Tag: Valentine’s Day

Posted in Holidays, kindness

I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Wouldn’t Do That)

Posted on by D. Parker

And I would do anything for love,
I’d walk briskly right into hell and back
I would do anything for bloglove,
I’ll never lie to you and that’s a fact

And some days, it ain’t easy
And some days, it ain’t hard
Some days it ain’t happening at all

I’ll do anything for bloglove (but I won’t do that)…

Goodbye Meatloaf (gone like a bat out of hell)

I don’t know about you, but to me January 2022 felt more like Groundhog Day than a new start, but now it’s February so everything will be different, right? Right?

February started with the Lunar New Year aka Chinese New Year – it’s the year of the tiger, ok, I’m singing it as “Eye of the Tiger” and thinking of Monty Python, how about you?

What else is February (allegedly), for such a short month, it’s crammed full of expectations including but not limited to:

  • Black History Month (to remember, to learn, to grow, and to look to a better future)
  • Valentine’s Day (and National Impotence Day is the same day, hmmm, interesting)
  • LGBT+ History Month
  • National Library Lovers Month (having fun isn’t hard when you’ve got a library card!)
  • World Cancer Day (to state the obvious, cancer sucks)
  • Random Acts of Kindness Day (again, you shouldn’t need a day for this, just be kind for pity’s sake)
  • Love Your Pet Day (shouldn’t that be everyday?)
  • Family Day (wow, how many times can I say this, should be every day)
  • Spunky Old Broads Day (bet a lot of Maxine cards are sold for this day)
  • National Pizza Day ( ummmm, pizza)
  • World Whale Day ,as opposed to Worldly Whale Day (très magnifique whales, hmm, wonder if worldly whales would play Wordle?)
  • Read to Your Child Day (Every. Single. Day.)
  • Extraterrestrial Culture Day

2022 is not a Leap Year, so February 2022 has only 28 days, oh no, but hopefully not 28 Days Later, fast zombies are scary, speaking of, guess who’s coming back and with fast zombies, “The Walking Dead”. February has more, but I don’t want to be a bore!

February will come and go in the blink of an eye, pushing into March. My year of chronic change marches on, topsy turvy with all the moving; organizing; growing “Chronic Not Hopeless” (chronicnothopeless@gmail.com https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/01/30/chronic-not-hopeless/); getting addicted to “Among Us”; reading, reading, reading, so much reading; writing; snow, so much snow, eh…

Watching: “The Gilded Age”, “Midsomer Murders”, “1883”, “Snowpiercer”, “Stay Close”, “What We Do in the Shadows”, “Shetland”, “The Expanse”, “Vera”, “The Great”, “JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure”, “The Eternals” (we’ve waited 7000 years for this movie, ha, Marvel/Disney, more like it felt like 7000 years watching this movie, wow); waiting for the return of “The Walking Dead”, waiting for the return of “The Orville”, waiting for common sense/#kindness to poke it’s head out and return us to a better reality.

Here’s what’s happened so far…

In August, it was a difficult decision, but I had to break up with myself 

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/08/23/seems-breakin-up-was-easier-in-the-90s/

In September I asked “What If…?”

 https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/09/29/what-if/

Then in October I knew that “Sweet Screams (Are Made of This) 

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/10/29/sweet-screams-are-made-of-this/

Then in the midst of November chaos came calm 

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/11/27/have-yourself-a-merry-little-christmas/

Counted down in many ways in December 

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/12/02/24-days-of-our-christmas-lives

Shared tips to save

In January I shared ways I’ve learned to save money, of course, if there was affordable housing and even slightly less corporate greed scraping pennies wouldn’t be as necessary. People’s health would be better, physical as well as mental health. I also did a presentation about how to save money for “Chronic Not Hopeless”, a grassroots support group for people with chronic conditions, here for each other because when one of us shines, we all shine.

Contact/get links to Zoom events/volunteer/suggestions/questions/resources/donate:

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2022/01/21/cant-buy-me-love/

Wishing you and yours a safe, happy, and fact-based March, hope it treats you kindly.

