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Five Words

This is the Five Word Meme. Melli has given me five words and she wants me to share my thoughts on them.  After you’ve read my meme, if you feel inclined to play along, say so in the comments and I will send you five words of my choosing.

1.) Simple pleasures
There are so many seemingly inconsequential things I enjoy — the sound of falling rain; bird song, fresh breezes, natural silence, and skin. Skin — simple human contact. I come from an affectionate family. We hug, we kiss, we hold hands. I did not realize how important such things were to me until I moved away. My ex-husband’s family definitely weren’t into casual touch or any outward displays of affection. My ex- did not understand why anybody would want to hold hands, or cuddle just for the sake of cuddling.

Luckily for me, my Amoeba is very affectionate. We hold hands almost everywhere we go. Sometimes when we are sitting side-by-side reading he will just reach out and touch me because I am there. He doesn’t want anything but contact. It thrills my heart — especially since he willingly accepts the same. If, as I am passing by, I stop and give him a hug or kiss the top of his head, he doesn’t say, “What was that for?” or question my motives. He just squeezes my hand or turns up his face for another kiss.

Sometimes the simple pleasures in life are the most valued pleasures of all.

2.) Weekends
My Amoeba works 8-12+ hours per day. If he is not in his office, then he is working at home. Generally our weekends are quiet and I try to encourage down time — often he works anyway. On Sundays I know he will have some respite because we always go to church. I do not plan busy weekends. I try to make certain all of Amoeba’s physical needs are met so he can rest.

3.) Inspiration
God. Jesus. You. For the most part I am inspired by everyday people and the efforts they put into living their lives and being the best they can be.

4.) Games
I like card games. I rarely play. I think the last time I engaged in a non-video game was shortly after we moved to Hawaii. We lived in Makaha. A huge storm came through and ripped 18 power poles out. The only road out of our neighborhood was impassable so we were house-bound for three days — a good part of which we had no electricity. Amoeba and I talked and laughed and played cribbage for hours.

In high school and college I was all about pinball. In fact, the first time I went to college — back when education was more important to the powers that be than how much tuition they could rake in — I spent so much time in the pinball arcade that my advisor called me into his office to make certain I knew that the Corner Pocket wasn’t a sanctioned classroom and I couldn’t earn a degree in pinball wizardry.

These days I play video games. I like skill games like Tetris — ones that challenge me to beat my own high score. I also like Spider Solitaire and I have a Backgammon game on my cellphone which I enjoy.

5.) Goals
Oh dear. I think I have more dreams than goals. Goals require plans and discipline, and as my Amoeba lovingly pointed out to me the other day, I am markedly short on both right now. I have been since I hit Hawaii. I don’t really want to blame it on the state, but it does seem to have affected my state-of-mind. I just don’t see my future. Hopefully Washington State and the possibility of teaching again will change that.

I guess, then, I do have a goal. I have a timeline given to me by the school district and I will begin the application process for a Washington State Teacher’s license soon.

~*~

Thanks, Melli. That really wasn’t so painful. Anybody else want 5 words? Just drop me a note in the comments. I’ll get back to you!

44 Comments

  1. WOW! That was quick! And you answered well too! I even learned .. a little bit! I did know you and Amoeba are mushy! 🙂 That’s sweet. And I kinda suspected your weekends were kept quiet by design most of the time — but it’s good to know. I’m nosy like that! 🙂 I definitely DID know of those inspirations… but if that’s where that creative imagination comes from – then that’s where it comes from! And you can’t really ask for BETTER inspiration… so… okay! I did NOT know what games you like! I just taught Krysti how to play cribbage and we like that! I love backgammon too, though I haven’t played it in at least 10 years! I don’t do too many video/puter games — but I DO like tetris or bejeweled. When the kids had … I forget which hand held video game it was, I got totally addicted to one of those games! I would stay up playing until 4 o’clock in the morning! And then get up for work! UGH! bad, bad, bad! I stay away from them now! LOL! Goals – I really DID think your goal was to get back to teaching. I do sO think you belong back in that field… but I SO miss you when you’re at work! But… if you teach – I will visit in SUMMER! 🙂 🙂 🙂
    .-= Melli´s last blog ..5 Words… and Stuff… =-.

    1. Melli — we’re not mushy like, oh my gosh don’t they ever let go of each other, but we hold hands in public and kiss hello and good-bye.

      My creative well is a little dry right now and I have been trying to read to refill it. I didn’t know you meant writing inspiration, I thought you meant spiritual inspiration! Although, the writing inspiration starts the same place the spiritual inspiration does, examples of good storytelling are also a must for writing.

      1. Actually… I didn’t MEAN any particular kind of inspiration — THAT is the glory of only giving 5 words – rather than 5 questions. You could interpret it any way you like… and I didn’t just mean creative imagination as far as writing either — you are very creative with your photography, and you puns, and I’m sure other things I’m just not thinking of right now. 🙂
        .-= Melli´s last blog ..5 Words… and Stuff… =-.

  2. Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting. I enjoy meeting new readers and have heard about you through Melli.
    I´m not one of those “touchy” people, but I admire those that do. It´s just the way I was brought up.
    But I do love games. I love spider solitaire too and have it on my computer at work (ssshhh, don´t tell anyone). 🙂
    I would love to have game evenings, but the friends I have all don´t really like cards games. So I go digital… 🙂
    So you live in Hawaii now? And are planing to move to Washington to teach? That sounds like a big move!
    Will be back to read more!
    .-= Betty´s last blog ..23 years ago…… =-.

