Day: December 2, 2022

One-To-Three Photo Processing Challenge — December, 2022

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For this monthly prompt from Kate at The Squirrel Chase, the idea is pick a photo you want to play with and process it using three different methods. The photo I’m featuring today is one I took of a Reuben sandwich at a local restaurant.

All processed photos were made using apps available for the iPhone at Apple’s App Store. Also, all images, including the original, were resized (shrunk) to make them quicker to load (and to take up less space in my WordPress media folder).

Original photo
Processed using Prisma
Processed using Sketch Master
Processed using Waterbrush by BeCasso

Which image do you like best?

TGIF — Let It Rain

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Paula Light, at Light Motifs II, has this prompt she calls TGIF. She encourages us to take this opportunity to openly chat or jabber about anything we want.

It rained all day yesterday. And, boy oh boy, did we need it. We’re in the midst of a severe drought here in Northern California and we can use all the rain we can get.

The good news is that we’re supposed to get more rain tomorrow, Sunday, and Monday. Our dog won’t be happy, as she’s not a fan of taking care of business in the rain, but that’s a small price to pay for making a dent in the drought. And she’s a dog!

On top of the welcome wet weather, it’s unusually cold. Yesterday’s rainy day high reached only 48°F and it actually dipped down below freezing (31°) this morning. Tomorrow’s high is projected to be only 49°! Brrr. When it comes down to high temperatures at or above 100° versus highs around 50°, though, I much prefer adding layers to stay warm in the winter than stripping naked (hide your eyes) to keep cool in the summer.

And on that note, happy TGIF, everyone.

Friday Faithfuls — Inflation

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Jim Adams has posted another Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Friday Faithfuls prompt in which he gives us a lesson on inflation and then asks us:

How is inflation is affecting your life?

I’m no expert when it comes to knowing the ins and outs and the pushes and pulls of inflation. All I know is that I’m a retiree who lives on a fixed income and when the prices of goods and services go up significantly, it takes a big bite out of my disposable income.

And that means I need to tighten my belt a little when it comes to day-to-day spending, like buying groceries, heating and cooling our home, or purchasing discretionary items online. Even our gift giving budget for the holidays this year has been scaled down a bit.

There is some good news, though. I’m getting a cost of living adjustment in Social Security benefits this year, resulting in an 8.7% increase in my monthly Social Security check. Of course, that will be partially eaten up by increases in Medicare premiums.

Aside from Social Security benefits, the rest of my retirement nest egg is invested in the stock market through my 401(k) plans and my Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). Fortunately, the stock market has recovered significantly over the past month.

But as an individual, I don’t have any impact upon my country’s economic or monetary policies. There’s not much I can do to but to sit back and hope that the ebb and flow will eventually lead to an inflation rate that is more reasonable. I do think pointing the finger at Joe Biden and the Democrats, as the Republicans are doing, is wrong. If only the U.S. were suffering inflation, that would be one thing. But inflation this year is global, with most countries experiencing higher rates of inflation. Last I checked, Joe Biden is not president of the entire world, and many countries run by conservative politicians or authoritarian leaders are also suffering from high inflation.

Fibbing Friday — Song Connections

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Di (aka Pensitivity101) hosts Fibbing Friday, a silly little exercise where we are to write a post with our answers to the ten questions below. But as the title suggests, truth is not an option. The idea is to fib a little, a lot, tell whoppers, be inventive, silly, or even outrageous, in our responses. Today Di wants to know…

1. Who recorded Mouldy Old Dough? Betty Crocker.

2. What color icing was on the cake in MacArthur Park? Camouflage.

3. Who sang they were made out of Gingerbread? The butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker.

4. Who sang Tutti Frutti? My gastroenterologist, Dr. O. Rudy.

5. Who recorded Green Onions? Dr. Seuss.

6. Who had a boy lollipop? A girl lollipop kid from the Wizard of Oz.

7. What is a Tangerine Dream? An erotic dream by someone with a fruit fetish.

8. Sugar Sugar or Honey Honey? Sugar in my coffee, honey in my tea.

9. Who sang Sugar Pie Honey Bunch? Ben and Jerry when they introduced the name of their latest ice cream flavor.

10. Do you need Hot Butter for Popcorn? Yes, because cold butter on popcorn is just gross.

Friday Fictioneers — The Sunrise View

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The two of them sat at the small table looking out of the window watching the sun rising in the east. “I probably paid too much for this place,” Elizabeth said, “but this is why I bought it. I never tire of this view.”

“I get it,” Nadia said. “What a way to start each day.”

“Move in with me, Nadia,” Elizabeth said. “I know this place is small, but I want the two of us to wake up to this together every morning.”

Nadia grabbed Elizabeth’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I do too,” she said.

(100 words)

Written for Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers prompt. Photo credit: Roger Bultot.