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Posted in kindness

Chronic Not Hopeless

Posted on by D. Parker

Here I am again, back, I’m a rubber ball that keeps bouncing back to you…
What’s happened since I’ve been here last?
What hasn’t, but what else is new?

Too many snowstorms.
Too much time filling out forms.
In the real world and not real and perceived dramas.
In and out of various Self-Isolation fashions and pajamas.

The latest thing? “Bridgerton” on Netflix.
Anachronistic version of “The Ton” for your Lockdown kicks.

Elections.
Insurrections.
Vaccines.
Still traveling fiends.

Reddit blows the top
off greedy hedge funds, pop,
with AMC, Blackberry, and Gamestop!
Poor little Wall Street traders
Sad little corporate raiders

Bernie lookin’ cozy
wearing sweaters now mittens
Joe’s cheeks were rosy
with memes all aglow
Amanda, Gaga and JLo,
Kindness can stay, the rest has to go.

New phone. Who dis?
What else did I miss?

“The Queen’s Gambit”.
Always knew chess was “lit”.
New season of “The Expanse”
I think space needs more plants.Christmas was merry, despite (you know)…
finally, 2020 was hindsight (hope 2021 isn’t a new foe).

 “Chronic Not Hopeless”
trying to have some fun, not make a mess,
I guess?!?

I’m knackered, the world is going “all to pot”, and I’m gobsmacked
anyway, clearly time off was way too Britbox-packed.

When the laundry dings
When the doorbell rings
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply watch/read my favourite stuff,
And I don’t feel so rough
(let’s be honest, there’s usually tea
and chocolate involved as well).


Oh and in case you missed it,
there’s still a pandemic,
yup, more than a bit.
So Stay Home
(preferably under a dome?)
and join us on Zoom
for free, we’d love to see you,
and you and you…
there’s always plenty of room.

DM me…double mask me?
When’s it gonna get to three?

OK, my rhymin’s a little loose
It’s true I ain’t no Dr. Seuss
I’m a Canadian, what do I know?
We adopted a Chilean penguin
and my best friend’s a moose.

Remember when I just threw in, “Chronic Not Hopeless” (see above), CNH is a volunteer “powered” weekly get together for people with Chronic Conditions, all are welcome. From anywhere, cause it’s on Zoom, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. Whether you’re from: Canada, America, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, The North Pole, Spain, Japan, Sweden, Brazil, South Africa, Chile, Mexico – anywhere in the world! Anywhere in the Galaxy. Anywhere in the Universe. Free (though we accept donations, gratefully). Safe.

I know, I know, there are a billion “groups” out there, but this isn’t really a group.

Not a support group.
Not an organization.
Not a club.
Not a hangout.
So I’ve told you what it isn’t, so what is it?

It’s a bunch of friends and just-haven’t-met-you-yet-friends
getting together to: chat, laugh, share, learn, connect, etc. Feel comfortable, stay in bed, on the couch, bad hair day, who cares? You want to do crafts, go for it. Want to drink and/or eat: coffee, iced coffee, hot cocoa, kombucha, pizza, pasta, beer, wine (be careful when drinking and Zooming – common sense and Stay-At-Home), sushi, soup, tea, water, juice, salads, cookies, cake, chocolate…well, whatever you want, or not.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is cor103.gif

We’re going to distract ourselves from our chronic conditions.
We’re going to share resources, tips, tricks, life hacks about
anything and everything. And we’re going to laugh.
I can guarantee that. 😂

All that and more, in a drama-free zone.
A place where you can get away from the everyday.
You wanna go where everybody knows, or tries to remember,
your name…where you’ll be glad you came.

Zoom version of pet therapy, maybe with your pets.
🐶🐱🐭🐰🐧🐦🦄🐍🐋🦧🐢🦎🐠🦖🦨🐹🐷
You’ll hear stories, maybe share yours
(your choice if you do or don’t, whatever
makes you feel comfortable).
No pressure.
No drama.
No whining.
We’re not hopeless.
We’re not helpless.
We’re still us.
We’re not our chronic conditions, we’re you and me and more,
who just happen to have one or more chronic conditions.

