137

The second exercise in What If? is to use one of your first sentences and take your story in different directions by adding a second sentence. I found this interesting. I had never thought about how each sentence could change a story so drastically.

My thoughts are concentrated on other places:

Reluctant Explorer

I rarely travel away
From home preferring my own
Environment to any
I have opportunity
To visit on a journey.

Sometimes other places call
With sweet majestic voices
That make me want to venture
Far from my comfortable
And familiar residence.

Mountains, forests, beaches, all
Entice me with their beauty
Cajoling me with their songs
Of rare untamed adventure,
Life is unpredictable.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Friday, May 25, 2012

Photographs:

Lucy and Max…

Angel Bear…

Hippopotamus…

Angel Dog…

I am grateful:

1.   I slept in today.
2.   Laura, my daughter-in-law, called to say she had gotten home safely from her trip to Okinawa to see Alex, my son.
3.   Alex works in a support position in the Air Wing of the Marine Corps.
4.   The hot dogs and French fries I cooked for supper were very good.
5.   I enjoy reading, writing, art, and photography.

I hope each of you had a fabulous Friday. If you have one, I hope your long weekend is enjoyable. If you feel so inclined do something creative with your time. It will help you feel joy.

Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment.

Always,
Jo Ann

365 Creativity Project-Day 84

Journal entry:

April PAD Challenge, poem two:

Unwanted Visitor

It is ever present
Only a heartbeat
Away from everyone,
But only visits once.

It comes stealthily,
Unwelcome, uninvited,
Bringing discomfort
For all it touches.

It takes the good,
The evil, without judging
Anyone’s virtue or merit
It has no feeling anyway.

It is the great leveler
Making all lives equal
With its faithful stroke,
Death, life’s final visitor.

Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Monday, April 2, 2012

April Platform Challenge-Day 1

Name: Jo Ann J. A. Jordan

Position: Mother’s Caregiver, Mother, Pet Mother, Writer, Poet, Blogger, Photographer

Skills: Organizing household, caring for people and animals, writing, editing, handwriting, photography, drawing, painting, graphic design, creative thinking, encouraging people

Social Media Platforms: WordPress, Blogger, Multiply, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, LinkedIn

URLs: http://www.hopefuljo.wordpress.com

Accomplishments: Store manager, won several awards for service, edited and published Original Creations Magazine, raised a United States Marine, photographed nephew’s wedding

Interests: Faith, family, dogs, helping others, all types of writing, reading, calligraphy, art of all types, photography, graphic design, computer technology

One sentence that defines me: I am a Christian, a mother, a dedicated daughter, and enjoy working creatively.

April Platform Challenge-Day 2

Short-term goals:

1. Finish April PAD Challenge
2. Finish April Platform Challenge
3. Write every day
4. Take photographs daily
5. Get new contacts
6. Keep all appointments
7. Read Bible daily

Long-term goals:

1. Finish 365 Creativity Project
2. Collect poetry for a chapbook or book
3. Enter some photographs in a show
4. Finish Read The Bible For Life this year
5. Read 36 books this year
6. Write a book, memoir or novel
7. Lose some weight

Photographs:

Yellow flowering weeds…

So many little flowers…

Blooming bush…

Last of Wisteria…

Dandelion seed pods in front yard…

Amaryllis bud…

Amaryllis bud…

Flowering bush…

I am grateful:

1.   Mom was able to go out with her best friend, June.
2.   Mom brought me some lunch.
3.   It was not hard to write a poem today.
4.   I enjoyed watching WrestleMania XXVIII with Mom last night.
5.   I stayed home all day.

I hope your day has been enjoyable and that you found something creative to do.

Always,
Jo Ann

Beginning A Project For 2012

I am hoping to accomplish something creative every day forward for the year. Much of this will entail writing, but there will be some artwork, photography, crafts, and whatever else I come up with.

For today I took a picture of the books I am reading daily:

The two at the bottom I am reading aloud with my Mom as a Bible study. Our church is doing Read The Bible For Life this year, and although I do not attend, we are participating in the study. The other five I chose to read this year for personal edification.

The following is a scan of the hand written journal entry I made this evening:

I mentioned my new Invicta watch and I guess I should show you what it looks like:

I chatted with Alex a bit today and learned he is enjoying Hawaii. He has begun writing again, which I think is marvelous because Alex is very talented.

I am running out of time so this will be my creation for today. Stay tuned for more as the days go by.

