29 faces of September 2016

 29 Face of September 2016

Paint Party Friday

Unethical Surprises!

Septembers new banner " Summers almost done"

 I'd like to thank everyone profusely for the wonderful comments last week on my featured cat  painting at Paint Party Friday... Your friendship and support means so much!  Again I feel so blessed to be part of such a great group of creative souls!

Face #1 Fly

As wise I can be, there are times in my life I have been naive about peoples ethics!  My mom was always more honest than my dad. Dad was slightly more willing to bend the rules knowing that life wasn't always fair! For the most part though he was a  fair, good man!

face #6 mounted in gold

I once walked in on the tail end of the  conversation of a company raffling a big ticket item. I overheard an exchange about their predetermined winner. I was more than a little shocked. To some degree the charitable deed was muddied and  fixed.  I walked away with a sour taste in my mouth and new perspective on the character of that group! I distanced myself from their parties!

face #4 waiting in the city

I was so disappointed in the person involved.  Knowing full well they could afford to buy the prize outright, while many others were being duped in a raffle proposing hope where there was none! I couldn't help but wonder how much money I'd foolishly forked out on nefariously orchestrated raffles over the years!

Recently I tried to help an acquaintance win a contest by voting for his video. Along with several other friends my family spent hours and days trying to elevate this new fathers numbers by voting frequently for a much deserved creation. There is no doubt this new father spent countless hours photographing and editing a wonderful video for a contest he had entered with a promise  he had every chance to win. A contest that could change his life for the better!!

Friends conferred back and forth as they voted his number up! Every time he surpassed his main competitor the  other guy would quickly and oddly surpass him. As we monitored the other fellow we suspected he was buying votes, about fifty at a time!! Each time we surpassed him slowly and  legitimately....he had a barrage of votes that dropped our contestant into second place within a few moments. 

Face #3 shopping in the city

 Close to the finish of the contest our hopeful was 300 votes ahead. It took a lot of persistence and love to get each and every vote. When we were blitzed in two minutes the other guy stole the finished with five hundred votes in one fell swoop! 

 Face #5 Waiting in the Country

It was shocking even though Cupcake had predicted he would jump in and steal the win! Sadly you can buy votes for contests online!  There are bots and people willing to  vote for money.  There is no doubt that's  what happened! Had we not been monitoring each vote we'd have not believed it could happen! We watched it with our own eyes! Being a local contest we knew that it  too was fixed!

Face #2 Fall

The new dad was  told the contest ended at ten. I watched the numbers, there was no action after ten. I waited a half hour,  the numbers never moved until I started voting again!! Curious to see what would happen I continued to vote, the other guy went up two and four at a time. It was as though the bot was told to make sure he is always two hundred ahead.   Sure enough as I voted the bot kept  upping. Did you know you can buy votes online?

I concluded  this man wasted  time away from his new baby and young son to try and win a contest that was never there for the winning. It was predetermined, just as then other prize had been  all those years ago! 

Sadly many of us try to  to live as ethically as possible,  doing the right thing, but there is always someone more determined, willing to undermine us at any cost to fly ahead of the game without  conscience!  Thankfully there is Karma to even it all out!!

 Have you ever been surprised by a persons 

outright  gall to do something dishonest?

Wish I knew! Paint Party Friday

As a woman I tried to be everything 

to everyone for several years! 
Had I known then what I know now......

Color is not accurate on this card made for Nature Goddess.  Face#12

I'd have cut a lot more corners! I'd have done a lot less cooking and a lot more creating! I'd have simplified drastically. I'd have cut  stress by buying pre-made items for parties, transferring it to a pretty dish letting people assume what they will!! 

Face #13

Better boundaries, while  listening to  people problems, would have served me well back in the day!   Drama kings and queens tended to cling to me like white fuzz balls on a black sweater,  sucking me dry of empathy energy! I should have stopped wearing deodorant, or worn garlic clove necklaces to ward them off!  In  years past I've learned...certain people tend to repeat their drama over and over in different scenarios!! They're addicted.. if it continues, wean them off you ASAP!! 