Stay tuned for announcements about FREE online activities, blog posts, Tweets, updates, resources, and so much more. Please follow this, our brand new “Chronic Not Hopeless” page https://chronicnothopeless.ca . Let’s make 2021 better together!🌠😀

Please join us. Mondays (usually). Monday February 1st, 2021 1pm ET. Monday February 8th, 2021 1pm ET. Tuesday February 16th, 2021 1pm ET (Monday is a holiday here in Canada, Family Day). Monday February 22nd, 2021 1pm ET. Just email: chronicnothopeless@yahoo.com to get a link or DM me on Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/1875955569247115…

Our Facebook group where giggles come to live:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1875955569247115…

Twitter, Twitter where we glitter @NotJustChronic

You can go here: https://chronicnothopeless.ca

Donate (big or small, we gratefully accept them all):

Ko-fi.com/chronicnothopeless

E-Transfers for E-xpenses: chronicnothopeless@yahoo.com

“Chronic Not Hopeless” Bylaws (Enforceable Only By You)

  • Be Kind. Be Respectful.

  • Have fun. Laughter is healing.

  • Be discreet with information shared by others.

  • Remember, “agree to disagree”.

  • Share or don’t share. Camera on or off. Leave when you wish without need of explanations – we understand. Be comfortable.

  • Be present. Be pleasant.

  • Be aware of “hot button” topics, including but not limited to: politics, race, religion, The Great Pumpkin, etc.

  • Keep in mind, “Chronic Not Hopeless” is “powered” by volunteers with Chronic Conditions,. We will make missteaks, er, mistakes. We’ll forget things. Our entire life is a Mount Everest-style learning curve. We hope that even at our worst we always try to give you our best.

 

  • Feel free to contribute to “Chronic Not Hopeless” in any way you feel comfortable doing so. That could mean: sharing Facebook posts, Pinning on Pinterest, website pages or blog posts, Retweeting on Twitter, etc.

  • And/or donating via Ko-fi, Paypal, e-transfer to chronicnothopeless@yahoo.com , cash, etc., to pay for expenses CNH incurs such as: Zoom Pro so we can have online activities, the cost of the website, admin costs, etc. This is purely not-for-profit, run by chronically ill volunteers, grassroots community get together – we’re an open book(s).

  • Also, you can write blog posts, help with social media, contribute in any way your skills, energy, and heart can do. It could mean telling family, friends, professionals, co-workers, – well, anyone and everyone about “Chronic Not Hopeless – any and all help is greatly appreciated.

  • “Chronic Not Hopeless” is here for fun, for connecting, for helping – a drama-free zone. We gratefully accept and appreciate any donations – big or small, we love them all! Ko-fi.com/chronicnothopeless chronicnothopeless@yahoo.com We’re not hopeless. We’re not helpless. We’re still us.

Disclaimer for “Chronic Not Hopeless”:
Please consult your physician if you have medical questions, before you start any exercise regime, any new medication, supplement, etc. and if you are feeling concerned about your physical, emotional and/or mental health.
“Chronic Not Hopeless” is a community get together, not a substitute or source for medical advice. Any medical information found here is opinion and not endorsed by “Chronic Not Hopeless”.
If you are feeling uncomfortable, please let us know and/or feel free to leave. We are here to help, not harm.

So you’ve heard this before, “I’m back”, but my heart was always here with you, I just couldn’t get my body to co-operate.

All I can do is keep trying. Thank you kindly for being here when I bounce back in. So Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings, Happy New Year, thank you for the birthday wishes, Happy Groundhog Day! https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/02/02/groundhog-day/ —

Happy Valentine’s Day   https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/02/14/who-loves-ya-baby/      https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/     https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/   https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/01/29/always-on-my-mind-blog-party/     

As always, thank you for letting me empty my brain onto this blog and thank you for being gentle with that poor old thing. My brain thanks you for your support and your constant kindness.