Always,
Jo Ann

When I Am At A Crossroads, I…

When I am at a crossroads, I look both ways before crossing. This includes looking backward into the past, and forward toward the possibilities of the future. I try to base present decisions on the consequences I have experienced from past choices. Sometimes I can only hope that things will improve in the future. I know that the present is only temporary, but some of its happenings are causing wonder about how things will turn out. Moment by moment I navigate the storms that batter me without a reliable global positioning system. I have no conception of where I will end up, but am terribly afraid it will be in a bad situation. I just hope my new circumstances allow internet connection so I can stay in contact with the outside world, which helps ground me. I need my friends for support, and most of them only interact with me in the cyber-world. This is not most beneficial. Eye contact and vocal communication add much to conversation that text fails to convey. However, Facebook, Twitter, and the email group Journal Writing are better than isolation.

Always,
Jo Ann

I Am Fragile, Weak

My psychiatrist says I must now
See him every three months
So he can vigilantly observe me
Because I came nearly apart again.

The stress to which I am currently subjected
Is somewhat beyond my ordinary safety limit.
I worry about Mom obsessively and constantly,
I cannot distance myself from her plight.

I have full responsibility for care of Mom
And everything else, which is maintained here.
There is no one stepping in to render aid,
It is do-it-myself or leave it completely undone.

I am capable, and can perform most tasks
As long as no one looks too closely or asks,
“How are you doing?” I answer, “Very well.”
I will not let down my habitual trusted mask.

Underneath the well-worn façade I realize
There are cracks in my courage, my resolve,
I barely hold on to my placid existence:
I live in total abject horror of Mom’s passing.

My friends who pay close attention may
Have some awareness of my fragility,
But my family does not recognize
How very desperate I sometimes am.

I must toughen up and stand firm
For the situation will not get better
Mom’s deterioration is hastening along,
I promised to care for her, and I will.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Half My Life Is Gone, And I Have Given

Many days I have spent in deep despair
Because the love I wanted was not there
Within the heart of him I desired, so dear.

Many days I have tried to please
Someone or other who only teased
With words and actions at their ease.

Many days I have gone to great length
To show my character possesses strength
With little success, or so others might think.

Many days I have spent wandering inside
The creations of writer’s minds outside
The reality where I must truly reside.

Many days I have tried to inspire
Myself or someone else to enquire
Into the depths of creativity’s empire.

Many days I have gone beyond myself
Trying to help another achieve for themselves
What I could not seem to do by myself.

Many days and countless hours, I have spent
Hoping that I might somehow repent
For wasted time that others may resent.

Many days I have tried to finally accomplish
Some worthy work to fulfill my lifelong wish
To do something perfectly and actually finish.

Many days I have gone alone to bed
With silly dreams of victory in my head
For deeds undone and words left unsaid.

© Jo Ann J.A. Jordan
Monday, May 23, 2011

Come To Me In The Silence Of The Night

After my mother has gone to bed,
When the television is turned off
And I can think, clearly and completely.

We will create something wondrous,
A poem or story the world has not seen
A hint of at any other given time.

Come to me when I can fully relax,
Give myself over to my imagination
With no qualms about Mom’s neglect.

Come muse, infuse me with passion,
Give over my will to the flow of words,
Create something fabulous in my mind.

Never torment me by eluding my effort
Give me the words I need without pause
For I am enslaved, enthralled, in your service.

After all the errands are finally run
When the world is drifting into slumber
And I can devote all my energy, totally.

We will endeavor to capture the exact word,
A noun, adjective, or verb as yet unheard
By the unsuspecting, unready world.

© Jo Ann J. A. Jordan
Sunday, May 22, 2011

Writing Fears

This is an exercise from Page after Page by Heather Sellers. I am to make a list of twenty five fears I have about writing. They may not all be rational, but here is my list:

1.     I don’t have anything important to say.
2.     I don’t have a college degree.
3.     I might say something embarrassing.
4.     My grammar isn’t great.
5.     I might make a mistake.
6.     Someone might dislike my writing.
7.     I have a disability.
8.     I might use the wrong words.
9.     I am not good at writing.
10.    I am scared to tell my truth because someone might hate me for it.
11.    I don’t have enough time to make all the writing perfect.
12.    I will never finish anything.
13.    It is too hard to write.
14.    My life isn’t interesting enough.
15.    I have not accomplished enough in my life.
16.    I constantly edit myself.
17.    I am really a reader, not a writer.
18.    My ideas are too original.
19.    My ideas aren’t original enough.
20.    I don’t always make sense.
21.    If I succeed I might not be presentable in public because I am not beautiful.
22.    I should participate in more writer’s groups.
23.    I am not a good enough person to be a writer.
24.    No one wants to read my drivel.
25.    I don’t have enough talent.