Keep all  negative ones NEGATONIANS  at bay!

Face #14 #15

I'd have spent less time on the phone. In today's world that would be face crack, instagram and texting...all big addictions that I'm pretty sure will cause permanent eye  and neck damage. I should have used that time wiser. Scheduling "Me" time for daily creativity.... instead of staying up all night to complete redecorating and sewing projects. 

Face #16

I should have refused to be a part of any family drama, and tried harder to keep hurtful things they said out of my head!

I'd have told my younger self to NEVER  get involved in a three way.... fight!! Never let anyone drag you into their arguments as an arbitrator or otherwise...it's best to stay clear...nothing takes you down faster than being the go between....you will ALWAYS be used as their scapegoat. No doubt they'll misquote you too!!

Face #17

I'd tell younger women.....

Cleaning  floors BEFORE company arrives is fruitless....

 Most likely you'll  NEED to clean them shortly after anyway, 

especially when kids are involved!! 

 I've yet to come and visit my friends floors! 

Just ask yourself, 

"Could a baby crawl safely on these floors?"

If so, you're good!

Face #18 Dancer

Prioritize  only what is most important at the time! 

Don't feel guilty if you have a new baby and don't get dressed all day.... 

give yourself some slack....If you have been up all night with a teething child, 

cancel visits and appointments until you feel more rested  normal, 

if that's even possible.  Treat yourself kindly!

Face #19

Dust will always be there, don't waste too much time on it...If you need to leave it longer than normal to find time....DO IT!! Never allow uninvited guests "dropper inners"....nothing worse than spontaneous company to interrupt your plans, whether it be creativity, housework, or your "ME" time!! It's rude not to call first! Don't answer your door!!..unless your guest is accompanied by a maid! You might not want to miss out on a little house keeping help.....!!

Face #20

NEVER feel you have to answer a phone call, or a door....and NEVER explain yourself. You are entitled to your privacy...whether you want alone time with a family member,  to rock your baby, have a headache or play a game of scrabble...that is YOUR choice!! For heaven sakes don't feel guilty!!! It's completely wasted energy! Your home is your castle safe haven!

Face #21 Some may think you a witch! Oh well! Let them! 

Don't volunteer for EVERYTHING....you are only ONE person...helping is awesome but if it takes you constantly away from really important parts of your personal life and things you love  it's not worth it!! All the same people tend to repeatedly volunteer....sit on your hands once in a while!! Let others have a turn!

You do NOT have to accept every invitation.... only those invitations you know you'll enjoy and love!! The best response is " Sorry, that doesn't work for me." Most people won't ask why...but if they do, just repeat..."it just doesn't work for me" Always give yourself an out by saying, "let me get back to you." For years I accepted invites I lived to regret.. now I give myself time to process it properly before accepting!

How many times have you been at a function and thought, "why am I here, I'm not having a good time?"

Never let a friendship be too one sided. Being generous is an amazing quality, however if the relationship is totally one sided....consider moving on to something more balanced! Some people are in our lives for a season. I tended to take so many people under my wing to help them, without expectations. Now I realize I should have sought a better balance..for my own sake!

 Last of all, "Be The Queen of your life!" Treat yourself like you treat your best friend or your children.....and for petes sake, "shut  that darn sabotage Gremlin up",  he's a big fat liar, because you are perfect just the way you are!!!


What is your best advice for a woman trying to be everything to everyone?

My contribution for paint party friday and 29 faces of September!

A Nice Woman Paint Party Friday

I worked with a woman  

 Every morning

 I'd pass her by and say 

"hello, how are you?" 

 Every morning she'd bend my ear

with a petty, whiny  

negative story

that was her life.

 Not once did she answer

"good  thank you,

and  you?"

 Soon I figured out

  If I  walked briskly by

Spouting a perky "Hi!" as I passed

I could avoid the drama

that she lived

 We both left the job

  A few Years later

Her adult son, 

 a father of twins

 went missing
 never to be found

 Thirteen years passed

Then  on New Years Eve

One of the twins

her twenty year  old grandson

  went missing

  Close to a month passed
 a search party

found him

in a bush 
 deceased.
 No foul play
 suspected.