Posted in Blogs, Chocolate

After All, Tomorrow Is Another Day

Posted on by D. Parker

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/“Never put off
till tomorrow
what you can
do day after
tomorrow
just as well.”
-Mark Twainhttps://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/I’m a pro at procrastination, no amateur stuff for me. I wish I could stop procrastinating, but I keep postponing it. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/I do it when blogging, postponing writing posts – I tell myself it’s a lack of energy, lack of time, lack of ideas – I wish those were truths, but like most cases of procrastination, my real issue, fear. If I delay doing something, it can’t fail.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/

My procrastination is getting worse, becoming a chronic condition. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/Is it the amount of choices? Time inconsistency? Self-censorship? Constant interruptions? Laziness? Lack of focus? https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/We all put off doing things, but when does it move to acting against your best interests, your better judgement, when does procrastination take over your common sense?https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/

What if I’m not even a pro procrastinator, but just an amateur stresstinator?  https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/04/05/overwhelmed/https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/Either way, I need to get out of my head, out of my own way, so I ignored the Scarlett O’Hara voice in my head, telling me to think about it tomorrow (after all, tomorrow is another day)… https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/Then fiddle-dee-dee, I called/emailed/talked to who I needed (note I did not use the word “wanted”) to contact, and even wrote this post; giggling (mostly in my head), thinking of Carol Burnett’s “Went With The Wind”.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/

The cure for procrastination? I want to say chocolate (I know who my date is for Valentine’s Day)… https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/Wishful thinking aside, it’s a mystery to me – I’ll push through the Crapathy https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/05/25/crapathy/ – try for more: courage, conviction, and compassion https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/20/compassion-never-goes-out-of-style/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/keeping in mind, some things are better when we wait for them.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/02/07/after-all-tomorrow-is-another-day/

Posted in social media, Televison

Death By Demographics

Posted on by D. Parker

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/“You don’t stop
laughing when
you grow old,
you grow old
when you stop
laughing.”
– George
Bernard
Shaw

There isn’t as much laughter as there used to be,
no, I’m completely wrong, there’s just as much, if not more laughter, it just seems less jovial, less fun, more jeering, sneering, mocking; less of a tonic, more of a poison. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/
We’re in the middle of a Civil War, without the cool uniforms, just about as many guns, more antibiotics and opioids, but with the same unfortunate emphasis on uncivil. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/I don’t think this will change anytime soon. But in the whimsical winsome wisdom of the surprisingly philosophical show, Blossom:
“Don’t know about the future, that’s anybody’s guess
Ain’t no good reason for getting all depressed
Buy up your pad and pencil, I’ll give you a piece of my mind
In my opinionation, the sun is gonna surely shine”
(make sure you have sunglasses).
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/“Opinionation” is right on – nations fueled by opinion and connected by the internet. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/05/19/the-internet-has-spoken/ Many feel out of control (without even the illusion of control), and have inaccurately begun to believe our opinions are truth, that feelings are facts while desperately trying to process more information in a day than we used to get in 10 years…is it any wonder we’re clinging to numbers, theories, gossip, polls, conjunction, speculation, sensationalism.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/The song, “Murder by Numbers” by The Police keeps popping into my head; or Suicide By Numbers, we’re letting demographics kill our sense of self and poor common sense on a slab somewhere, waiting for the autopsy. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/Statistical characteristics of human populations, such as age or income, could be used to find out who needs shelter, food, medical attention, instead it’s used mostly to identify markets to sell sell sell (did I mention to sell?). It adds to the distraction and the ‘us versus them’ mentality that is tearing us apart.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/Death By Demographics  is also the title of the final episode of Murder She Wrote, not unironically was cancelled in 1996, due in part to demographics and Angela Lansbury’s boredom after 12 years of playing Jessica Fletcher, either the smartest woman ever or a serial killer who pins crimes on others. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/It was a time of strange, supernatural, and youth: Friends (How you doin’?) https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/09/28/we-were-on-a-break/, The X-Files (The Truth Is Out There? https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/10/26/my-big-fat-supernatural-life/), https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/ 7th Heaven, The Unabomber was captured, so many were doing the Macarena (and badly), there were heroes and zeroes, Independence Day, Spice Girls (oh no, now I’m humming “Wannabe”), 3rd Rock From The Sun,https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/ Tupac died (or did he?), ER, talking about the Superbowl (so much has changed…), Tickle Me Elmo – good thing Fifty Shades (ummm, Happy Valentine’s Day???) wasn’t out then, folks would have lined up to buy Tie Me Up and Tickle Me Elmo https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/12/fifteen-shades-of-valentines-day/ , Seinfeld (What is the deal with that?)…