    1. Betty — Amoeba and I have been in Hawaii a little over 2 years. He works at the University here, but has accepted a position at the University of Washington on the same campus where he earned his PhD. I am a teacher, but I didn’t care for the Hawaii education system and took an office position in the public sector. The Washington State Education System is one of the best in the nation and I am looking forward to working for them.

    1. Fandango — it amazes me that dragons only talk about the length of people’s stories. Do you know that because of you I actually got a private email asking how long of a story was permissible?

  5. waiting to hear back on our next step in the buying process is really boring so send me five words and I’ll see what I can do…

  6. I like your number 3, but all were great answers!

    so how do you make your own noodles? I can no longer get the noodles I used here in LR, so maybe making them would be an option….I’m game!!! would you email me your recipe? sarawbowyerATmsnDOTcom
    .-= sara bowyer´s last blog ..Friday Fill-ins =-.

  7. Quilly, I have such a fun mental picture of you and Amoeba…its very calming and peaceful, but playful and WORDY…

    So, yeah, gimme 5 and I’ll see what I come up with. We’re knee deep in the big semi-annual book sale so I may not be as quick as I often am…but I’ll get there!
    .-= Southlakesmom´s last blog ..Three Word Thursday =-.

  8. Sometimes Island Time is the best kind of time…. but I know all about lack of plans and discipline. It is part of what I am working on in my personal life now… sort of… when I’m not procrastinating about it all!
    Our weekends are like that, too — quiet for my husband who works long hours during the week.

    I’d be honored to be given 5 words. It might take me a little while to blog it, but I will do it.
    .-= kcinnova´s last blog ..T13 =-.

  9. I love thinking about simple pleasures — or just stopping in the moment to savor them.

    I love restful weekends, too. Sometimes we have things we need to get done or there is an event or we want to do something different — but I prefer restful weekends.

    Love #3.

    I don’t know how to play cribbage, but my grandmother loved playing canasta. I don’t know if I remember that any more. I play Scrabble and Word Twist on Facebook as well as Three Towers Solitaire. We don’t play family games as often as I’d like, but we like Apples to Apples, Ticket to Ride, and various others. I’m not good at video games — something about the screen or movement bothers my eyes.

    I am better at dreams than goals, too.
    .-= Barbara H.´s last blog ..Helpers =-.

  10. Liked your answers Quilly, they were from the heart. I know now what we can do if I come for that Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup with Homemade Noodles. We can have a good game of Cribbage.

    If you want you can send me five words (be gentle), now that life is back to normal and I am happy again got to find out some way to get to the One Thousandth Post, only three left.

    Thanks for your thoughts and prayers over the last month. You are a good friend.

    For some reason your Linky thingy isn’t working anymore and my latest posts don’t show up , even though I am putting the correct URL for my blog in there.

  12. :*

    But I’m afraid the colleges only “valued education more than profit” when we were in school because they had the quaint idea that businesses would only buy quality graduates. So the only way to profit was to ensure that students did well. Now that businesses will buy any graduates – or at least that’s what the publicity tells us – the schools could care less whether its students are doing well, so long as they pay their fees.
    .-= the amoeba´s last blog ..Dude and Dude: Race =-.

  13. I loved these answers; you did such a good job with your words.

    Lucky you to have such an affectionate man!

    I’ve lost all discipline on my island too — so many reasons. One is the climate which just makes me want to curl up in bed and forget everything; another is that the smallness of the place means few opportunities and such a clique culture within disciplines to deal with. Attitudes mean a lot. I’m looking forward to moving, and wish you the best of luck with yours!
    .-= Susan at Stony River´s last blog ..Friday Flash 55: a Howler. =-.

  14. I really enjoyed your post and though I know it’s not a competition (it’s not, is it? ;-}) I don’t know if I could cope with words I may not even have heard of . . . but I’d like to try (she said with a sigh and a brave little smile)
    .-= jabblog´s last blog ..Friday 55 Flash Fiction =-.

  16. I love your take on Simple Pleasures Quilly. MWM and I hold hands all the time – sitting watching TV,when we’re out for a drink, out walking and we hold hands in bed until we fall asleep! Our children are affectionate too – we get a kiss each off our boys whenever they come to visit. 🙂
    .-= Akelamalu´s last blog ..Friday 55 Flash Fiction # 91 Going Home….. =-.

  20. My husband does long hours too, so I quite understand what you mean, giving him the rest he needs. We need to hug, or a little touch … oh and we even hold hands in the car while he drives. 😉
    I don’t do games anymore. There was a time when I was totally addicted to Spider sollitaire, but I would not know how to do it now!!
    Loved reading your answers.
    I got five words too, but I still need to do them. Never enough hours in a day, I’m taking a weekend off from blogging to finish some very important other projects!!
    .-= Jientje´s last blog ..Friday’s Fave Five, Sunny September =-.

  21. You two seem like the perfect couple, how wonderful!!
    My weekends are busy because Mr Mar cannot sit still and needs action all the time!! and attention, that’s why I never blog on Sundays 🙂
    I love card games but I haven’t played in a long while.
    Enjoyed reading your answers, quilly!
    .-= Mar´s last blog ..twisted necklace =-.

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