 When we find life  so
overwhelming and difficult
 we can look to our neighbours 
 knowing  someone out there
is dealing with  something 
even worse!

All we can do is have faith and motor on!!

Go here if you'd rather read "All you need is Cookies"!

This is my contribution to Paint Party Friday and 29 faces in Feb.

Finally after several years of wanting a better phone,
 I will be graduating to android status  in a week or two. 
It's not the latest version but it's a good one!!
I'm excited about joining instagram!!

How about you, what's the happiest thing that 
happened to you this week?

Paint Party Friday, Nick Names

Playing a round

 Warning this is a long post...I hope the art is a good distraction!

Scrabblers and a big head!

I play on-line scrabble with random opponents. I'm pretty choosy who I play with. I can tell a lot from their nick names..."ruthless" speaks for itself, could be a good game with lots of blocking! "Bosspixie" might just be a short bossy woman with a pixie hair cut, possibly trouble. "Fussyone" is a whiner to be sure!!   

Believe it or not "Splotch" is in a heavy metal band, I figured him as an artist!  "Catnip" is pretty self explanatory. "Glad77" might be a  happy thirtyfive year old woman, probably a non threatening opponent! "Seawind," is either a self professed farter, a sailor, or both! A guy you just might not wanna play in person!! Stinky factor!

 "Coolgranma," I'm pretty sure spoils her grand kids!! Might be an easy win there!!  "3kids," probably a busy lady, who  might abandon a game half way through when one of the kids needs attention!! "Bash12," could be a wife beater or a vengeful scrabbler.

Ladynana....is refined, I'd play her, could be a slow game though. "Demerrara".... he's a DRINKER, yep, big drinker...loves his rum, could be annoying if he nods off...which has happened before!! MARYLOU, likes screaming probably types only in capitals, and is possibly an era behind me."Klaws," big red flag, "stay away" could be dangerous... "Gingiruth"  probably a harmless redhead named Ruth!

Cruelzit, you may think is a man with bad acne....of course it has to be a man! A woman would never refer to herself as a zit! In fact he's an avid highscoring scrabbler who's nick is actually an annagram of his real name. He flaunts his email address as "imatigerwords!!" Possibly a cheater? Or a philanderer?

Karoline

Anyway, I clicked on this player, "Karoline". She sounds nice right? In my non virtual life I have a dear friend name Carolyn who truly is a sweet Caroline!! Kind to everyone! When playing scrabble online it's proper etiquette to say good luck or gl and thank-you or ty when you start a game. We also  acknowledge a  bingo (7 letter word) with a kind response, because it's a rare and difficult play.

 For some reason Karoline doesn't understand why anyone would say good luck or thank you during a game. She feels we are strictly there to beat each other at scrabble! Usually more  discriminating, I seems to always click  her nick by accident, forgetting what her finger notes say. I'm hoping this post reminds me not to play her again. 

She's not overtly grumpy but has a real attitude. She hates when people say good luck at the beginning of a game and refuses to respond!! She can't understand politeness, and shouldn't be fooling me with her sweet nick name!! I am so grateful for a good opponent, and a nice balanced game, of fair play, win or lose! It seems the opponents  who don't use manners lose more often than not. 

What is so wrong with being competitive but sincerely happy for a player who comes up with a great word. It's not as though we're playing for money. I don't get it.... I like to compete, and still have manners and good sportsmanship... holy doodle what is with some people?..My fingernotes say I don't play with grumpypants!! And I mean it!! Oh, as of last night, Ladyjane is no LADY either!! I think Karoline might just have a few aliases!!

 Cupcake brought up a good point too! You really don't know if the person you are scrabbling with isn't a little old lady or a young person dying of cancer, or a man who just lost his wife, or a shut in who's physically disabled! It's important to be kind to everyone on the other side of the screen because you may be their only connection to the outside world and a kind word!!!

 Are you competitive and kind, or competitive and ruthless? What would your nick name say about you?

This is my contribution to Paint Party Friday!