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/Demographics feed our fear and anger. Our fear of missing out (FOMO https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/11/08/is-everyone-hanging-out-without-me/    https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/01/06/im-not-inclined-to-resign-to-maturity/), and our fear/anger of not getting enough or what we “deserve”. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/Social media is the master class of demographics, people mindlessly drooling over videos, pictures, stories –  a viral version of gossip and tabloids, oozing out of your laptop, tablet, desktop, and/or phone.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/Numbers are definitely the ruling class. The nobles send out the knights to hack our brains, find out what scares us, what tempts us and there it is, ready to by.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/Even blogging has become all about the numbers, instead of connection. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/02/02/theres-no-crying-in-blogging/https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/Numbers are important, but letting them dictate who we are, what we are, what we do, you have to show some caution. Choices should be made with information, knowledge, facts…anyone remember those?https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/Maybe I’m just looking for answers where there are more questions, I shouldn’t blame numbers, they’re just hanging around, building the universe, what we do with them isn’t their fault; maybe they could even help us remember we’re all in this life together. We’re all in this life together (oops, there goes my Groundhog Day again https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/02/02/groundhog-day/). So stay warm, eat some pancakes https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/17/well-always-have-pancakes/, find out how many weeks of winter are left, love, and keep laughing, but not at each other.https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/01/29/death-by-demographics/

Posted in Books, Canada, Holidays, Uncategorized, Zombies

Who Loves Ya Baby?

Posted on by D. Parker

1tidy4How many times
can you fall off
the planet before
you start to think,
hmmm, maybe I
need better
gravity boots.

My strange week began with me frenetically organizing and cleaning my house.

At first, I thought it was simply having finally read Marie Kondo’s book, the life-changing magic of tidying up: the Japanese art of decluttering and tidying. Though commonsense, it’s all been said and done, in various ways. It’s easy to declutter, you have less stuff that’s more organized. I should write a book. My house looks like a poor woman’s Martha Stewart, with fewer prison ponchos (it’s a good thing).

1tidy2
Then came the gut punch, the calendar explained my sudden need to keep busy – a year ago my 30 year friendship stopped, just as my best friend’s heart had stopped https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/02/06/goodbye-dearest-friend/ I wanted to do anything but think about my losses, all of them, before and after this one. I wanted to drown my sorrows in the bottom of a neatly folded and lined-up sock drawer. To gamble I could keep the traveling elastic bands and pens all in one place, just one more time.

1tidy3

Even after everything was organized, sorted, recycled, and donated, my feelings of pain, loss, and fear still cluttered my house, heart, and mind. So I purged some of those feelings blocking me from respecting joy, hope, and love. I folded my memories into my life; if I keep hanging them, they’ll take up too much space in my emotional closet.

1tidy7

We’re told we need to be smart, work smart, have smart things, but where is smart really getting us?

  • For example, if credit cards are so smart, why can’t they pay off their outstanding balances, huh?

  • If TVs are so smart, why do we have to spend so much time looking for something good to watch?

1tidy11

  • Maybe we need smart pets that feed, groom, and even walk themselves.

  • I have a feeling if I got a smart fridge, I’d hear things like: “Are you here again, girl, get yourself a life!” or “What are you doing, Donna, this is highly irregular!”

1tidy24

  • Why stop there? Smart coffee machines, ha, amateurs, how about smart coffee that changes itself from espresso to latte to whatever passes as coffee, depending on your mood.

  • Someday your smart car will hold you in contempt without a valid high IQ score.

    1tidy21

  • Smart wine that critiques itself so you can sound like a wine connoisseur, although then everyone will sound the same, so it will be just the wine talking.

  • Smart couches that tell us the best spot to park our caboose.

    1tidy27

War, depression, corruption, terrorism, anxiety, climate change, poverty, prejudice, ignorance, disease, political games, scams, abuse, addiction, melodrama, not to mention simultaneous epidemics of starvation and obesity – we don’t need a zombie apocalypse, we’re doing just fine on our own.

1tidy12
We self-scan, aka us working for a store for free, while putting others out of work (and already over-paying), all the while supporting companies that destroy the environment, while using what amounts to slave labour. Really?

1tidy8

And our complaints are many: my laptop is too heavy, there’s too much food in my house, my smartphone isn’t the latest model, my smartphone doesn’t have a long enough battery life, there’s too many movies/TV shows to stream/watch. I clearly have the wrong definition of ‘smart’.

1tidy16

So I will try to be smarter.

I will thank my body for it’s hard work, especially my heart which has taken a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.

I will commune with my mind, who has respectfully stayed with me through thick and thin.

Everything in its place and a place for everything…as long as it sparks joy.

Happy Valentine’s Day…Who loves ya, baby?

1tidy10

Posted in Blogs, Books, Canada, Chocolate, Jane Austen, Movies, Star Wars, Televison, Uncategorized, Zombies

Always On My Mind Blog Party

Posted on by D. Parker

1blog110Decisions. The average person now makes more decisions in a day than most did in weeks, months, even years. Decisions can engulf us. Haunt us. Overwhelm us. Interrupt us. Even stalk us in our dreams, ummm, a Nightmare on Choice Street? Choices are great, but too many can make it difficult, or almost impossible to make and trust decisions. Then comes the morning after, littered with “Did I make the right choice?”, “What did I do?”, “Can I return this?”, “What was I thinking?”.

1blog106

Even in blogging there are so many decisions. At first, it felt frightening, like I was that boy in Jurassic Park, when Dr. Grant was explaining how Velociraptors kill.

1blog90

Now I’m more like Chris Pratt, on a motorcycle, riding with the Velociraptors in Jurassic World, which for me was an all-out, action-packed cheesefest (in a good way), but a noticeable lack of Jeff Goldblum.

1blog88

And yes, we’ve all made the wrong decisions, like someone thinking it was a good idea to make a certain theme park ride that shall remain nameless, ok, Tomorrowland, into a movie. It had its moments, mainly involving George Clooney and Hugh Laurie – I do so enjoy when Laurie’s given a chance to rant.

1blog86

Even after years of blogging I still have trouble making some decisions, and have more blank-I-just-can’t-make-this-decision-moments than would seem humanly possible..but mostly it’s much, much more like It’s A Small World After All.

1blog109

Blogging has taken me to places I might never have gone:

1. Magical places…
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/10/03/sweet-dreams-are-made-of-this/

1gone10

2. Hopeful places…
Thank you, Mary Smith http://www.marysmith.co.uk/ for your riveting novel, No More Mulberries and equally entrancing non-fiction offering, Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni: Real Stories of Afghan Women. Reminding us that so much of the stereotypes, drama, and propaganda are fabrications – to sell products, news, and government policies; that strength, compassion, and hope still blossoms, especially in the hearts of the oppressed.1blog96

3. Intriguing places…
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/10/09/you-may-say-im-a-dreamer/

4. Complex places…
Ever wonder what happened after? You know, after Darcy and Elizabeth, after Jane Eyre and Rochester? Some authors take up the challenge and continue the classic stories. It’s awfully daring, foolhardy, or just cashing in. In the case of Luccia Gray http://lucciagray.com/ – I’m going with daring. As a reader, I didn’t feel this was just to piggyback on the fame, but because Gray loves the enigmatic character, and wanted to continue Eyre’s story through her Eyre Hall Trilogy. The first book, All Hallows at Eyre Hall draws you in, and by the second, Twelfth Night at Eyre Hall you’re on tenterhooks, awaiting more.

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5. Spacey places…
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/12/18/these-arent-the-gifts-youre-looking-for/

6. Even racey places…
Not in a tangible sense, but maybe that’s me, because my idea of a romantic Valentine’s Day is the return of The Walking Dead. Who knows? Love is a mystery.
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/04/11/why-zombies-will-rule/
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/04/11/why-zombies-wont-rule/

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If you’re a writer, film, art, whatever, contact me at: iwanttobelieve@rogers.com I do reviews, honest opinions only.

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One way or another, we’re all busy.
Finding blogs we enjoy is challenging enough, but making time to read them is daunting.
Why not put all the awesome blogs in one place?
I promised you a blog party https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/01/24/take-it-easy/

Here it is!
1. Mix and mingle, refreshments to your left beside the archives (what do you think of the new theme?).
2. Please leave your blog link or post link in the comment box below along with any introductions. One link per comment, but come back as often as you’d like.
3. Please reblog to spread the word or like, share on Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Facebook, etc. Like, share, reblog, tell your family, friends and blogneighbours.
4. I will visit and respond asap (at the snail’s pace I’m moving these days, the next Star Wars film could be out before my asap…kidding ).
5. Have fun, it’s a great way to find bloggers and have them find you.

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Thank you for coming to the party and for supporting my blog…You’ve made blogging a decision I’ll never regret.

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Where I’m a complete twit: https://twitter.com/yadadarcyyada
Where I’m baffled by humanity: https://www.facebook.com/yadadarcyyada
The dark hole where I lose hours of my life: http://www.pinterest.com/dpark2/
Where I google (seriously, not nearly as fun as it sounds): https://plus.google.com/112672588892199127381/posts
Another place to BlogLove: https://www.bloglovin.com/people/donnaparker10-6312637

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Maybe I didn’t blog love
Quite as often as I could
Maybe I didn’t treat posts
Quite as good as I should
If you felt like second best
Sorry, it’s just lack of time
You were always on my mind
(you were always on my mind)
You were always on my mind

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Posted in Movies, Uncategorized

20 Movies To Avoid on a First Date

Posted on by D. Parker

1love701. The Notebook. There’s no winner here, men will be edging to the door wanting to avoid the crying woman beside him in the theater and comparing themselves to Ryan Gosling. Your date will be all dewy-eyed and comparing you to Ryan Gosling.

2. (500) Days Of Summer. Sweet and quirky, but both of you will be thinking, hmmmm, they’re just going to break my heart, why even start this?

3. Lolita. Whole mess of discomfort and awkward conversations.

4. Saw. Any of them. Stay away from horror movies unless your date specifically says they love horror movies.

5. Knocked Up. Take a trip to a pharmacy before you see this.

6. Anything too funny – who can live up to that? Your jokes will fall flat for the rest of the night and you’ll end up repeating back the movie lines. Great way to weed out atrocious laughers though.  

7.  Marley & Me. Nothing says hot date like the death of a beloved pet.

8. Muriel’s Wedding, The Wedding Date, Monsoon Wedding, My Big Fat Greek Wedding. My Best Friend’s Wedding, Love Actually…you could be sized up for a tux while you’re getting popcorn. This goes double for Jane Austen-related films.

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9. Anything too political. Could spark a lively debate or you could end up hating each other.

10. How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days. Because it’s about screwing up relationships, but mainly because it’s just kinda boring.

11. Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, Misery, Play Misty For Me, You Belong To Me, One Hour Photo, Sleeping With the Enemy, The Crush. Anything too stalkery – your date will be looking for the exits and changing their number.

12. Anything by David Lynch. This could lead to unsettling conversations about who has tried what, with whom, and when.

13. Titanic. Too long and spoilers, it didn’t end well. This goes for: Romeo and Juliet, Blue Valentine, Blue Velvet, The Comfort of Strangers, Antichrist, American Psycho, or Shame.

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14. The Break Up. Leads to long silences and not just about the poor acting.

15. War movies, specifically Holocaust related.

16. Back to the Future. Mom in love with her son. Enough said.

17. He’s Just Not That Into You. Too much chatter and suspicion.

18. Vanilla Sky. I have nothing.

19. Remember Me. Your date may not want Robert Pattinson to die and guess what? Stick with any of the Twilight films.

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20.  Say Anything. Unless you have a boom box, a trench coat and are John Cusack, don’t even try this one.